The Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2021 Vol-2

2021 BEING THE CHANGE THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

ANNA

HOMENKO

Personifying

WORK-LIFE BALANCE WORKING IN THE NEW NORM

Expertise, Redefining Leadership THE MOST

ADMIRED

Leaders

IN BUSINESS 2021

ISSUE 02 | VOL 03

EDITOR’S NOTE Redefining Success

S

uccess is different for different people. Most of them accept it in terms of financial numbers, or career position attained, or by number of years spent on the job. But women are redefining this essence of success. By achieving work-life balance they are being successful in both the spheres of their life.

A lot of ink has been spilled over the dilemma of women being underrepresented when it comes to heading the business. Women have already been successful in taking the charge and have taken their businesses to the new heights. Not only this, but now they are also making their marks in the male-dominated industries. It has all become possible due to soft skills they carry. Today’s cumbersome corporate world is in desperate need of leaders who are empathetic, good listeners and communicators. Women are believed to be grown with such skills which serve them well when wearing the hat of leader.

CIO Look in its edition “Most Admired Women Leaders in Business 2021” has bring forward the stories of some exemplary women leaders who are setting a striking instance of effective leadership.

Featuring on the cover of this edition is an ardent entrepreneur Anna Homenko. As the Founder and Managing Director of Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited, Anna has brought her 20 years of experience, knowledge, and resources to the table.

Anna has cemented her reputation in Cyprus and abroad as one of the most knowledgeable people in the administrative services industry. Her passion for her work and constantly striving for excellence in all that she does has made her the inspirational leader she is today. Considered as a doyen in the industry, Anna leads by example, taking a hands-on approach and inspiring her teams to utilize all that they learn, create, and believe in.

THE MOST

ADMIRED

Leaders

IN BUSINESS 2021

Furthermore, she is a solution-oriented leader, who believes that there is never a problem that cannot be solved. Instead of exploring obstacles, she believes in taking responsibility and focusing on the desired outcomes.

Delve in to more such inspiring stories and lessons from many such significant entrepreneurs in this issue and reap the fruits of motivation. Let’s spread the word about their contribution in making this world a better place.

Also make sure to scroll through the articles penned by our in-house editors and CXO standpoints which will give insight into various leadership traits and qualities that global leaders possess. We hope this edition would be a positive addition to your treasure of knowledge.

Happy Reading!

COVER STORY

08

Anna Homenko

Personifying Expertise,

Redefining Leadership

ARTICLES 24

BEING THE CHANGE

36

Work-Life Balance

The Changing Landscape of Women in Leadership

48 Working in the New Norm

Staying Connected in a Disconnected Reality

16 Charikleia G. Stouka

A Passionate Leader Helping Buyers and Sellers with their Real-estate Needs

20 Elizabeth Blount McCormick The Great Love for Travelling

28 Leticia Latino

Personifying Prolific Leadership

32 Mary Gehr

An Embodiment of Empathetic Leadership

40 Nagma Abbasi

An Inimitable Leader Bringing Transformation in Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry

44 Stephanie Latorre

Assisting Clients in Designing Most Efficient Websites

C O N T E N T S

Sumita Sarkar Editor-in-Chief CONTENT

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Featuring Person

Company Name

Brief

Anna Homenko CEO

Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) fiduciana.net

Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited is a “boutique” Cyprus trustee and fiduciary services company with international coverage.

Cara Scharf CEO

Fearless Media fearlessmedia.com

Fearless Media is a full-service NYC-based digital marketing agency specializing in the entertainment, retail, education, and technology verticals.

Charikleia Stouka CEO

ALMA REAL ESTATE almarealestate.gr

With 20 years of successful presence and experience in the Greek Real Estate Market, Alma real estate offers immediate and effective service, tailored individually to each of our customers.

Dimple Thakkar CEO

SYNHERGY synhergy.com

SYNHERGY specializes in online marketing with a focus in social media.

Elizabeth Blount CEO

Uniglobe Travel Designers uniglobetravel designers.com

Uniglobe Travel Designers is a minority, women owned travel management company offering over 40 years of experience in the travel industry.

Fatima Ribeiro CEO

Comic Relief comicrelief.com

Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty.

Leticia Latino CEO

Neptuno USA neptunousa.com

Neptuno USA is a company of heritage. An offspring of Neptuno Group, a family owned business that counts with over 45 years of international hands on experience in the Telecom, Broadcasting and Utilities industry.

Mary Gehr CEO

Talent Platform Solutions talentplatformsolutions.com

TPS's commitment is to provide best practices in attracting, hiring, and nourishing talent for any size organization, whether it be a start-up, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, public sector, or non/not-for-profit.

Nagma Abbasi CEO

NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. nextgenlife.com

NextGen Life Sciences provides complete solutions in Instrumentation, Reagents, Bioinformatics and Consumables which researchers use in scientific investigation and diagnosis.

Stephanie La Torre Director

Stephanie LaTorre Designs stephanielatorre.com

Stephanie LaTorre Designs help people and businesses create websites that work for them.

Anna Homenko Founder and Managing Director Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited

COVERSTORY

A NA Homenko

PERSONIFYING EXPERTISE, REDEFINING LEADERSHIP

‘‘ Take great care of your team and they will take great care of your business.

‘‘

I

n a world where everything has become digital, personal touch is what customers seek. In the legal service industry, it is observed that businesses somewhere fail to maintain that personal relationship with their clients. It was an aspiration to fill this gap that led Anna Homenko to form Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited, a ‘boutique’ Cyprus trustee and fiduciary service provider with international coverage.

As the Founder and Managing Director of the company, Anna has brought her 20 years of experience, knowledge, and resources to the table.

in. Furthermore, she is a solution-oriented leader, who believes that there is never a problem that cannot be solved. Instead of exploring obstacles, she believes in taking responsibility and focusing on the desired outcomes.

Advising budding entrepreneurs in the legal services and tax planning industry, Anna says “Be passionate about what you do, be honest and committed to the needs of your clients. Love the people you work with. Be practical and invest time to nurture client relationships.”

Setting Benchmarks of Excellence

Anna has cemented her reputation in Cyprus and abroad as one of the most knowledgeable people in the administrative services industry. Her passion for her work and constantly striving for excellence in all that she does has made her the inspirational leader she is today.

By combining its legal knowledge, fiduciary experience, and business sense, Fiduciana ensures to consistently deliver the best possible outcome for its clients. The firm takes pride in the fact that it offers friendly and personal service to its customers.

Considered as a doyen in the industry, Anna leads by example, taking a hands-on approach and inspiring her teams to utilize all that they learn, create, and believe

Operating as a ‘home office’, the company focuses on offering the highest level of trust, corporate tax and accounting services and solutions to its clients. The

‘‘ We believe that the art of Fiduciary services is to ensure that there are no impossible solutions... we have it down to a fine art.

‘‘ ‘boutique’ nature of the firm ensures that its clients’ affairs are kept strictly confidential and the most personal approach is offered in the handling of all matters.

Fiduciana’s team is passionate and dedicated professionals from a diverse list of experts, chartered accountants, lawyers, and paralegal administrators who are high-caliber professionals, carefully recruited, and suitably trained to not only to meet but to exceed the needs of the most demanding situations.

The firm is evidently a leader in delivering added value to its clients, where it provides directors expertise for management of client’s company. It has the ability and experience to understand the business of its clients and thus conduct the entire business of the company, liaising with the company’s owners only where appropriate.

Overcoming Adversities Anna’s journey so far has been full of undulating moments. “Most of the entrepreneurs, business owners and professionals around the world can attest that excelling in any industry requires perseverance, commitment, and discipline. But women have an additional task to do which is to challenge accepted gender norms. This was no different in Cyprus – an island traditionally dominated by men in most areas of corporate and commercial business,” Anna expresses.

But Anna never shies away from a challenge. There have been additional difficulties along her way. The unprecedented banking crisis of 2013 ushering Cyprus into a recession was definitely one of the most widely felt. However, Anna’s focus was always on delivering impeccable client service by maintaining a flow of communication and offering the highest level of support, guidance, and advice to all her clients during the most turbulent times.

‘‘ Another biggest challenge in today’s profession Anna mentions, is staying abreast of the ever-changing tax, legal, trust and regulatory landscape globally and adapting Fiduciana’s practice to find a fit for Cyprus so that it remains compliant but, at the same time, competitive.

We aim to deliver services of the highest standard, provide solutions and

When it comes to giving back to the community, Fiduciana looks at it as encompassing the transparent nature of the work it does, the ethical nature of its clients’ businesses, and how it can support the community and fill the needs that arise outside its doorstep. The firm supports a plethora of community initiatives by providing resources, funding, and time wherever possible with the intent of giving back, with gratitude.

In this way the company leads by example – not only through its day-to-day work, but by being an active and involved member of its community. “A corporation can only be socially responsible when it takes responsibility for its own actions also – caring for our people, our planet and raising awareness whenever we can,” Anna expresses.

Sustaining Competency We asked Anna her opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Legal Services industry, and how she and her team at Fiduciana managed to overcome the challenges, to which she said, “the legal and corporate services industry was greatly impacted as a result of the pandemic. Most firms reported a significant drop in new enquiries and a hold on existing transactions and instructions across a variety of different matters.”

“The issue with transactions not being pushed forward to completion and a lack of new instructions was the jeopardizing of the pipeline of work with so much future uncertainty. In fact, the start of 2020 saw the slowest rate of deal making for seven years. There were no new listings and M&As in the market and business, globally. Also, local lockdowns and a restriction on working on site raised many new challenges in the industry.”

“Fiduciana has always been investing in top technology, which in this case has helped the company to continue working without interruptions from any part of the world and/or home and to continue delivering its usual top-

guide our clients, working together with expert legal, financial and tax advisors.

‘‘

Upholding the Virtue of Gratitude

quality service around the clock as it assisted its clients during these turbulent times,” adds Anna.

Anna knew that flexibility and adaptability have become cornerstones of any successful business during these times and her team at Fiduciana did what they could to ensure their clients had a range of options and the ability to make decisions as quickly as possible to ensure that their own businesses would be disrupted as little as possible.

Voyaging towards New Horizons “Fiduciana will continue to cement its place as a leader in the provision of top quality corporate and business services through the promotion of holistic business, conscious management, and investment in our people,” Anna asserts.

To achieve this, the firm continues to work through its growth strategy but with flexibility and adaptability at the forefront. Anna mentions that current events have shown her that every business has to be resilient, flexible, and quick to pivot.

“Fiduciana is future focused but comfortable in letting go whatever no longer serves the company and its clients, to ensure that everyone keeps moving forward,” concludes Anna.

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| March 2021 |

Charikleia G. Stouka A Passionate Leader Helping Buyers and Sellers with their Real-estate Needs

W

ith the mission to empower their real estate clients, through combined real estate experience and resources and enabling them to make the best-informed real estate decisions, ALMA Real Estate was established in November 2001.

An inventive mind behind the company is Charikleia Stouka. With her perseverance and roll-up-yoursleeves leadership style, Charikleia is leading by example.

importance, freedom of time and financial, travelling, helping the less fortunate, supporting delicate animals and plants, exercising the body and mind, all these factors have influenced and impacted me.

What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization?

My journey was not an easy one. There were many challenges on the way, lack of finance, no previous experience, family obligations, the huge financial crisis in Greece, my inner fears, the strong and growing competition, now the COVID-19. But it was the staying power of my intense, burning desire to achieve goals which helped me to overcome everything.

Let’s shed some light on her undulating entrepreneurial journey in an interview conducted between Charikleia and CIO Look.

Below are the highlights of the interview: Please brief our readers about your leadership position at the company.

Everything happens for a reason and it was that reason that led me to start a real estate business 20 years ago.

Today, CHARIKLEIA G. STOUKA -Founder and "ALMA Real Estate Hellas", are the Winners of the “Global Business Intelligence Awards 2020”, for the Categories: “Outstanding Public Relations”, “Outstanding Entrepreneur” and “Outstanding Customer Service Initiative”.

Also, Charikleia has won many distinctions as well as press and TV presentations.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

My family, my parents and grandparents have influenced me with their integrity, purity, morality, and strong family bonds and taught me the ¨fair play”. The books of Jay Conrad Levinson on Guerilla Marketing Tactics inspired me. Obviously good health is first and foremost. Making and supporting a family is of utmost

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| March 2021 |

Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry? And how has your company managed to overcome this significant challenge?

People and life will be much different from now on. Our business has been affected by Covid-19 as their operating model is being designed to serve customers in their close vicinity. We are putting health and safety first. The fact is that the world has become seriously cleaner after this. Technology and application of safety rules is the solution to this challenge.

We support organizations who help those people who need more, especially children, as well as pets. Community involvement is quite necessary. We like to help others and make the world a better place. To help other companies, Collaboration is the key. The real estate work is all about connections.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry?

Real Estate career is very demanding, but it gives flexibility and freedom, in a way that they will have more free time in their life to support their family, take better care of themselves and the community. At first, they should make pillars of support, like family and friends, always make plans and set goals, educate themselves for life, have strong work ethic. In addition, they should be able to work tirelessly until their name is written in the book of Success.

Technology tools allow access to information within seconds from any device anywhere, and strengthens the organization of data, so we will be able to work efficiently in remote environments and being closer than ever. Virtual meetings replaced in person meetings and results are being delivered. COVID-19 has been the catalyst for the transformation of our way of working.

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

A positive work culture and core values are the pillars of our work culture. We devote our time to make sure everyone is aligned, set clear targets for each one, we continuously train them, we recognize and reward employees for achieving outstanding results. A friendly competition is recommended, also some fun time.

‘‘

Everything is possible. Dream…

Believe… Act… Achieve

18

‘‘

In what ways have you or your company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies? Is there a better way to contribute to community than helping others?

| March 2021 |

Charikleia G. Stouka, Founder, ALMA Real Estate Hellas

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| March 2021 |

Elizabeth Blount McCormick, President, Uniglobe Travel Designers

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| March 2021 |

Elizabeth Blount McCormick The Great Love for Travelling

W

hether you are bringing the extended family together, celebrating a milestone, or enjoying a reunion of friends, you don’t need to wonder for destination, Elizabeth Blount McCormick is here to help and exceed your expectations. She is the President of Uniglobe Travel Designers creating fun and memorable experience for you. Elizabeth and her team coordinate all of the details to plan the destination wedding of your dreams.

Being an experienced business leader, what is your opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on your industry?

I own a travel management company and we specialize in corporate and leisure travel. We have been significantly impacted by Covid-19. Travel was close to not existing from one month to the next. People are hesitant to travel as a result of the pandemic. We are seeing a slight increase in travel for our business and leisure clients as a result of the vaccine distribution throughout the world. Consumer confidence is being rebuilt, but it’s going to take time.

In an interview conducted between Elizabeth Blount McCormick and CIO LOOK assists everyone with their travel arrangements. Below are the highlights of the interview:

And how has your company managed to overcome this significant challenge?

We have continued bringing on new business despite Covid-19. We brought on 22 new clients in 2020. We continue to connect with prospective clients to build relationships so that when they are ready to travel, they will reach out to Uniglobe Travel Designers.

Please brief our readers about your leadership position at the company.

I am the President and Owner of Uniglobe Travel Designers (UTD), a travel management company specializing in both corporate and leisure travel.

What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization?

My mom purchased this business in the 90’s. I worked in the business during my high school and college summers and eventually moved back to Columbus in 2006 to run the business. Many people, who were now my employees, had watched me grow-up and had to adjust to reporting to me. We had to completely revamp the culture. Additionally, my mother had grown the business organically without any major focus on marketing and technology. To compete and grow the business we had to invest in marketing, social media, and technology. There is a saying that you have to spend money to make money, which was a challenge at the time. But we shifted our priorities to position ourselves as market leaders and to compete with other travel management companies across the country.

Additionally, we started hosting lunch and learns and happy hours with our preferred suppliers who are located all over the world. We want people to continue dreaming about travel and we want to make those travel experiences a reality when they are ready!

What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture?

A positive work culture is absolutely necessary to be successful. I’ve had people who worked for me in the past who were not aligned with my vision and we had to part ways. A wise person once told me that I should be able to enjoy having dinner with everyone who works for me. This really struck me and I now make this a practice when I am thinking about hiring someone. I ask, “would I like to have a meal with this person”? If the answer is “yes” I will most likely hire the person.

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In what ways do you implement it at your organization?

I always say, “As long as something is not immoral or illegal, try it”. We do not micromanage people here and the UTD team is empowered to do what is in the best interest of the client without having to go through multiple layers to get things done.

In what ways have you or your contributed to the community?

We have a Vitamin D program and for every vacation booked, we give a portion of our profit back to charity.

We also encourage our team to volunteer together and champion causes they care about. Additionally, I mentor young women and Black business owners whenever I can.

If given a chance, what change would you bring to help other companies?

Pay it forward. Give someone an opportunity who doesn’t look like you. Be intentional about your relationships and the people you work with.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry?

Look at challenges as obstacles, not barriers. Take a chance and put yourself out there. Know your worth and do not sell yourself short.

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment ?

I mentor women whenever I can. I always champion women and speak their names in a room full of opportunities.

What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?

My Mom is my mentor. I mirror my behaviour after her and I am successful because of it. I watched her actions and I put those actions into place.

A “NO” leads to a better “YES”

Books – What I know for sure (Oprah Winfrey), Becoming – Michelle Obama, A Promised Land – Barack Obama.

Not winning business has influenced me and made a large impact on my attitude and approach to my business. It has helped me understand I am not for everyone. And that’s okay! You need to know your worth and not compromise your value or integrity.

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THE CHANGING

WOMEN IN L

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| March 2021 |

Being the Change

G LANDSCAPE OF

LEADERSHIP D

organizations, but also venturing into their own tech startups.

ecades ago, if you would have asked a small kid, what do he or she wants to become after growing up, the answer would have something gendered. It is because the jobs were genderstereotyped and people were socially conditioned for to believe in it. But that isn’t the case anymore. These lines of gendered-stereotyped jobs have been blurred with men stepping into female-dominated fields and vice-versa. Now-a-days men can be seen in the roles of nurses and flight attendants, while women can be seen in the roles of pilots and firefighters. This certainly opened doors to number of career opportunities for everyone.

Many tech organizations, solely run by women, are coming up with revolutionary solutions and applications to make this world a better place to live.

Taking this into consideration, many tech leaders and organizations are working to increase the number of women in tech-centred careers. This is serving as an inspiration for emerging women leaders to venture into tech space.

The other factor that counts is diversity in the workforce. To aptly reflect the importance of diversity let’s consider the example of Apple. When Apple first released its Health App with the intent of creating almost every aspect of one’s body’s daily functions quantifiable, there was no sign of a menstrual or reproductive cycle tracker. This is something where girls rely on a calendar since past times. After the company found this instance, it immediately added these features into the design. The fact still remains the same that it had effectively forgotten about women.

Even though women were accepted into maledominated industries, the scepticism of them being at the helm was not erased completely yet. This was yet the other dilemma on which lot of ink has been spilled.

But women with their fierceness and firm determination are bringing the significant paradigm shift in female entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Let’s consider technology sector. Tech was believed to be the male-dominated space. When women stepped into tech, they changed the scenario. By intersecting their business acumen, technical know-how, and outof-the box thinking, they immensely contributed to shaping the technological landscape and made their mark in it. For instance, women like Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube, etc. are setting a striking example of sound leadership with their exemplary leadership skills.

This scenario demonstrates that no matter how much money or resources the company has invested in a problem, without a varied and diverse team, there is a huge possibility of making glaring mistakes and miss opportunities. Thus, the point has been made that diversity encourages creativity and innovation. Besides, it also ensures a variety of different perspectives, which proves to be beneficial and of utmost importance for planning and executing any business strategy.

Now, as we are surging ahead with evolving technologies and innovations, many women are stepping ahead to contribute to technological space by building top-notch solutions for businesses as well as consumers. Now, women are not only being seen earning coveted positions at the leading IT

Gradually, the future of the women in leadership is improving. Even though it is progressing, there would be challenges in the way. But as more and more women are taking a plunge, change doesn’t seem too far. The leaders of today can create a better tomorrow for others.

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| March 2021 |

Le cia La no, CEO

Neptuno USA, Corp.

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| March 2021 |

Leticia Latino Personifying Prolific Leadership

P

erhaps, people are speculative about getting involved in family-owned businesses, as they want to earn their own achievements. Leticia Latino, the CEO of Neptuno, was of the same opinion until she joined her family business. Her father founded Neptuno 50 years ago after immigrating from Italy to Venezuela and discovering that the opportunities in the Telecommunications sector were going to be endless.

pretty much every Telecom Carrier and Infrastructure Supplier there, but when we opened in the US, it was as if that experience was worth less here, as if it did not count at all. For instance, we had been a supplier to Ericsson since the 1990’s, with my father signing the Master Service Agreement in Ericsson’s Headquarters in Sweden, yet it took us several years to get certified by them in the US. These companies are massive, and to navigate through their corporate structure, especially when you are minuscule in comparison, is beyond challenging. To think that we can provide customer reference letters starting from the 1970’s and that barely any value is placed to them, because they relate to international projects, has made my job extremely frustrating, so for a long time we just kept our international focus. My first decisions as CEO included: to commit to become an active player in the USA, to help deploy 5G with innovative field services solutions and to advocate for workforce development and diversity and inclusion. The company became a Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Certified in 2017 with the vision that the WBENC platform could help us penetrate some of the Key US Wireless Players, provided that many of them have committed to increase their diversity sourcing. This is all playing out as we speak, so I hope to have an update for you on that in the coming years!

In her early years, Leticia resisted the idea of going to work for him, mostly because of the labels and assumptions that went with it bothered her. She wanted to be recognized for her own achievements, so even before she graduated from Business School, she was already working for Merrill Lynch in her home country Venezuela. She then decided to interrupt that career path to pursue a dual master’s degree from University of Miami. Upon Graduation, she got a job offer from Nortel Networks and that is how, ironically, she started a career in Telecommunications, the very industry she had avoided years earlier. After Nortel started having serious financial problems, the massive layoffs started, and in 2001, Leticia was out. She then realized that she could add substantial value to the family business, and after a couple of years back in Venezuela learning all she could about it, she accepted her father’s offer to return to the US, to found and run Neptuno USA. He promoted Leticia to CEO 15 years later, in 2017.

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

I’m so pleased to hear this question, as it is indeed quite important to us. I believe that family-owned businesses have a clearer vision of the type of culture they want to embrace. As a company, we are known to have exceptionally low churn, we have multi-generational employees of the same family and that makes us incredibly happy. We see our employees as an extension of our own family. We are big on building trust, with the employees and the customers. We live by the “old fashion honour code”, we keep promises and put people first. One of the main things my father, who

Let’s find out more about how Leticia headed Neptuno to make it recognized in the USA in an interview between CIO Look and Leticia.

Below are the highlights of the interview: What were the challenges you came across since founding the organization?

The main challenge I faced was to be able to make Neptuno recognized in the US. Our company has a strong brand and reputation in Latin America and the Caribbean. We have been fortunate to work with

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| March 2021 |

a big promoter of the concept of “Conscious Business”, which is all about conducting business with the purpose of making a powerful contribution to the world. So for us, instead of building telecommunications networks the purpose should be about helping bridge the digital divide. That mindset shift does change the way you look at your business. If we all strived to increase transparency in everything we do and focused on leading and supporting businesses that have that greater purpose philosophy, I am quite sure we would all enjoy our jobs a lot more, and we would be helping create not only a positive work culture but a more positive world period.

“I am on a path of continued Growth and I’m not journeying towards a Finish Line, so I approach life and business with the mindset of ‘The Best is Yet to Come’.”

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women entrepreneurs in your industry?

I am a big dreamer and I like to make the impossible possible. Entrepreneurship requires an ability to dream big and not to be put off by the long list of “cons” that I can assure you will surface when you decide to enter the industry. These are exciting times for women, we are achieving things that we have not achieved before.

Who needs more proof than having witnessed the oath of the first Female VP in the history of The United States of America? The journey is not easy, and you will face huge challenges, but we have the attention now.

We must come forward and grab the microphone. It is our time.

at 86 is still active in the company, always highlights is how the corporate world and our industry has deteriorated from when he started working in it back in the 1960’s. Price over quality, short term gain over long term trusted relationship, misleading information over truth and in some cases, even a strange pride in tricking the customer. It has been hard staying true to our company culture in times when you feel is not as appreciated as it used to be or when it potentially prevents you from getting the business you are pursuing. The encouraging thing is that especially during these pandemic times, and unfortunately because a lot of companies are struggling, those ‘old fashioned’ values seem to be having a “come back”. I recently was lucky enough to interview Tami Simon, founder of SoundsTrue for my podcast, and it was refreshing to hear how she is not only a big believer but

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment?

I like to think I have. I am a fierce advocate of Inclusion and Diversity, especially because my industry still struggles with some of the big flaws that exist around this issue, so I get involved however I can to help raise awareness and find ways to bridge the equality gap. I also co-authored, with 13 other Women Owned Company’s CEO’s, a Book entitled “Women in Business Leading the Way”, which became a #1 Amazon Best Seller in April 2020. The whole book revolves around our own experiences and provides valuable advice to others embarking on similar paths and industries. The biggest takeaway that I provide in my chapter is that “It is not about being one of the boys, is about being part of the team”.

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| March 2021 |

MARY GEHR An Embodiment of Empathetic Leadership

I

f Mary Gehr, the Founder and Chief Talent Officer of Talent Platform Solutions possesses an untapped personal or business strength, good luck finding it.

The confident energy she exudes screams overachiever (my word, not hers). Yet I can’t help but think that as a business leader in a “most admired” list, she’s uncharacteristically …kind.

Asked if she considers herself a moral seeker of justice, Mary lets out a spontaneous, humble laugh. “TPS does advocate tirelessly to spread values of equity throughout the business environment. But it’s more than just a constitutional or legal argument,” she explains. “It’s about the magic that happens when a diverse team contributes unique perspectives and areas of knowledge…” She pauses, searching for the words to do the ideal justice. “Find a truly cohesive workplace that embraces common ground, and you will find employees empowered to innovate, collaborate, and respect.”

Leadership prowess takes time, and Mary’s history reveals “methodical planning meets divine intervention”. Mary’s career and education in sales and marketing began in her early 20s with various mid to senior level leadership roles—and sound business leadership decisions such as earning certifications as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt as well as her CAPM (Certified Associate Project Management). Before and since she unleashed her talent solutions expertise by founding Talent Platform Solutions in 2006, she also gained respect as a noteworthy public speaker.

An Optimistic Approach On to the next challenge: COVID-19. Most of us feel overwhelmed—but not Mary. Why would she? A leadership model for this challenging era, TPS has helped displaced employees and decimated businesses navigate unchartered obstacles faced worldwide due to COVID-19. For optimists such as Mary, the glass remains half full.

Her current “most” status, Mary clarifies, reflects less achievement and more motivation. “I noticed that critical needs in talent acquisition and talent management remained unmet on so many levels,” she says candidly.

“And I realized I had more power to influence the business climate if I were spearheading the operation.”

She quickly points out that, despite the upheaval this pandemic has caused, global and small business alike find themselves in the market for high quality talent.

The low-unemployment culture, candidate driven market pre-COVID-19,” says Mary as she casually reflects,“has shifted to an abundant pool of talent options.”

Encouraging Diverse Team Culture Cue the “You can lead a horse to water” cliché.

Ironically, the initial obstacles Mary faced at her company’s inception 15 years ago haven’t been completely eradicated. “I still come across leaders who demonstrate gender, age, cultural bias, and inequality in the workplace, overall.” She adds, though, that these issues have seen moderate improvement.

With unemployment numbers staggeringly high and businesses motivated to charge forward, TPS seems created for just this situation: pairing associates with businesses in ways that ensure compatibility and productivity. With her confident grin, I cross off my next question entirely. Mary and TPS WILL prove major players in this post pandemic epic rebuild.

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“

Let us champion the empowerment of women and be inspired by our social, cultural, economic and political achievements around the world.

Mary Gehr Founder & Chief Talent Ofcer Talent Platform Solutions, Inc.

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Being a Bright Light

Even more inspiring is that she passes this on—to her community as well as the Next Gen of Female Career Woman. There’s literally no place this leader would rather be than somewhere that allows her access to a door for change…a business, for instance, where she might champion critical values for success--equity, inclusion, and shared as well as diverse cultural strengths. Mary’s vision remains resolute: to help people and businesses define, attain, contribute the most they have to offer in the most value-rich setting.

“It’s all about the power of choice,” says Mary, uninterested in wasting even a moment of my time to meandering. Mary’s defining characteristic may be JUST this: She is NOT a leader to inadvertently miss one opportunity. SO many execs say what they know you want them to say: “It’s all about taking each business down a healthy path; each leg of the journey must nurture the body, mind, and spirit.” Mary truly feels it—which is altogether different.

“It’s not rocket science” she smiles, rolling her eyes at her own cliché. “Let us create a positive work culture and a rich sense of community. Let us champion the empowerment of women, let me share with these rising stars and values-conscious companies the timeless guiding forces that I too have drawn from for strength.”

Of course, leading the business culture and the souls whose peace of mind counts on equity requires forward thinking not lip service (think families and legacies).

Mary’s forte has always been taming human bias one step at a time…literally teasing it away from its evolutionary origins. It takes steady, objective focus. It takes an intense passion for humanity. And it takes deep spiritual understanding of equality as a concept.

As long as humanity evolves (or devolves), we can only hope to find inspiring voices willing to lift us up and show us new paths. Mary—TPS—may be that rare bright light that combines knowledge, expertise, genuine warmth, and energetic determinism—they represent the leadership of the future.

Perhaps her absolute clarity can (should) be attributed to her “primary influencer” --God.

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I

t wasn’t the case that the pandemic brought all the changes. There were murmurs all over the industry due to rising costs with no-one being in a position to bring change. And then like the proverbial bolt out of the blue came the god-sent (alternatively devil-sent) pandemic which pushed humanity right under the carpet. With things going from days to weeks to months and then a year, humanity as is its wont, started to explore ways to do office work and enterprise while being locked within four walls. What started slowly with a few hours connected to the net while lying on the bed has now become an established norm of working. The Work from Home norm!

frees time for other things like hobbies, family time, self-care including exercise and meditation. Ÿ For employees, it helps save the time and hassles of cooking and looking! If your face looks good on the comp screen, you are good to go as it is. Same goes for cooking and taking care of things which go out of the window. You cook on a JIT basis and consume it right there! Not left-overs that leads to savings and eating afresh every time. Ÿ For employees, this could be the first time that they don’t need to own transport, itself a major expense be it in buying or maintaining. We aren’t even mentioning the hassles of parking and maintenance! Ÿ For an organization too, work-from-home presents interesting possibilities! No or low infrastructural needs! Don’t need expensive real-estate either on ownership or on rentals. Same goes for its maintenance and upkeep. Offices are major guzzlers of everything from electricity to water to even toilet-paper! All these can be cut down drastically (it’s a different matter that the same sees a proportional increase on the home front of the employees which in time the organization may have to factor in with compensation). For the environment too these present interesting possibilities given that most large office have large

Habits formed over advantageous things that give pleasure and/ or a sense of relief (if not release!).

Painful things conversely never lead to forming habits.

It’s for this reason that the norm of working from home has caught on so tenaciously and in fact has been accepted with its advantages and disadvantages. We mention both below and tell you why despite some very obvious good things, it might not be all that greatunless some changes are introduced!

Advantages of the new norm of working from home! Ÿ No travel! It helps save on time, and fuel costs. It

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carbon footprints which when cut down to families effectively dissipates. Ÿ For an organization, there is another and as-yet not very obvious advantage! Employee pool! At the moment, employees mean the first and second gender. The third in all its variations were effectively excluded till now given the taboos and tags that came along. In the relative anonymity of one’s home, this entire lot is now accessible to an enterprise as employees or contract workers. Same goes for youngsters, retirees, housewife and so on who with constraints can’t make it to an organization’s physical location. Ÿ Work from home can’t get disrupted any further! It doesn’t get any deeper at the bottom of the barrel!

And humanity has hit its lowest! Disruptions in the present seems to have found its match! Ÿ Work from home is giving a fillip to some very important industries including cyber security, homedécor and home-maintenance besides UPS and other saving devices! Cyber security shall remain on top given that remote locations with their connectivity to serves shall always present chinks for the dark side to exploit.

Data security! If the office as we have always known it is a strong fort, the work from home set-up is a sliver of an outpost manned by miniscule numbers who for sure will buckle under an attack. While the cost of an office might go down in WFH, the cost of data security goes up exponentially despite which data security shall remain an issue. Also, costs don’t remain stable and keep increasing to fend off concerted and often crafty attacks.

Ÿ

With the pandemic presenting a very real scenario of disruption which going forward could be the new norm, there are a few things industry shall be compelled to do in order to gain the “best of both” advantage. These include: Ÿ

If work from home could be a coin, it does have a seamier side with its own set of challenges which include: Ÿ Issues of employee morale! If distance makes the heart fonder, distance can also cause mistrusts.

Reading nuances and body language is nature’s way of forming effective opinions. It just can’t get played on a gadget screen irrespective of the latter’s size.

On top of that, connectivity issues which puts paid to any efforts to understand the mood at the other end. For an employer too it’s tough to gauge an employee’s abilities given that distances can mask abilities effectively for quite a while. Ÿ Work-life balance going for a toss! In the new norm, work starts the moment you open your eyes and may continue till you flop down on the bed with exhaustion. In the absence of physical barriers, office is always on. Such an unending order can upset the work-life balance- despite all its supposed advantages of time and money savings. Ÿ The feel of an office! Office is serious business and needs the feel of the place. A desk in a corner of the bed-room doesn’t simply suffice. The coffee-vending machines, conference room, smoking corner, parking lot chit-chat all add to the feeling of an office which is also part of the bonding process helping employees identify with an organization’s ethos.

Hybrid model of an office With the home having proven its worth as an office, the office itself can be scaled down with employees reporting only on certain days and/ or hours. Such places could hold ONLY essential services including parts of Finance, HR and sales with the bulk operating from home or remote locations. Such a thing could do away with huge rentals, asset acquisition and maintenance.

Satellite office Shared spaces were a rage in the pre-Covid days and are seeing a resurgence as satellite office for large companies. Employees coming from afar can cut short their travel by relocating to offices in shares spaces which themselves report to larger and more central offices. Such a set-up is good in many ways. It has the feel of an office and helps cuts on travel time. With most office-related infrastructure including cloud servers and security being provided on shares basis, costs do go down to an extent- without the compulsion of owning things that block resources. Ÿ

Back-office functions Back offices don’t need a face and can effectively be moved really far, sometimes into the hinterlands where costs can sometimes be very low! Ÿ

Getting work-life into order!

Organizations should seriously think in terms of holding classes for employees where work-life balance, and time management are taught as part of a curriculum. This could help employees appreciate the time and freedom that the present order brings to them, which remaining productive in every sphere of life! Ÿ

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Nagma Abbasi An Inimitable Leader Bringing Transformation in Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry

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eing the Founder and CEO of NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Nagma Abbasi, is leading the development and execution of long-term strategies of the company with the vivid vision of expanding the organization’s footprints across the global market.

In order to cater the untapped opportunities in the industry, Dr. Nagma Abbasi established NextGen Life Sciences in 2014 with an aim to bridge the gap between the needs and pains of researchers of the Life Sciences / Biotech Industry and assist the scientists to gain insight on the recent innovations and technologies, assuring a sound knowledge of the subject matter. Henceforth, with its augmented spectrum of products and solutions, it is empowering the mounting realm of complex analytical challenges. NextGen addresses a wide range of requirements such as the sample, material characterization, and analysis to clinical diagnosis and biologicalbased therapeutics handling.

Established in 2014, NextGen Life Sciences major objective is to be a leader in distribution of innovative biological products and services for the life science research and diagnostic market. The company provides complete solutions in Instrumentation, Reagents, Bioinformatics and Consumables which researchers use in scientific investigation and diagnosis. Product areas as well as Research Area include Cell Analysis, Cell Culture & Transfection, Cloning, DNA & RNA Purification, Gene Expression Analysis & Genotyping, PCR, Protein Expression & Analysis, Real-Time PCR, RNAi, Sequencing, Synthetic Biology, Cancer Research, stem cell research, Drug Discovery and development, Plant Sciences, epigenetics and custom designed services.

Becoming Industry Leader By Achieving Clients’ Trust Being a scientist herself, Dr. Nagma was aware of the pain points of scientist in the Biotechnology, Life Sciences and healthcare industry. Having this experience was beneficial for curating the services of NextGen Life and turning it into a successful establishment. However, like any other startup initially, the company too had to face a few challenges like capital investments, assembling a quality team, building a customer base, and good relationship. “Today, with such hard work and determination of me and my team we deliver the best of services and solutions which are smart and futuristic, and NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. has become the most preferred brand for clients,” says Dr Nagma. The key achievement for NextGen has been the consistent growth for the last six years in terms of revenue and profitability. The company has been successful in attaining customer trust in a short period by providing excellent services in the industry.

From first Step to the Helm of NextGen Dr. Nagma Abbasi attended IMT Ghaziabad, A.M.U., Aligarh and Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Delhi for her studies in Business Administration, Doctoral studies in Molecular Genetics and Post-Doc studies in Molecular Biology. Her career spans over a decade working with Esteemed Research Institutes and leading Multinational companies in Life Sciences / Biotech industry across various verticals like Product management, customer segmentation, brand management, and strategic marketing.

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Dr. Nagma Abbasi, Founder and CEO

NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.

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Collaborating, Creating and Catering

Awards and Accolades

Dr Nagma assets “We collaborated with partners from USA, Europe, Singapore and other South East Asia countries for distribution business, manufacturing and R&D.” The company’s aim is to achieve its objectives as a single source facility, catering to the research needs of scientists in the field of Molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, health care, drug development, etc.

The team at the NextGen Life Sciences works very closely with their customers and would like to gain recognition, success and growth with a focus on scientist's research needs and by following three principle viz: value, service and support. The company’s ultimate focus is to provide high quality and innovative products and services at competitive price in a timely fashion to customers.

In 2020, Dr Nagma Selected as India’s Inspirational Leader by WCRC. She Featured by Forbes India among Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs of India 2020. She also selected and featured as Decisive Women Leaders 2020 by Business APAC, featured amongst 30 Most Influential CEOs by CIO Bulletin, selected as Winner of India 500 CEO Awards 2020, awarded as Entrepreneur of the Year Biotechnology and Healthcare Industry 2020 by Power Brands. Below are few more achievements from Dr Nagma’s journey-

• Listed as India’s Most influential CEO of the Year 2020 Life Sciences by Corporate Vision Magazine, UK

• NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. is winner of India 5000 Best MSME Award 2020.

• Featured as "The Entrepreneurs beyond the bounds of COVID19" by Business Connect magazine August 2020

• Featured amongst 50 Leading companies of the Year 2020 in USA leading Tech Magazine “The Silicon Review “April 2020 issue.

• Entrepreneur of the Year in Trading Business “MSMECCII Genentech Asia Awards 2020.”

• Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2019” by Business Connect Magazine.

• Featured as Emerging Healthcare Solution Providers to watch in 2019.

• Featured as Startup of the Year 2018 by The CEO Magazine

• NextGen Life Sciences has been featured among “Top 20 Best Life Science Start-Ups” by Silicon India Magazine in Year 2018.

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Stephanie LaTorre, Founder and CEO, Stephanie LaTorre Designs

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STEPHANIE LATORRE Assisting Clients in Designing Most Efcient Websites

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t is essential for female entrepreneurs to remain open to embracing any change, taking some calculated risks, and polishing one’s skills following the technology. It has become imperative for entrepreneurs to keep one’s skills relevant in this digital era. Stephanie LaTorre is the Founder and CEO of Stephanie LaTorre Designs.

herself grooming as an entrepreneur and learn how things work and how to make them work when odds aren’t much in one’s favor.

Stephanie believes her leadership is more oriented towards inspiring her team to work better rather than acting like a boss. She has been helping clients with web designing for over a decade and ensured their business goes a step ahead with every move they make. Putting up a clear strategy and robust practices in her company to assist clients in designing a website of their dreams efficiently and cost-effectively is what makes Stephanie content since creating a website comes as an utmost responsibility.

Internationally Recognized Team Leader Stephanie is a web designer who has been helping small business owners around the world for the last 10 years.

She is google certified, hold a degree in Business Administration, and has been recognised by magazines and publications around the world for her work. She has also been given the honour of becoming a Team Leader for the internationally recognised Female Entrepreneur Association. Her top values are following one’s heart, making the most of everyday, and family first. Her gifts are design, technology, listening, strategy, and marketing.

People who know her say she is friendly, kind, authentic, and down to earth. Ten years later, she has built a business and a life that she loves. Now she spends her days helping small business owners make smart decisions about their websites to see massive growth and results.

Growing as an Entrepreneur When Stephanie was setting up her business, the guiding lines were very vague, and there was a lack of awareness among women on how to support a family and contribute to a company. The same was in her case, and it took quite a while to acquire this knowledge through different experiences and get things up and running. But with each passing year, she started seeing

Adapting to Digital Transformation There was so much uncertainty in the initial days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Stephanie LaTorre Designs expected its industry would also have to face loss. But as the weeks passed by and with the emergence of new forms of remote working, the trend of digital transformation in businesses spiked up since many of these had to rely on websites. Stephanie LaTorre

Stephanie states that one might fail overnight, but one is sure to reach even unimagined heights and realize one’s dreams with resilience.

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“

while honesty and dedication are the unmatched assets this organization tops in client satisfaction.

We should love our work so much that it becomes a natural part of our lives.It means encouraging and celebrating the talent of each individual within the company.

Valuing Clients Through an experience of many years driven by passion, Stephanie has created a successful web portal aiming to create ease for those frustrated by technology and helping business owners, entrepreneurs, and bloggers to work online while not skipping out on precious moments at home. Suppose she is given a chance to help other companies in the industry. In that case, she will be glad to redefine web designing not only as a first impression of a business but as a journey to be delved or engrossed in, a journey that clearly defines all the core values underlying its strategies for client benefits. Stephanie considers her clients to be the most valuable part of her journey.

They’ve trusted her with all the opportunities and successes she has brought for them and her company.

Being Exemplary Many of Stephanie’s clients are female, and they have acknowledged that their websites have gained them independence and freedom, allowing them to cherish life even more. By assisting them in web designing and learning new ways in technology and business, Stephanie is not only making an example for them but also their daughters, who reflect these strong women.

There is an entire generation watching their mothers groom and prosper while cherishing home life without office work boundaries. Bringing this social change and helping female entrepreneurs as much in her capacity is how Stephanie tries to contribute to the cause of women empowerment.

“

Designs enabled many organizations to transform their business into an online model in a limited time.

Stephanie LaTorre Designs has been practicing it for years, helping them expand its horizons in these dimensions. In Stephanie’s opinion, after the pandemic, more companies have realized the importance of web design, and almost every firm will be shifting to an online platform gaining much popularity in industry, with the surge in demand of well-reputed web designing companies.

Gratitude to the Most Important Inspirations If Stephanie may, she will dedicate all her inspirations to two persons who have been very precious to her. Her mother, whom Stephanie has seen working with so much dedication and excelling in her professional career from her childhood. Her husband too, whom she considers to be the biggest blessing, has provided with his unconditional support when she wanted to quit on this idea of entrepreneurship and instilled in her the courage to continue. He believed in her even when she had self-doubts and enabled her to keep up with a positive attitude.

Maintaining Healthy Work Culture One’s company culture is an amalgam of shared beliefs, ethics, and practices that guide one’s organization, and here at Stephanie LaTorre Designs, everyone tries its best to maintain a healthy work culture. This positive attitude is reflected in how Stephanie LaTorre Designs deals with its team members and clients and this sets Stephanie LaTorre Designs apart from many other organizations. Stephanie’s take for a positive work culture in this organization is to boost the tour team’s creativity and lessen each individual’s strain by enhancing employee engagement. Stephanie LaTorre Designs sticks to its core values even in downturns,

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Leader’s Viewpoint

Staying C in a DISC

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CONNECTED CONNECTED Reality W

What does that mean?

e are all ge ng used to the virtual nature of our work in organisa ons. We are slowly seeing the impact, both posi ve and nega ve, that this can bring to individuals, teams, and organisa ons.

Start with some simple things: 1. You have a strategy underpinned by a shared corporate vision and values. Who developed them? If your people are not involved in the development of the values, then they are not going to buy in to them. It needs to be a consultation process. Once the values have been selected there needs to be clear definitions for each one. In this way you are creating a language that can be shared by all and the behaviours that support each value will be clearly identified.

We may find that the future is at best a blended work practice between virtual and face-to-face, with employees attending the offices only for special meetings and events, working at home for the majority of the time.

While convenient and ‘safer’, this brings a new challenge to organisations in terms of keeping their employees connected. If surveys show that before the pandemic 67% of employees were either disengaged, or actively disengaged, then the likelihood is that figure may have increased.

2. Decide how you will recognise and reward the individuals and teams that demonstrate these values.

The principle is that what you reward you get more of, and so encouraging the right behaviours makes sense.

We suggest that you have a good look at your overall reward system. If you say that you value teamwork, but all the rewards and recognition go to individuals then you are not being congruent. We refer to it as choosing your heroes – who are the heroes that are celebrated currently in the organisation? The mavericks, the loners, or the team players?

According to the Harvard Business Review, employees today rank culture workplace environment above pay and fancy titles (https://hbr.org/2020/04/build-aculture-that-aligns-with-peoples-values). Organisations will need to rethink their approach to company culture.

What is culture? Simply expressed, it is the way we do things around here. It is not what we put on the wall in terms of our values. It is how we behave and do things daily.

3. How are your organisational values brought into conversations? Are they reinforced in all areas of the business? Is there any way for people to challenge inappropriate behaviour?

If you do not have a strategy around your people and culture, then it will develop unconsciously. You need to understand what type of organisation you want to be and to ensure that you are building that every day in every way.

4. Setting clear expectations for all roles in the organisation with consistent standards is needed. Do leaders and managers hold themselves to the same values and behaviours? Does everyone know what is expected of them? The importance of creating

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alignment cannot be overlooked. Individuals need to know where they fit in to the big picture. They need to have a sense of the vision living in the organisation, being spoken about often and used to drive accountability and performance. This conserves energy and keeps the focus on the long-term objectives, whilst delivering on the immediate requirements of the business.

5. With the amount of virtual working that is needed currently do you have a plan on how to use each meeting to provide the necessary connection that people need to start to engage, re-engage or stay engaged?

6. Have you built a learning culture in your teams? To encourage an openness where people feel that they can trust the organisation, there needs to be a positive approach to solving problems and challenges. Mistakes need to be acknowledged as part of a learning process rather than being covered up from fear of reprisals. To do this there needs to be a level of trust in the teams and organisations. Trust must be offered and earned, so leadership is key here. The demonstration of trust and transparency. Trusting the online workers are doing what they need to do, not micromanaging them and checking up on them. This is a sign of the manager/leader’s insecurity and they need to develop the skills of engagement and collaboration that invite honesty and openness in response.

There are many other small things that an organisation can put in place to build connections with their people.

They need not be expensive. They just need to be clearly thought through in consultation with the people as to what matters to them, and then consistently applied. Many good intentions and plans fall down because they do not have ownership at a high enough level. Someone senior in the organisation needs to really take on the Employee Experience and to drive it as part of the strategic focus of the business.

We see the individual as the unit of change in organisations. You need to engage them, involve them and keep them close. The organisation is one of the major communities that your people belong to, and they spend a lot of time connected to their work, with a major part to play in the success or failure of your business.

We work with people who work with people! That is our business. Why not let us help you to really make your people your greatest assets!

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