Alexander M. Kayne | Transformational Leaders | Exeleon Magazine

Embracing Excellence I N - F O C US

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Joanna Shaw: Integrating Authenticity I N - F O C US

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Living Vehicle: R E I N V E NT I N G L I V I N G

Alexander M. Kayne A PURPOSE-DRIVEN LEADER

TRANSFORMA TIONAL LEADERS OF THE YEAR Edition III

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CONTENTS

12 ALEXANDER KAYNE

CONTENTS

28 SCOTT TRUEHL

CONTENTS

40 ROB MAY

Driven By a Purpose 12

E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

COVER STORY

Alexander M. Kayne Chief Legal Officer | CarepathRx

T

he purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. - Ralph Waldo Emerson With the advancement of time and human civilization, the idea of leadership has gone through its evolution at a simultaneous pace.

Scholars, philosophers, and leaders themselves have all tried to lend their de inition to the term leadership.

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However, not one de inition has been able to stand the test of time as expectations related to leadership has been fragile and ever-changing.

Case in point, in recent years, there has been a growing interest in purposedriven leadership. Although rare, this form of leadership has been persuasively argued by academics to be the need of the hour across organizations of every scale.

Moreover, purpose is considered to be an essential need among leaders to navigate the complex, convoluted, and ambiguous world that we face today.

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COVER STORY Alexander M. Kayne, Chief Legal Of icer at CarepathRx, is one such purpose-driven leader who is dedicated towards contributing to a mission that far-exceeds his own needs and expectations.

A transformational leader in every right, Alexander Kayne, referred to as Aly, features as the Cover Story in Exeleon Magazine to share his story of purpose-driven leadership and more.

THE DIRECTION

For Aly Kayne, the path was always clear to him. He believed and still to this day believes the role of a state or federal judge to be one of the most honorable and prestigious professions.

“At an early age I wanted to be a judge and went into litigation thinking courtrooms would be the place I would learn the most about law,” he recalls.

After earning his JD from Yale Law School in 1997, Aly started practicing law with the intention of becoming a judge one day.

He began this journey working as a law clerk for the Honorable Raymond J. Dearie in the Eastern District of New York. After his clerkship, he went into private practice at a prestigious international law irm based in New York. This opportunity enabled Aly to work alongside some amazing lawyers as well as notable corporate clients.

He claims, “I learned our clients' businesses to be the best advocate

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possible.”

As Aly continued to learn more and more from these corporate clients, his career direction also went through a gradual change.

“I started to move away from thinking my future would be serving as a judge, and instead became more and more interested in the impact of leading industry clients toward better outcomes.”

GAINING EXPERTISE IN HEALTHCARE

Aly's entry into the healthcare space was never a planned direction for him. However, over the years, he has garnered unmatched legal expertise in the healthcare space owing to his experiences spearheading executive positions at various leading companies in the industry.

Following his appointment as Omnicare's Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Aly built a reputation of excellence within the industry. Omnicare, Inc. was a Fortune 500 publicly traded company when Aly joined it in 2011.

Now a subsidiary of CVS Health, Omnicare is one of leading providers of comprehensive pharmaceutical services to patients and providers across the United States. At Omnicare, Aly was positioned to help develop a corporate legal team from the ground up. He advised the Senior Management and Executives on all things related corporate governance and securities.

Moreover, he played a crucial role in helping the company through its merger with CVS Health.

Following Omnicare, Aly joined Genoa Healthcare, which is the largest provider of behavioral health pharmacy and medication management services for individuals with behavioral health and other complex, chronic health conditions in the U.S.

After Genoa Healthcare was acquired by OptumRx, a subsidiary of United Health Group, Aly joined CarepathRx as the Chief Legal Of icer.

CarepathRx provides the industry's most comprehensive hospital pharmacy care delivery model, providing support across the patient's complete healthcare journey—across multiple care settings, from hospital to home, no matter the patient's acuity level.

Since joining CarepathRx, Aly has been executing effective strategies that position the company for smooth operations, and his expert guidance on everything from acquisitions to health care regulations has played a key role in the company's continued success.

His approach to seeing every problem from a narrowed-down lens enables him to ind actionable pointers that help mitigate and solve the problem. Owing to these contributions, Aly was named as the New York Stock Exchange's General Counsel to Watch award.

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COVER STORY

The Expertise for Success CarepathRx has diverse and applied experience across the pharmacy domain and healthcare market, with real-world and subject matter expertise to guide client success.

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630+ Hospitals use our solutions

350+ Limited Distribution Drug access

2000+ Clinicians use our technology every day

20+

MILLION Limited Distribution Drug access

10+

THOUSAND Infusion Admissions Annually

08+

MILLION Prescriptions Filled Annually

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“Think big… and when you think you are thinking big, think bigger!”

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E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

COVER STORY

For Aly Kayne, the role of a Chief Legal Of icer is like holding an of ice. This includes making various key decisions and judgments.

He mentions that having good judgment is a key character trait for the job, and it is imperative to remain calm in dif icult situations, as there will be a multitude of dif icult situations.

“For me as a chief legal of icer, it means becoming the person that all parts of the business can't do without. Whether it be operations, inance, strategy, or human capital.

The importance of this role is not limited to regulatory and compliance decisions.”

This further echoes Aly's views on transformational leadership.

“Transformational leaders are the ones who move the goalposts on what con ines their role by becoming integral to all aspects of an organization — particularly those that are farthest from the role you are in.”

According to Aly, CarepathRx is an amazing company that is built on the premise that patient care is of paramount importance. Moreover, the company believes hospital systems being able to continuously service their patients through their own pharmacy network results in better outcomes and clinical service for the patients.

This overarching mission to improve the healthcare system and patient health makes Aly proud to be involved in supporting and working for CarepathRx.

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Taking a page out of his journey, he advises young aspiring leaders to always keep searching for the next dif icult ful illing assignment.

“Think big… and when you think you are thinking big, think bigger! I tell this to my kids all the time… my mother Frances Rodriguez told me this all the time when I was growing up.” Today, this learning from his mother has laid the foundation for Aly's success and he hopes the leaders of tomorrow will follow this same advice.

through how to best serve our hospital clients in a compliant manner.”

“

CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER

Aly is driven by the mission that CarepathRx holds. He believes this mission is “critical to our nation's success — one that ensures better healthcare for all of our people.”

Being able to be part of this mission is one that is not only exciting for him but also ful illing. He claims, “Being responsible for at least a portion of the solution to our healthcare concerns is a wonderful,

Being responsible for at least a portion of the solution to our healthcare concerns is a wonderful, fulfilling endeavor.

DRIVEN BY A MISSION At CarepathRx, Aly is involved in all aspects of the business. “I am integral to counseling our CEO and Board of Directors on all legal matters, but I am also heavily involved in major strategy decisions.”

He further adds, “I work with our Chief Compliance Of icer on all regulatory matters and employee training. I also spend a good deal of time with our operators working

ful illing endeavor.”

Going forward, CarepathRx will continue its growth trajectory and expand its services to nearly all hospital systems nationwide.

“I hope to continue as a steward of that growth to bring better patient health to our nation” he concludes.

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IN-FOCUS

LIVING VEHICLE REINVENTING LIVING

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IN-FOCUS

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While the pandemic impacted travel in adverse ways, particularly with respect to lying, it also empowered people to rede ine the concept of road trips and nomadic living. With more employers adopting working remotely policies, many took to the road – some even permanently.

Perched on the life mantra “experience is the best teacher,” Matthew and Joanna Hofmann founded Living Vehicle (LV) in 2017. They married their mutual passion for freedom with good living and turned it into a reality, and not just a hope for the future.

Today, with Living Vehicle, their mission is to increase sustained off grid capability for all life's needs, including water recycling, waste management, and water generation, which enables endless travel on the road. With the advent of electric tow vehicles, the short-term vision is to store solar energy and then charge the same truck that pulls the trailer, bringing the concept of a fuel-free world one step closer. In an Exclusive Interview, Joanna and Matthew share their journey of living on the go!

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What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

Joanna: When I think about the concept of transformational leadership, my mind goes to how true a leader is to the path and the dedication to the focus required to execute. Transformation is explicitly grounded in execution – the actions that elicit change are the drivers that bring progress towards that goal. Great businesses are surrounded with countless opportunities. I remember a quote

by Steve Jobs that describes innovation as “not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying NO to all but the most crucial features.”

Being true to yourself and having the fortitude to pursue that goal with tremendous focus is what I consider transformational. It is the translation of that focus into the execution of a team. That is what I consider transformational leadership.

How did this idea come about of forming Living Vehicle? What were the pain points that you both wanted to address in the market?

Joanna: Prior to founding Living

Vehicle in 2017, we lived and traveled full time in a travel trailer while traveling across the country.

During this time, we learned what worked and didn't work for full time mobile living. After designing models for ourselves, we started to provide design services for clients and renovate more than 400 custom mobile projects together.

Living Vehicle was created to solve the problems that we faced daily, like compromising life's luxuries to it into a mobile space, as conventional trailer design is fundamentally a short-term product, which in the end, is why they are called recreational vehicles. We architecturally designed Living Vehicle to suit the needs of everyday living such as a kitchen with ample pantry space, extra storage for hobbies and exercise gear, a functional closet with room for hanging clothes, and a spa-like bathroom.

Matthew: I am a tall guy, over 6 feet, so one of the key design factors that I look for in an RV is a bathroom that doesn't feel small, a classic problem to have when considering mobile home options.

Living Vehicle's spa-style bathroom was designed with inspiration from real life with features including a spacious 32” x 36” shower with 21

IN-FOCUS rainfall showerhead, walnut inishes, and natural, exceptionally durable materials for touches of luxury. While I tend to look at the world from an architectural lens, Joanna brings a practical perspective to the aesthetics of Living Vehicle trailers to make each vehicle special, functional, and comfortable for every day.

Give us some background to mobile living lifestyle. Why are more and more people inclining towards this form of living?

Matthew & Joanna Hofmann, Co-Founders

Joanna: While the pandemic impacted travel in many negative ways, particularly with respect to lying, it empowered people to reinvent the concept of road trips and nomadic living. With more employers adopting working remotely policies, many took to the road – sometimes permanently. Living Vehicle, paired with the Bureau of Land Management's free camping resources, makes this lifestyle a reality of now, not just a hope for the future. With more solar power than most homes, the allaluminum trailer is designed to traverse all terrains year-round, regardless of weather. So, whether travelers are working from snow-covered hilltops in Colorado, exploring the depths of the Sequoias, or the backyard of an urban dwelling, the vehicle enables owners to call all places home.

Matthew: The advent of technology and innovations found in the 2022 Living Vehicle allows owners to truly work from anywhere. As a result of the 22

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IN-FOCUS pandemic, Living Vehicle experienced an increased demand for its trailers as many people adopted a “work from anywhere” mentality. Armed with this feedback, Living Vehicle added a mobile desk package to its design with a large walnut desk that can be lowered without disturbing the workspace to reveal a queen-sized bed.

What were the factors that were kept in mind when designing the models, in order to ensure utmost functionality and comfort?

Joanna: The design of the 2022

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Living Vehicle is as eye-catching as it is functional, with marine-grade materials capable of withstanding the elements of all four seasons and more energy storage than any other previous Living Vehicle model. The 2022 Living Vehicle is also designed to blur the boundary between the indoors and nature outside, with oversized windows, skylights, and an 8' sliding glass door, as well as a fully integrated, self-supporting deck measuring.

The 2022 Living Vehicle is out itted with a full gourmet kitchen with a removable cooking island for more space, a 13-cu. ft. all-electric solar refrigerator, and a European-style

marine three-burner oven. The kitchen is the perfect example of function and comfort. One of the most frustrating parts about living remotely are the small refrigerators in mobile kitchens and not enough counter space to cook. We solved both of these problems when building the kitchen in Living Vehicle. The master bedroom is designed to star gaze from bed and can transform into a media room with optional 70” 4K HD “Private Home Theatre” and SONOS surround sound – this also its the bill of being both functional and comfortable.

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IN-FOCUS

What has the journey been like for both of you over the years in building this company?

Matthew: The journey to Living Vehicle has been a natural evolution. Living Vehicle emerged out of a need where nothing before existed. Joanna and I were simply fed up with poorly built mobile spaces that did not function well for full time living. It was this need that drove us to create something different – something better. A mentor once told me at the onset of this journey, “business is the ultimate intellectual sport,” and I couldn't agree more. The journey to Living Vehicle has been extremely rewarding, ultimately challenging, and the lives we have inspired are a 24

testament that we are on the right path. Living Vehicle has only just begun.

Looking back at this journey, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?

Matthew: Nothing. I am proud to see our business form just prior to the pandemic and overcome the challenges we have overcome are tremendous. All these challenges have made our company more resilient, countless lessons learned are priceless. Changing one thing that was a challenge would only result in a different outcome. That may or may not be successful. Our most valuable resource is time and

too valuable to spend what I could have done differently. To look where we are today, all things considered, I wouldn't have it any other way. I use the lessons learned to act in the present and make the best of what we have today.

Do you see Work From Anywhere (WFA) culture to be the new future for business leaders?

Matthew: Yes and no. I am interested to see what the future holds for business leaders who use a WFA approach. Technology is enabling the WFA culture and is being accelerated due to the pandemic. I am highly concerned about business culture and company focus in a WFA business E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

IN-FOCUS structure. The impacts of not having a team are yet to be seen.

This is one giant experiment and will bring transformative lessons in the very near future.

What have been the challenges and learnings that you have faced in your off-grid living experience?

Joanna: Living Vehicle is designed to exist off-grid. Our focus has and always will be to create the most off-grid capable vehicle for life ever seen. Complete self-reliance is what will de ine our success.

The path to this goal is no simple feat.

What does the future look like for Living Vehicle? What are the upcoming new developments for the brand?

Matthew: The mission of Living Vehicle is to increase sustained off grid capability for all life's needs, including water recycling, waste management, and water generation, which enables endless travel on the road. The launch of its 2022 model put us closer to its company goal of becoming “NetZero” than any previous launch.

Each year, we build on the success of the latest sustainable model, bringing us closer to our goal of a Net Zero vehicle – no waste out and no energy in. With the advent of electric tow vehicles, the nearterm vision is to store solar energy and then charge the same truck that pulls the trailer, bringing the concept of a fuel-free world one step closer!

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SCOTT TRUEHL Dominating the Change Quotient

C

hange is constant in the world of business, even when things are going well. As you progress with your company and expand into more areas, you'll ind that change becomes essential for continued growth. Even companies that are already successful will go through times when changes are needed to ensure that their business continues to grow at a healthy rate. This is especially true for small businesses and startups, as their growth can be much more rapid than an established company that has taken years to reach where it's at now.

Scott Truehl, Executive Vice President and Partner at Friede & Associates, is an in luential leader who has recognized the power of change with irst-hand experiences.

Scott has embraced change through a career that has included stops in government, real estate, and the utility industry. He embraces change now by leading a construction irm helping clients navigate the process of building or renovating a new facility effectively and ef iciently.

DONNING MULTIPLE HATS

Before helming the primary sales 28

and marketing duties at Friede & Associates, Scott's professional career had seen several stops that ultimately led him to become a partner at the irm. He began his career as the Governmental Affairs Director of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, wherein he represented the membership for over six years with a wide variety of topics before the city committees, boards, and commissions. In his advocacy role, Scott got to see the irst-hand challenges faced by the small businesses due to government regulations.

At the same time, Scott also worked on his sales skills and earned a Real Estate Broker license selling condominiums on the weekends.

His career then transitioned into becoming a Development Specialist with Wisconsin Power & Light (WP&L), helping industries locate and grow across Wisconsin.

And after serving for eight years at WP&L, where his stops included Local Operations Manager, Economic Development Specialist & Manager, and Director of State & Local Affairs, Scott got an invitation from his current business partner, Roger Friede, to join his nearly 100year-old family construction irm,

and to “put his knowledge and experience to work” for their construction clients.

SPEARHEADING FRIEDE & ASSOCIATES CHANGING BUSINESS

Roger offered Scott a chance to help him change the focus of his family business. His idea was to transform the irm “from a hard bid, governmental and industrial contractor, to a professional services company that would offer clients additional assistance with their construction projects. Further, they would do so primarily in a design-build manner where the contractor and customer work together to design and build their facility.”

The ability to help transform a company was appealing to Scott, and he saw tremendous potential.

As a result, he joined the irm at the start of 1998, with his primary focus on creating a sales and marketing program for the irm that would help the company grow geographically and also in the types of projects they would construct.

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Executive Vice President & Partner Friede & Associates

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Scott and his partner Roger Friede receiving one of 7 2021 ABC of Wisconsin Projects of Distinction awards REDEFINING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Now, after nearly 25 years on the job, Scott looks after the outside connections to bring in new clients, helping them in the development of their project. He works with them to assess their needs, then offers his recommendations about the type, size, and potential costs of a facility.

“I work with them in the selection of an architect or designer. We help develop preliminary site and loor plans, as well as initial building elevations & materials,” explains Scott.

Afterwards, he helps to transfer that information to the estimators and project managers to create accurate budgets and project schedules for the projects. As part of helping the clients, Scott can also be seen working to ind potential 30

building sites and assisting in the state & local approval process. And lastly, Scott also gets involved in negotiating state & local incentives and assisting the clients with their inancing process.

And when it comes to customer satisfaction, Scott makes sure that he and his team leaves no stone unturned in delivering the best of services. He says, “We work to provide the best product that our clients can afford to meet their needs. Our ield staff is incredibly talented and experienced and builds each project as if they were building for themselves. Our crews make sure that safety & quality are always the driving force as they construct each project.”

THE POWER OF CHANGE

Scott has been incredibly blessed

throughout his career to have worked in various jobs under great mentors and business coaches to grow through both successes and failures. Learning under multiple mentors and in different environments empowered Scott to have the con idence to try new things and form a perspective of improving things at hand. “This attitude had helped me ind solutions to challenges that may not have been visible when we started something, but certainly would have adversely impacted the outcome had we not identi ied them.”

This is also something that Scott would like aspiring and upcoming business leaders to remember. In his dictionary, the biggest roadblock we face is the fear of change. “Most people want to ind that comfortable spot and stay

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Standing in front of the company's Award Winning Walnut Street Flats Housing project. there. I am always looking to grow and to see if we can do it better or differently.”

Hence, Scott wants newcomers to constantly look for ways to change, grow, and improve. He wants them to work on understanding the clients' evaluation criteria and offer them services where the advantages lie.

Another essential aspect that emerging leaders must focus on is understanding the employees' point of view. “Your employees are the ones that are making your business successful, and they, not you, know what problems they are facing and holding them back. If you want to know how your company can improve…just ask,” says Scott. “But don't ask if you are not willing to change. If you want to destroy W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

whatever good feelings your team has for you and your business, just go out and ask for their ideas and then do nothing with them. You will build up a sense of hope and then crush that hope if you do nothing.”

TRUST IS THE KEY

Scott perceives the company's future to be bright as long as they keep inding great people to join their team. He illustrates an example when the pandemic peaked, and many contractors downsized their marketing budgets and cut back on the business development. However, Scott and the irm went the other way to open a new of ice in Madison with additional business development staff.

same bene its by attracting people who were worried about their jobs with larger irms, or those that felt like just a number, and he has shown them how they can make a difference at Friede & Associates.

“Together we can build the kind of company I always wanted to work for. One the values the team and their individual contributions. One that realizes that we're all in this together and that we all play a role in delivering our services. And hopefully, one that inds ways to let us have fun doing what we do and with the folks we work with”.

At present, Scott is reaping the

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IN-FOCUS

Joanna Shaw -Integrating Authenticity “We are often taught to dream big dreams,” mentions Joanna.

Her willingness to dream big led her to meet a collective of big dreamers. Together, they formed Unicorns & Unicorns, a one of a kind Creative Production Studio that uses magic to ensure best results for its clients.

Moreover, they back their unique market positioning with a diverse hiring practice, sustainable action, and a desire to integrate authenticity into their leadership.

In an Exclusive Interview, Joanna Shaw, one of the Co-Founders of Unicorns & Unicorns, talks through her journey and beliefs.

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IN-FOCUS

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

What makes one a transformation leader is being your authentic self. You have to wake up every day being okay with all the strengths, quirks and nuances that make you, you. Be willing to wake up and be okay with who you are.

Integrating authenticity at my Production Studio Unicorns & Unicorns leaves room for elevation and growth in leadership. I recently promoted my assistant because she was ef icient, thorough, and ready to solve problems. I was able to witness her grow/transform into a leader by being unapologetically herself.

Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?

Growing up I got to witness the prototype of leadership through my mother, who is a Pediatrician. She was one of those people who always got it done! Work was always a part of living for her. She took care of kids, and she is a mother. It's what she does. She was educated and worked in a hospital in the Bronx in the 70's. A time when women really weren't doctors.

It was always her passion to work hard. So, I had a great leader at home.

I remember a time I spent 3 months hiking in Kenya, Africa as a part of The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). NOLS was a school that taught you all sorts of cool outdoor skills like kayaking, irst aid and hiking of all sorts.

Before we went out in the jungle the group leaders said “Okay, we're going to split you guys up in three groups, you all must vote on the leader of your group”

The role of the leader was to get the team safely

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to the top of the mountain. I'm proud to say I, as the voted leader in my group, successfully led my team to the top of the mountain.

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the media and production space?

At an early age, I discovered the art of storytelling. I knew I wanted to tell stories, but I didn't know how. I had a very strong theater background, so I grew up wanting to be an actress. Later on, through my early thespian career was when I learned this wasn't quite the life I wanted, at least not as bad as others.

Something that always stuck with me was, and still is, my mission to save the world. I'm extremely passionate about serving whether I'm spreading awareness of human traf icking, poverty or cleaning up this world through recycling.

Throughout the years, that shifted as I began working with my Producer friends. That particular relationship lent me the opportunity to produce music videos for Hip-Hop Artists like Jay-Z and Christina Aguilera. It was during this time while in New York, I stepped full- ledged in the media and production space.

I left New York to work on a creative project in Los Angeles. Once the project was complete, I ended up spending a little more time in Los Angeles than I anticipated. I was able to ind a job at an agency where I met the other Founders of Unicorns & Unicorns, Sun Komen, and Adrianne McCurrach.

It was behind those four walls we began discussing the idea of creating our own production company. We put a plan in place and here we are!

Talk to us about Unicorns & Unicorns and what led to its inception.

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IN-FOCUS

We're often taught to dream big dreams. You dream and you also want to get out in this world and execute them.

Often times we go out into the world and get opportunities to meet other people who've executed their big dreams. When you do, it gives you a moment to evaluate your dreams and seamlessly connect with others and dream together. That's ultimately how Unicorns & Unicorns was birthed.

Founders Sun, Adrianne and I actually met at our former job, a creative studio. The three of us were often on the same page when it came to expanding our creativity. Through our collaboration we knew we didn't want to be invited to the dinner table, we wanted to build the table, make the dinner, and invite others by giving them the opportunity to join us during our feast.

Being the Executive Producer, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

As an Executive Producer it is my job to incorporate resources, in all aspects of advertising, digital content, editing and such to elevate our inal project.

For example, Adrianne handles branded content and Sun manages our digital components from populating website content to ful illment of our creative products.

If we take on a project, it is my job as an Executive Producer to manage our resources by incorporating each other in each other's worlds as often as we can.

What is the approach followed by the platform when it comes to providing optimal client satisfaction?

By allowing the Unicorns & Unicorns team to be our best creative selves. We take pride in

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Joanna Shaw

understanding the vision and making it come to life.

Looking back at your journey, what would you have done differently if you were to start out again?

I'm never not working, but I also absolutely love what I do! Looking back at what often seems surreal sometimes, I would be more present.

I lived from producing videos with Hype Williams, Nintendo, Ford and an iconic Superbowl Ad for Wix, which I am absolutely

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IN-FOCUS

Adrianne McCurrach

Sun Komen

grateful for and remember them all. However, I would take a little more time to soak everything in.

What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging women leaders or entrepreneurs?

Remain true to yourself. If you're true to yourself and you want to lead, you must af irm that.

What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your biggest learning?

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Co-Founders, Unicorns & Unicorns Being lazy has been the biggest roadblock to my journey. Most people may not want to admit that's the reality, but if you're tenacious - the reality is, you're going to get there. We have to be honest and proactive with ourselves when recognizing that.

Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?

Continue doing great work and have a blast doing it. Both personally and professionally.

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At the Heart of Technology C

onsidered by many as a pioneer in the CyberSecurity space, Rob May is the Founder and MD of ramsac — an independent IT infrastructure consultancy.

With ramsac, Rob is on a mission to deliver the best out of the technology by providing proactive management, and jargon-free IT support. Moreover, he also aspires to accelerate growth ef iciently and securely.

Rob is a huge believer in life-long learning and is currently enjoying writing his next book 'Preparing for Interruption.' In this Exclusive Interview, Rob May talks about leadership, ramsac, his journey, technology, and much more.

What according to you makes one a transformational leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

To me transformational leadership is about inspiring and motivating employees, encouraging them to be the best they can be, not just for the business but for themselves and their future. I'm a huge believer in lifelong learning, personally I've ensured that I've attended training and development of one sort or another, every month for the last 40

twenty- ive years, this journey has helped shape me and my thinking and that's re lected in and shared within the entire business.

Six years ago, I launched the ramsac academy within the business, this is something I personally lead and a vehicle to share my learnings, thoughts, and experiences with my colleagues at every level of their career journey. The academy looks at all areas of work success, positivity, communication, leadership, time management, vulnerability and so on.

Talk to us about your growing up years.

What is your earliest memory as a leader that you can remember?

I've been doing this a long time now, in fact I'm about to celebrate thirty years in this role. If I re lect on the early years, I think the biggest learnings came from the realization that just because something is important to you, it doesn't mean it is the same for everyone else. This could relate the importance of salary or what car someone drives, or whether it's more important to spend budget on advertising or a makeover for the working environment. Some of this E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

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Founder & Managing Director ramsac

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We are a service organization and therefore Service Level Agreements (SLA's) are vital to us because our clients judge us by them. What we value won't it every single potential client and therefore there must also be client it (which sometimes we get wrong). But it's important that your team buy into a set of standards that you agree is the experience that your clients will enjoy.

We did an exercise a number of years ago on customer WOW's what is it that makes a customer say wow. I started the exercise with discussing the experience of stopping at a hotel, we listed all the elements of a hotel stay e.g., having a bed and a shower etc., a lock on the door, and when we had all those listed, we put them under 'customer expectation' these aren't wow's, if you turn up at a hotel and there's no bed you're going to complain.

We were then looking for wow's but what was interesting to me, is that we all look at things differently. I had one member of staff saying that they'd stopped in a hotel and there were a leet of limos available to them on demand and that was certainly a wow, I equally had a member of staff saying that they'd checked in to a hotel and there were bathrobes in the room which for them was remarkable, very different perspectives based on life experiences and the resultant ilter we apply to our expectations.

What led to the formation of ramsac? What was the idea

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behind the name of the company?

Early in my career I found I had the ability to see problems, not from a negative perspective, rather in terms of something not making sense to me along with suggestions for how I would tackle the situation if it were me. All the time I worked in an environment where that was a good thing, we all excelled, and I was happy. Unfortunately, I ended up in an international corporation where my approach didn't it their model, I felt very unsettled and unhappy and decided to do something about it.

I'd experienced a lot of in-house empire building and I could see that many people in the technology world seemed to think it was a good idea to make the industry appear as complicated as possible. I believe that if you make someone feel comfortable with a theory or a product, helping them to feel good about it and grow in their knowledge, you are far more likely to build trust and long-term relationships and that was what we set out to do as ramsac.

I'm often asked about the name ramsac which is an acronym for the values of the business. All of our staff are Reliable, Approachable, Motivated, Skillful, Adaptable and Committed. Our values are extremely important, in addition to the acronym there is the core understanding that we do the right things, and we do things right. The combination of these is a permission to act, anyone who makes a decision based on this framework cannot be wrong, it might go wrong but they would have the backing of everyone to sort

the issue as the decision was made for the right reasons and in line with our drive to always do the right thing.

What is the approach followed by the company in order to ensure optimal client satisfaction?

We've always measured and celebrated customer satisfaction.

Whether that's a cybersecurity forensics response, a 100-day project or simply a support call, we measure performance, delivery but most importantly satisfaction.

Customers feed back on their experience and each month we celebrate with 'I am ramsac' awards.

Being the Founder and MD, what role do you play in the day-to-day proceedings of the company?

In the early days of ramsac I was very hands on in technology delivery but these days my role is to guide the board, drive direction and be an ambassador both for the business but also our industry.

Being a Speaker, Author, Entrepreneur, Industry Expert, to name a few, how do you ensure work-life balance?

Work-life balance is a misnomer that I suspect few manage to achieve, I think what is far more likely is work-life harmony, the question is, do the things that you do, the time that they take and the commitment they require it in with the needs of the other elements in your life? I do a lot of speaking internationally on cybersecurity and I get tremendous satisfaction from this, it energizes me and the people that I have met in doing so, E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E

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have opened many doors in different areas of my life. When I'm inspired myself, I'm far more likely to be inspiring to others.

What has the journey been like for Rob May over the years? Looking back, what would you have done differently if you were to start again?

The journey has been tremendous, I've learned so much and frankly I continue to do so. In terms of what would I do differently, in the early W W W. E X E L E O N M AG A Z I N E . C O M

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What would be your advice for emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the current changing work environment?

adapt to customer and employee needs and provide the best possible solutions to those stakeholders. The big challenge that we all face right now is ensuring an equal experience, this means thinking about everyone, whoever and wherever they are and working out what we need to do to make it equal for all.

People talk about new normal; the reality is that whatever today is, is normality. The role of a businessperson is to respond and

The future is exciting. I work in an industry that is hugely in demand

days we didn't think we had the budget to pay for top dollar advice, the reality is, most expensive advisers are expensive for a reason and their experiences, contacts and in luence on your business is worth investing in as early as possible.

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Finally, what does the future look like for you, both personally and professionally?

and I spend my time with people whom I can inspire and they in turn inspire me. Our business grew signi icantly as a result of Covid, and we are now in a position to really bene it from that and maximize on the opportunities we have before us. Personally, I love every day whether I'm at work, on a stage or in one of my advisory roles, I'm also currently enjoying writing my next book 'Preparing for Interruption'.

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K h r i s T h ay e r | C E O & C o - F o u n d e r

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n in luential leader is a leader that strives to make a positive impact on people affected by seen and unseen decisions. In fact, good leaders are good listeners and inquisitive about what makes people tick, encourage people to play to their strengths and provide opportunities to strengthen their weaknesses.

Good leaders use this diagnostic approach to provide clarity and purpose through decisive and independent thought. Khris Thayer, CEO and Co-founder of OPTIZMO Technologies, is an ingenious example of an in luential leader. He implements his thought-leadership style through seeking and providing opportunities for others.

Additionally, he proactively contributes in leveling-up his team's knowledge and experience.

He says, “I make a conscious effort to empathize without sacri icing high standards in order to appease.”

FACING THE MUSIC— LIKE A REAL LEADER Khris' earliest memory as a leader is mostly centered around music.

Growing up in a small town in rural Texas, it was dif icult for him to ind creative outlets. But re lecting on his formative years made him realize the importance of manifestations through adversity.

This eventually led him to excel in his personal growth and interests.

As he tried to create an outlet for himself, he soon realized that there were other people all around him looking for the same thing:

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Inspiration. They needed a catalyst and he wanted to be that for them.

Khris shares, “I listened to other young people talk as they were looking at albums at a local record shop. While they were buying albums, popular within the culture of the area, I would hear them comment about wanting to ind something new. They would complain about everything sounding the same or that their parents didn't like it. “

There were plenty of options for new music to be discovered, and Khris took this as a cue for him to lead people towards a free and open-minded perspective. He recalls, “ I walked over to a nearby demo stereo and began to play music that I found interesting.

Music not found on any of the top sellers.” He would play the most random albums and after a few weeks of doing this, he made more friends than he ever wanted.

There was a gravitational pull as he explained his reasons for creating music and inding inspiration to in luence his own writing. This was the irst time he cognizantly realized that people want to be led, but not forced into following. Khris believes that “we all want to be inspired by people who are unapologetic about what drives them.”

Inspiration is contagious and we want to follow people who are deliberate and passionate. Those same friends are still his friends now: bandmates, roadies, his unpaid marketing team, his creative consultants and production engineers, and lifelong fans of

anything that he has pursued throughout his life.

A HAPPY CHANCE WITH HIS PASSION Music has always been a means of catharsis for Khris and integral to his success and sanity. The discipline and focus required to create music, write songs, identify patterns, inspire emotion, and take people on a journey has played a positive role in his life. It also created a positive impact as it taught him about leading and in luencing people to a desired outcome.

But it was a fortunate stroke of serendipity when he was introduced to the email marketing industry. Coincidentally, around that time, his friend and CTO/ Cofounder, Grant Fern had started a think-tank passion project. This led them both to discuss business ideas, concepts, and philosophy.

After years pondering a company together, they decided to collaborate and make things happen.

He believed that the market needed a better and more reliable solution for managing the collection, storage, and distribution of email suppression lists. As a result, he and Grant decided to focus on work low automation and ef iciency. Eventually, they built a team dedicated to customer success and this was the impetus for creating OPTIZMO.

Sharing his idea about the name of the company, Khris shares “As with a lot of companies, the name

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IN-FOCUS resulted from some back-of-anapkin doodling, playing around with the word, Optimize. Eventually, Optimization-Gizmos led to the company name, OPTIZMO.”

As a CEO, Khris believes his role is to build a competent team, empower and facilitate them with the tools that they need to succeed, and then let them do what they do best. So, while he is often involved in day-to-day operations, his leadership focus is providing strategic guidance according to the circumstances.

EYES ON THE REAL PRIZE

For Khris, his people are the real assets as he treasures them dearly.

From the beginning, he had his vision set on hiring highly entrepreneurial, self-motivated people with expertise in their respective ields. “Results-driven autonomy has created an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for individual team members while inspiring camaraderie and collaboration as a team,” he adds.

Additionally, Khris is driven and passionate to ensure optimal client experience and satisfaction. His focus is simple, impactful and progressive on three key areas: providing the best data management and compliance technology; delivering world-class customer service and support; managing scale while not sacri icing service for growth.

Khris' journey has been an exciting and adventurous one and rarely, if ever, a straight path. It has been a challenging route of many ups, downs, curves, and crossroads towards success. But, he is not 50

really one for regrets, as he thinks it is dif icult to say if there is anything that he would do differently.

However, Khris always strives to improve and become better through experience and learning. “I try to remain cognizant of my responsibility to my partner and my team. I try to remain humble and open to learn from those I lead and those who lead me. I've been fortunate in that many of those, the ones I lead and who lead me, are one in the same,” he concludes.

HIS BIGGEST EXPERIENTIAL ADVICE

Adaptability, mindfulness, and gratitude are rare qualities that should warrant more attention in the context of business and leadership. Khris suggests aspiring business leaders to be adaptable to market trends and changes in the business and pivot quickly and decisively.

He also thinks it is more important to make moves and changes in the right direction than it is to be right about an initial direction or idea.

Additionally, being mindful of your actions and decisions impact those you lead. Khris repeatedly emphasizes on being responsible for outcomes and leading by example.

Gratitude is another important ingredient required to cook your delicious success story. Khris also says, “Positive outcomes are often the result of learning from negative outcomes. Be grateful for the learning opportunities, but do not focus on the negative. There is almost always a silver lining.”

mean and mean it when you say it.

“Your clients, partners, and team members will respect you for it and it will, likely, earn you goodwill to get you through the moments when you misstep. Work environments may change, but these philosophies never will,” he concludes.

OPTIMIZING FOR THE FUTURE

With over 15 years of experience, Khris still has a fascination for his company and is very excited about the future. As thought leaders in the digital marketing industry, he believes his team is in a great position to anticipate the challenges of the future and rise to meet them head-on, while expanding the business offerings.

“We prepare for this with a sense of cultural readiness as we scale our team to meet the demands of our growing and ever-evolving company,” he shares. Moreover, he will also be focusing on international growth in 2022 and beyond.

A few of his other priorities are to enhance the SaaS platform, scale the infrastructure and team, while continuing to create more value through diversi ication of OPTIZMO's product and service offerings. Lastly, he is looking to expand OPTIZMO's network of cross-platform integration partners.

“We are always innovating and incubating new business models and ideas,” he concludes.

Lastly, be deliberate: say what you

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