Ways
The nature of business has changed along with
mainstream innovation and its applications across industries. Innovation carries different meanings and impacts on businesses, touching on various aspects of organizational operations and development strategies.
The prevalence of digital businesses has transformed the nature of leadership in today’s new business models. There is a direct impact on the leaders to keep the organization competitive and leverage their knowledge of consumer preferences. Innovation allows businesses to entirely reimagine traditional business models, giving an advantage to business leaders such as CEOs.
CEOs respond to the changing market conditions, customer needs, and trends by leveraging innovative technologies with innovative models, including self-learning platforms that help create opportunities for the people.
With all the fascination around innovative tools and technologies, it has already become an immense part of the future. CEOs have brought innovation to agriculture, the oil and gas industry, radiology, financial technology, security, etc. Successful CEOs strongly believe in innovation, investing substantial time and resources to harvest its potential. CEOs that leverage innovation effectively enjoys a competitive edge for years to come, conducting the necessary groundwork to attract talent who can walk on the path towards a new reality.
Technological advancements allow CEOs to operate globally, increasing competition to quickly adapt and allowing businesses to jump to another level of efficiency
and experience. As innovation spreads quickly due to its technological nature, it is easier for businesses to function and jump over barriers.
Although the race for innovative talent is fierce, it is not unprecedented. As the CEOs have matured along with innovation, they have a newfound appreciation for work-life balance, benefits of the work-fromhome, and the opportunity to impact the world positively. On a global front, CEOs serve as a ‘digital tunnel’ for companies, crossing oceans and reaching new audiences.
As a result, we at Insights Success are focusing on such innovative business leaders through our upcoming edition, “CEOs Transforming Business Through Innovation, 2022.” We shed light on their journeys in becoming innovative business leaders and changing the motivations of incumbents to innovate. This is a competition-driven field, where innovation falls short, and CEOs come to our rescue with their pragmatic approach.
Lastly, do not forget to go through the articles written by our in-house editorial team, which will give you a brief understanding of the innovative know-how and trends.
Read on! sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Featured Person
Carol Lafferty Founder and CEO
Description Company Name
CaliCoin calicoin.me
Christopher Amos CEO & Chief Digital Architect No Boundaries Marketing Group noboundaries.marketing
Edwin Bessant CEO Ceuta Group ceutagroup.com
Erhardt Preitauer President & CEO CareSource caresource.com
Jude Gomes Chief Executive Officer Union Assurance PLC unionassurance.com
Mohammed Mubin Mallick CEO & Founder Kiran Smart kiransmart.com
Mr. Sami Sharif CEO
Rob Rosenberger CEO & Co-founder
Thomas P. Shivers CEO and President
Kuwait Insurance Company kic-kw.com
Blackdragon blackdragon.expert
FourStone Partners fourstonepartners.com
Thomas A. Bock MD, MBA, CEO Notable notablelabs.com
CaliCoin is a charity token focused on helping what we term, “Animals of Determination” (“AOD”) – Animals which suffer from a disability and/or are homeless.
No Boundaries Marketing Group was founded on the basis of simplifying the marketing and advertising world for small to medium sized businesses.
Ceuta Group is a global, consumer brand services business working with some of the most dynamic brands in Health & Personal Care and Food & Drink.
CareSource has been providing life-changing health care to people and communities.
Union Assurance is protecting lives, empowering people achieve their dreams, and providing peace of mind to thousands of Sri Lankans since 1987.
Kiran Smart is a Top IT Company in Kuwait that provides an industry-standard integrated solution, IT consulting, IT maintenance, IT consultancy and IT solutions.
Kuwait Insurance Company was established in 1960 by Amiri Decree No. 7 of 1960 as the first insurance company in Kuwait and the GCC.
Blackdragon is the federal contracting industry’s most advanced technology platform.
FourStone Partners is an innovative consulting firm specializing in business development, sales outsourcing, and operational support services.
Notable is a clinical-stage platform therapeutic company.
Erhardt Preitauer President & CEO
CEOs Transforming Business Through Innova�on- 2022
CareSource has been providing life-changing healthcare to people and communities for more than 30 years, and we will continue to be a transformative force in the industry by placing people over profits.
It takes vision and determination to challenge the norms
and change the conventional course of an industry. Due to its complex nature, many details need meticulous attention to bring transformational shifts in healthcare, but there are significant opportunities for disrupters to provide smart solutions that make people's lives better. When ErhardtPreitauer joined CareSource in 2018, he found his two decades of transformational leadership and government-sponsored health plan expertise were a perfect fit for the organization.
As an accomplished health care executive with a track record of driving significant growth, profitability, innovation, and operational excellence, Erhardt was able to leverage his extensive experience in building and leading mission-driven healthcare organizations to quickly adapt to the leadership role at the company. He succeeded the founding CEO, who had led the organization for 30 years. After just one year in the position, Glassdoor named Erhardt one of the highest-rated CEOs in the country alongside some household names. He ranked #20 on the annual list based on the favorability of employee reviews.
Erhardt credits employees with being the heart of the mission-focused company. CareSource is a nonprofit managed care organization with over 2 million members in six states. Founded in 1989, CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. and offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare Advantage and dualeligible programs.
At its core, CareSource understands the challenges consumers face navigating the health system and is transforming healthcare with industry-leading programs that improve the health and well-being of its members.
The Humble Beginning
Growing up on a small Hawaiian island with a diverse community based on solid, but straightforward, values paved the path for Erhardt's journey gave him a perspective that helped him face several challenges in both his professional and personal life. He embraced these challenges, knowing "this too shall pass" and that got him
to the right place. In his view, every challenge he faced set the foundation for navigating the last two years with the pandemic.
Erhardt believes that life is short so he makes it a priority to integrate fun into whatever he does. He credits his success to being surrounded by remarkable people and emphasizes the importance of this: “ it's all about people .” Erhardt considers himself fortunate for the incredible opportunities he's had throughout his career and feels like he is exactly where he's meant to be. He expresses, "I've worked for a few of the bigger national companies, but CareSource is where my heart is. I'm so grateful to lead this truly amazing and unique company."
Healthcare with Heart
CareSource is unique in that it is the only organization that is totally independent, nonprofit, and purely focused on government-sponsored healthcare, such as Medicaid, Marketplace and Medicare. With $12 billion in revenue, Erhardt highlights that CareSource is big enough to have scale, invest in its people and communities, and continue to foster the strongest mission-oriented organization in the industry—but also small enough to pivot, innovate quickly and drive or react to new opportunities with little bureaucracy or conflict. The company also makes decisions differently and on different timelines, allowing for a highly transparent, straightforward, and longer-term view.
Erhardt believes these unique elements, along with some of the strongest operational and quality metrics in the industry, will propel its vision of being the leader in serving those with the most complex needs, while also achieving its mission of changing the lives and communities of all the people it serves.
A Transformative Impact
In its pursuit of being the best of the best, CareSource's leadership thinks about what it does in two ways. First, it likes to raise the bar for everyone in a market it enters. Second, it also helps the entire system in these same markets—even when it doesn't directly benefit CareSource. At the end of the day, everyone.
Erhardt is especially proud of CareSource's recognized programs that help people put their lives together outside of healthcare, commonly called social determinants of health. Many of the people it helps end up getting jobs and leaving the Medicaid program altogether. He notes, "We are the only organization that will invest in getting people off our membership rolls. We also partner with and help missionaligned community-based organizations gain access to additional funds. Often, these organizations don't have the needed business infrastructure or grant-writing capabilities. Helping these organizations benefits the entire ecosystem—even our competitors. We are also among the best operating and most innovative organizations in the industry. We often work with states in raising the bar in what stakeholders expect of health plans, which means everyone wins."
Embracing Technology
Technology has advanced rapidly over the last couple of years, and Erhardt sees vast opportunities to utilize
We care about YOU and YOUR health.
We have crafted partnerships and initiatives in our markets that are truly unique in helping the system to better align in a fully transparent manner.
technology in new and better ways. There are a lot of traditional uses of technology in the industry such as telemedicine, data integration and clinical platforms. CareSource is investing heavily in these areas, but also investing in less traditional areas. This includes engaging people behind social media walls, supporting more being done in the home or community, and utilizing AI to help people make decisions and communicate. Erhardt says, "Engaging people is a big deal for us. Despite my team sometimes thinking I'm crazy, I also like to spend a little time and resources thinking way ahead – the Metaverse could hold a lot of potential for what we do. I realize that to the average person in Silicon Valley, these ideas are pretty mundane. In the healthcare world, this is fairly forward looking—which brings me back to the fact that there's a lot of opportunity here."
The Potential Change
Erhardt also has a bold point of view on the complexities of the industry. Looking at the different pillars of healthcare such as health plans, doctors, hospitals, pharmacies,
Erhardt is ac�ve in the Dayton community. He is pictured here recognizing a veteran at a Dayton Dragons baseball game as part of the CareSource Veteran Salute program.
ancillary vendors, PBMs, big pharma, and much more he wonders whether these entities have created unnecessary complexities and costs to preserve their place in the ecosystem. The lack of transparency can add to the challenge. He asserts, "There's a lot of dialogue about how these different pillars can get more aligned, but I'm not sure it's happening as fast, or as transparently as it should. I think about our mission, how we make decisions, our corporate form, our approach, our focus on lifting the entire system; we need to play a role in this. And, we are. We have crafted partnerships and initiatives in our markets that are truly unique in helping the system to better align in a fully transparent manner."
Pivoting Shifts
Looking at the data, Erhardt believes that the future is in helping states serve populations with complex needs. He sees an opportunity to make a big difference in people's lives, improving quality and impacting the overall cost of care. CareSource is preparing for it in every aspect of the organization. Its platforms are optimized for complex populations, it is piloting special programs and has hired many nationally renowned complex care professionals. Additionally, it acquired a company with a history of complex care. It's clear that this is an issue that Erhardt is passionate about. He notes, "People with complex needs exist in every segment and population within the government-sponsored health plan. There is no clear leader in this area today—but I believe there will be one soon . . ."
Future Goals
When considering where he might be in the future, Erhardt sees himself at CareSource. He envisions continuing to build on CareSource's mission and making a positive impact in people's lives. He says, "I love the difference we make, love the people I get to work with, love the company, and love the communities we serve."
Experienced Guidance
Erhardt advises upcoming leaders aspiring to venture into healthcare to keep pointing forward, no matter what. He reflects on a conversation he had with a famous poker player. He told Erhardt, "Any idiot can win when the cards are running well." What ultimately decided a successful versus an unsuccessful gambler was how they played when things weren't going their way. Erhardt believes this applies to life, too; how you play when things aren't going well determines your success. In his concluding thoughts, Erhardt says, "Don't get too comfortable. Don't get institutionalized. Shake things up occasionally. Surround yourself with amazing people that want to make a difference. Do the right thing for the right reason” .
About CareSource
CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over 2 million members. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio since its founding in 1989, CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicare Advantage and dual-eligible programs. Through its network of health plans, CareSource serves members in Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. The company is leading the way in serving populations with complex needs and extended its presence into 12 additional states with the acquisition of The Columbus Organization, a trusted partner to health care agencies and provider organizations in improving coordination and support for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and behavioral health challenges through its staffing, quality improvement and care coordination services. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care.
Caroline Lafferty Founder & Chief
Execu�ve Officer CaliCoin
Caroline Lafferty
The Entrepreneur at the Intersection of Cryptocurrency and Animal Advocacy
The foundation of humanity has always been helping each other. There are people, and certainly animals, who are less fortunate than us. Animal-based charities are in perpetual need of financial support—only an estimated 10% of all charitable giving is directed towards animal -based charities; but unfortunately, these charities also suffer from the same issues of funding and governance many charities face.
Now, imagine a charity token existing to address such animal welfare needs with transparent, seamless, and documented donation.
Meet Caroline Lafferty, who leveraged this relatively new world of cryptocurrency to open new avenues of donation for needy animal charities by founding CaliCoin.
CaliCoin is the first and only cryptocurrency devoted to helping, what Caroline terms, Animals of Determination (animals that suffer from a disability and/or are homeless) around the world . It provides a 100% flow-through of funds (0% commissions, overhead fees, or other charges) directly to pre-qualified animal-based charities serving AODs around the world. It ensures CaliCoin donors that their donations are helping animals of determination, and their funds are going directly to helping the animals without any of the issues which can plague existing charitable giving options. Caroline wears the hat of the CEO in the company.
A Blend of Passions
CaliCoin is a wonderful blend of passions.
Caroline has always been an avid animal lover. She along with her husband James Michael Lafferty moved to Dubai with their wonderful Yorkie dog, “Cali”. Shortly thereafter, they discovered that she has a genetic disorder of her bones. So, they, unfortunately, had to amputate one of her legs. Cali however never let this situation bring her down; she continued to romp and play and enjoy life, inspiring them all. Shortly after, they both found an abandoned kitten on the street in a pile of rubble, who followed them home. She is a lovable Arabian Mau named “Karma”. Both are best friends and integral parts of the company’s family. The three-legged dog and the orphan cat!
Besides her love for animals, Caroline also had a special affinity with the emerging world of cryptocurrency. She has been deeply involved as an investor for the past 5 years. She saw a unique blend of the two, an idea in which it could leverage cryptocurrency and the universe of crypto users, to open entirely new pathways to support Animals of Determination. And that is how CaliCoin was born! CaliCoin marries Caroline’s love of the cryptocurrency world with her love for animals.
Making the World a Better Place for Animals of Determination
This is all about helping the world be a better place, one needy animal at a time.
In essence, CaliCoin was created out of the pandemic to bring urgent help to animal charities around the world that saw their donations and financial support dry up. Caroline hears from many charities about how CaliCoin has helped keep them operating and serving Animals of Determination. “I get a huge sense of pride and joy in being able to help these noble causes. I firmly believe it represents the best of humanity when we can help those on our planet truly less fortunate than ourselves. It’s hard to imagine a population more in need than animals who suffer from disabilities or
are homeless and roaming the streets,” expresses Caroline. CaliCoin’s mission is very noble: It helps perhaps the most disadvantaged subset on this planet—Animals of Determination. The team at CaliCoin has financed 100% of the start-up of CaliCoin and it takes no fees or commissions on donations.
Built from the Scratch
The biggest challenge for Caroline by far was doing what any entrepreneur knows well—doing things prudently and on your own! Most ICOs are executed via large teams and the engagement of many consultants and advisors, whereas Caroline and her husband launched CaliCoin entirely with an internal team of just a handful of people. The team created this entire project from scratch with limited budgets and lots of sweat equity, all driven by a combined passion for giving back and helping animals in need. And so far, she is proud of the early results: CaliCoin has gained global traction and has appreciated over 300% since its launch.
Sources of Inspiration
Caroline was greatly influenced by her parents. She learned from them, the courage and will to succeed. They emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada with nothing and built a life so that Caroline and her brother could have opportunities they never had. She watched them sacrifice and work endless hours, just to give their kids a chance. She wasn’t going to let them down and squander the sacrifices they made.
Caroline was a top student and thus, she worked to get into the best schools such as the University of Toronto and studied the most demanding fields. CaliCoin is only the latest of several successful start-ups she has launched over the past decade.
The second great influencer was her husband James, who co-founded CaliCoin along with her.
The Pinnacle of Professionalism
Caroline has always believed that success starts and finishes with people. Her small team is like a family to her, and she takes care of her family! She tries to breed a culture of ownership, where every employee “owns” a piece of CaliCoin. She further believes in developing talent, as people are most inspired when they see themselves grow. She says, “We are fair and principled, and we do the right
thing. It’s a passionate and caring team and I think this directly reflects on the culture we put people in at CaliCoin.”
A Profound Note to the Emerging Ones
In her advice to emerging CEOs, Caroline says “ This industry, cryptocurrency, is rife with questionable ethics and people out to make a quick buck. And it is undermining the entire space and the adoption of what is an amazing and forward-thinking concept. Be able to look in the mirror at yourself and be proud. Look at any industry and eventually, ethics wins out. If you want to be both proud and sustainable, embrace strong ethics as a core of your business. It will be harder and take more time. But choosing the “harder right” over the “easier wrong” is always the winning way.”
Christopher Amos CEO and Chief Digital Architect
Marketing Agencies, as corporations were holding back because of the uncertainty of elections and getting the Brexit bill passed. In the short term, there was a temporary hold on Marketing budgets within some sectors, but overall, it saw a rapid change to brand marketing development which continues to accelerate.
Ensuring Inclusive Work Culture
Further, Edwin opines that culture creation within any organization is key, and this has always been an important mantra for Ceuta. Ceuta Group has four different generations of employees, and they all have different levels of expectations from an employer. Ceuta must deliver to ALL, and the right culture glues its workforce together. In addition to culture creation, it has also engaged with further intent, monitoring, support, and executing for the right reasons such as ‘Diversity, Inclusion and Gender balance [ Ceuta Group is approx. 48% female / 52% male]’. Also, sustainability and environmental protection are key imperative for Ceuta Group.
Supporting Local Community
Ceuta is emersed and engaged through its CSR team and supports a different number of initiatives:
Ÿ Support local charities with financial contributions
Ÿ Organize clean-up events
Ÿ Volunteer in local schools or community projects
Ÿ Local fund-raising events
Edwin is a ‘Fellow of the Prince’s Enterprise Trust’ which helps vulnerable young people get their lives back on track.
It supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Edwin periodically goes into classrooms to talk to students [from all ethnicities] on business building and the watchouts etc. which he really enjoys.
Expansionary Approach
In a conclusion, Edwin mentions that for the next five years, Ceuta Group’s vision is to continue to build out its Global Digital services. It wants to continue to build out its ‘Marketplace Support Platform’ – USA, Europe, and China. It wants to selectively acquire other Ceuta type organizations worldwide and to acquire Consumer Health & Wellness brands’.
Edwin is also a ‘Life Fellow of The Royal Society of Medicine’.
Enroute to Success
The greatness of a person or leader has to be
estimated by his or her ability to thrive even in the most provoking or challenging situations. It is in the tough times that one’s mettle is tested. And it is at the same time one has the opportunity to prove one’s mettle. It is said that patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet. The more one is able to hold one’s nerves even in the challenging times and continue to fight for success, the more one will be able to crossover even the toughest challenges. Life rewards those who put in sincere hard work and strive for achievements. “As we sow, so shall we reap.” Success is not the cakewalk, but it is about repeated efforts day in and day out.
There is no free lunch in this business-minded world. One has to be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices for accomplishing something worthwhile in this world, especially in the world of business. One has to accomplish something in this world to earn the trust of people and thereby to be the well-wisher of people. One can contribute a lot to others when he or she has gained worthwhile accomplishments to create his or her credibility. The reliability of leaders increases in great proportion when they deliver results more than expected by others. The reliability or credibility of leaders is directly proportional to the expansion of the businesses.
Morality is the Foundation for Victory
Great business leaders are aware that it is important to lead with morality. They consider it is very important to keep the morale of everyone in their organization very high. High morale helps in taking the most courageous decisions. They understand that it is essential to deliver what is expected by clients or even beyond thinking well ahead of the clients. This is where the innovativeness in leaders plays a big role. That is the reason they keep it on high priority to be well updated with the latest technologies and they are keen to implement those technologies in their businesses.
Determination, Dedication, and Discipline
Determination, Dedication, and Discipline form a big part of success. There is a huge significance of resolute determination to succeed in the world of business. The world is filled with cut-throat competition. To sustain one’s competency in the business world, one has to keep on improving oneself and everyone in the organization to create massive success. The journey sometimes can be filled with a lot of challenges, but if one has a determination to persist then one can achieve one’s goals in due course of time. Dedication gives life to one’s purpose and goals. It is very much synonymous with leading with purposefulness. The stronger the purpose the greater can be the dedication
to achieve it. And Discipline is the bridge between success and failure. Without discipline, nothing substantial can ever be accomplished in life. One has to pay the price of resolute determination, absolute dedication, and high discipline to be successful in the world of business.
What Not to Do?
As much as it is important to know what to do, it is also equally important to know what not to do. Doing what is favorable for success and avoiding what is harmful for success should be avoided at any cost. For business leaders to succeed in the business world, they should be well aware not to waste their precious resources after bad money or bad deals. They should not throw their good money behind bad money via negative deals. They should be calculative and should take calculative decisions related to where to invest and where not to.
Having a Right Mentor is the Key
Having a good mentor goes a long way in making highvalue decisions. One should choose that person as one’s mentor who has demonstrated one’s character and competence in one’s chosen field. Great leaders are not just interested in being great leader themselves only, but they would like to create more great leaders. By choosing a capable leader as one’s mentor, one will be able to attain great heights in life in a short span of time. One good mentor is worth more than all the books in the library.
Books also play a huge role in the lives of great leaders, but the help of a mentor is priceless as one will be able to develop oneself more quickly with the help of a good mentor and avoid the mistakes that previous leaders have done. Great leaders become great because they don’t shy at accepting good mentors in life. They are open to learning from all. They know that they don’t have all the time in the world to commit all mistakes and then learn and then apply. Therefore, they prefer to avoid mistakes on the journey by having a good mentor in life.
It is a mark of great leaders to do justice to their roles, routines, relationships, and responsibilities. They also build such a type of culture in their fellow teammates and employees and staff in the organization. This helps them to achieve greatness in their business by building an organization with responsible and competent people. They lead by example and with resolute determination and with a goal to deliver more than needed. They thrive on their purpose and necessary actions. They do what needs to be done with due diligence and they set the standards for everyone else to follow and that is the reason they become admirable.
Jude Gomes
Protecting Lifestyles, Dreams, and Ambitions of Sri Lankans
In a pandemic-ridden environment that was uncertain,
complex, and fast-evolving, a handful of organizations have shown true resilience and business success under the guidance and navigation of leaders who have broken away from the archetypal 'command and control' mould of traditional leadership.
Jude Gomes , the Chief Executive Officer of Union Assurance PLC , is among those leaders. He draws from a highly accomplished career in financial services spread over three decades with experience accrued across key Asian markets and key global financial institutions. With over three decades of industry-leading success, Union Assurance (UAL) is the country's oldest private Life Insurer empowering the Sri Lankan dream, offering a range of insurance solutions covering education, health, protection, retirement, and investment needs of Sri Lankans. Powered by a network of 76 branches and a 3,000-strong team that shares a customer-centric approach to business, the company continued to invest in people, digital infrastructure, products and processes to remain agile and responsive to emerging and unprecedented changes under Jude's guidance and visionary leadership.
Under the banner 'Your life, Our strength,' the company has nurtured the Sri Lankan dream in unique and personal ways to support its policyholders and the people they love. Excellence, ethics, integrity, innovation, and a customercentric mentality are the heart behind day-to-day operations at Union Assurance.
Acting as a Catalyst
The coronavirus pandemic broke out just a few months after Jude took the reins as the CEO of Union Assurance.
However, he guided his team on a journey of transformation, positioning the company as a modern, customer-centric, digital life insurer to address the lag in technology adoption within the industry.
With the mission of simplifying insurance and empowering customers, the company shifted its focus towards digitisation during this time. The transformation was initiated by simplifying, innovating, and digitising complex processes, culminating in an overhaul of its operating system to a digital model. To provide uninterrupted service to its policyholders, the company established a trilingual call centre that operated 24/7, an online chatbot and enabled digital platforms and gateways to meet the growing demand in customer queries. Furthermore, Union Assurance disrupted the future of Life Insurance by adding a dynamic facet to its customer experience with a 100% digital platform - Clicklife, which offers customers to purchase products instantly without any paperwork and physical interaction as well as a platform with real time selfservicing capability as part of its end-to-end online insurance solution. The app features World Health Organization approved challenges, rewards, and other exciting in-app features to engage and motivate users to stay fit and healthy.
Navigating through Challenges
Speaking about challenges, Jude mentioned that aspects of economic growth, socio-cultural factors and financial literacy have been barriers to industry expansion. In his view, financial literacy is low compared to developed markets in which insurance penetration is high. This is an important factor for improving insurance consciousness and awareness across society.
Jude Gomes Chief Executive Officer Union Assurance PLC
Gomes articulated three key strategies he believes will drive the insurance sector: first, cohesive strategies should be in place to attract and retain the right talent, especially given that the industry is manpower-dominant; second, there should be a focus on an omnichannel distribution model to provide greater accessibility to customers; third, is in creating efficiencies in operations and delivery platforms making the buying cycle easy, convenient, fast, and transparent.
People Empowerment
Jude is an ardent believer that leaders should constantly challenge themselves and their teams to exceed expectations and embrace new opportunities.
Empowerment is an important criterion for leading people and organisations to success. To this end, Jude nurtures a workplace environment in which safety and trust are prerequisites for people’s empowerment. When people feel empowered and safe in the workplace, it paves the way for more innovation and advancements to take place. He believes in cultivating a culture where employees learn from mistakes and strive towards excellence.
Accelerating Growth
Insurance has trailed other industries and in particular financial services when it comes to transformation – digital or otherwise. In an increasingly data-driven environment, poor public perception of insurers came down to a combination of factors. The lack of transparency augmented by archaic processes; low understanding and misinformation of investment vs. protection, lack of confidence in insurance agents, inadequate focus on training and skill development, restricted channels and limited product suites skewed towards investment rather than protection, are some of the industry challenges.
Gomes believes a defining feature for growth acceleration is in the depth of customer-centricity adopted. Protection should centre around the people it protects.
By rolling out a simplified customer-focused digital agenda in 2019, Union Assurance mapped out a comprehensive customer journey, addressing pain points, eliminating complexities, and customizing solutions through the application of technology, setting the benchmark for a future-ready operating model.
Understanding that you don’t know everything is a very valuable lesson to learn early on. Admi�ngo failures, taking accountability, and making necessary changes fast is what is important for success. “ “
A Note to Emerging Leaders
“When you’re in a leadership role, developing your intuition plays a big part as your employees rely on you to make trustworthy decisions meeting needs of all stakeholders.
“It is important to note that staying true to your values and morals is key in your journey. Understanding that you don’t know everything is a very valuable lesson to learn early on. Admitting to failures, taking accountability, and making necessary changes fast is important for success.”
Mohammed Mubin Mallick
A Doyen in the Field of Robotics
Since decades, technological advancements have been assisting humans in almost every sphere of their lives. Even in this pandemic situation, technology didn’t fail to offer assistance to us. The use of robots was explored extensively by most of the researchers and businesses, especially healthcare organizations, considering the facts that they don’t need mask, they can easily get disinfected, and they don’t fall sick. With this idea, Mohammed Mubin Mallick ’s Kiran Smart has significantly contributed to the development of advanced robotics in this ongoing pandemic through its state-of-theart robotics solutions.
Towards Visionary Project
In the year 2017, Mubin predicted the future as it is going to take a turn towards some advanced technology. The thought came into his mind was robots as it was his childhood dream to have robots. But he was demotivated and discouraged after being rejected on his robotics idea or topic by many. These negative factors made him stronger to face and challenge the market.
Since his childhood, Mubin has seen many difficulties and has tackled them successfully, be it studies, sports,
traveling, or living alone away from home. He has never broken down and has always stood up to fight the situation. As time passed, things became easier for him to handle due to the experience he gained.
Mubin founded Kiran Smart with lots of love from people who really wanted to have these services and solutions. He did market research in GCC on robots. He developed every single robotics solution for every industry and as well for home too. He did not find suitable CEO who would understand his vision and that is the reason, he decided to wear the hat of CEO as well.
Well versed with different robotics manufacturer around the world, Mubin is working on his Visionary Prime Project which could make him the pioneer in the world on robotics services that human has never imagined or expected on the idea.
Getting the Best out of Everything
Mubin mentions that every journey is not pleasant and thus, running a company successfully is also not as pleasant as we think. There are always ups and downs, because as a holistic view it is a company and not a business.
Mohammed
Mubin Mallick CEO / FOUNDER
Kiran Smart
For Mubin, building a company was like being on the battleground. As a challenge he saw financial crisis, getting the right people for right place and right job, finding expert people with innovative ideas, and getting the investor. Mubin kept on going and today, Kiran Smart is a first Humanoid Robot Solutions and Services company in Kuwait having existence in multiple location, providing IT services to business and home users.
Devoted to Serve Humanity
Mubin’s father late haji Noor taught him to live for others and serve humanity. One of the incidents that impacted his life was the case where he found a lady who was crying for the money to do the treatment of her daughter. He was just a child and only could understand that she is asking for money. He had 50 paisa in his pocket to buy a chocolate for her younger sister. He could not say no to the lady because her tears brought him down so emotional that he started weeping and gave her 50 paisa. The lady just saw the coin and said, “ My son GOD will give you enough so that you can help others and GOD will make your heart big enough to help others.” He can never forget this incident.
Innovation in Robotics
Kiran Smart is into Information Technology, Digital Transformation, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Fintech. Mubin is of the belief that these technologies will play a major role post-pandemic. Thus, if businesses in any industry have to survive, they will need to implement Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence to make advanced hybrid solutions to survive in the future.
At present Kiran Smart’s Robot Services are inclusive of Humanoid Robots, Services Robots, Delivery Robots, Educational Robots, Logistics Robots, Pet Robots, Disinfection Robots, Cleaning Robots. Other than this it has smart digital screens which the company sell as solutions and also rents them out. Even for Robots, it provides the solutions and also rents out the robots in multi-purpose use, providing services globally as well.
At the same time, Mubin is also working on the “Rise of Robotics Generation” where he is training children about robots, teaching about robots but with live demo on the company’s different models of robots. His vision is simple for the next 5 years – to be recognized as one of the best brand service providers globally especially in terms of Robotics Services.
Good Network for Business Opportunities
Mubin and his team generate jobs for every category so that people could survive and feed their families. He and his team create jobs for drivers, engineers, managers, supervisors, developers, skilled and unskilled labor, waiters and waitress, and cleaners. Also, he shares the company profit on a certain percentage as charity across the world where the community is helping to survive their life. He is looking for a great opportunity to change the world into a smart village but of course there must be a good team to execute it like investors, businessmen, entrepreneurs, partners, engineers, and a lot more, because he is working on one of his project called ROBO2050 where every house will have Kiran Smart’s robots.
“Information Technology will be so advanced and if we don’t adopt ourselves in terms of business and personal life then we will be left alone to suffer.”
Mr. Sami Sharif CEO
Mr. Sami Sharif
An Embodiment of a Proven Leadership
The pioneering leadership is a combination of exemplary skills, abilities and talents. To lead organization successfully, it is essential for leaders to have good amount of competence, as it plays a significant role in the success of the organization and its clients. When the same competence is paired with strong managerial and technical skills, the results attained are excellent. An embodiment of such a leadership is Mr. Sami Sharif . He is the CEO of Kuwait Insurance Company (KIC) since 2016.
Prior to KIC, Mr. Sharif has held various leadership roles in different renowned companies. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Space Physics and a Master’s Degree in Mathematics both from the University of Houston – USA. He worked for several years as a lecturer in mathematics and statistics at the same university. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) in the USA since 1996 and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) since 1993. Besides, he also has an in-depth experience in life, health, and general insurance, and takaful. He carries an immense knowledge of strategic management consulting combined with sound actuarial background. He also has in-depth experience in launching and leading new insurance operations in different countries.
KIC has a full line of conventional and takaful insurance products for corporate and individuals covering general insurance, life insurance and money accumulation. It has more than 200 employees and 10 branches in Kuwait.
Being Driven by Achievement, Innovation and People Development
Mr. Sharif is driven by KIC’s shared values i.e. Achievement, Innovation and People Development. He mentions that the company cares for its staff, shareholders, and clients. It adheres to a set of values .
KIC’s vision is to be the fastest growing company in Kuwait and to expand geographically. It aspires to be the
company of choice for personal and commercial insurance products and services. It aims to be the fastest and the simplest in delivering its services and the most advanced in using technology. It envisions to be the company of choice for employment. All the efforts of Mr. Sami are in the direction towards achieving this goal.
KIC’s mission is to provide its clients with the most competitive products in terms of benefits, values and services, to provide its distribution channels with state-ofthe-art services , to invest on developing its staff, and to be a school of insurance and management. Besides, the company also believes in being sales-driven and in achieving its sales target. It believes in differentiating itself with innovative Products & Services, Distribution Channels, and Technology. It believes in its people to exhibit Knowledge, Leadership, and Communication & Interpersonal Skills.
Having Advantage of Experienced Staff
Talking about the challenges, Mr. Sharif shares that KIC had to deal with a challenge of political risk since the area is inflamed with many political problems that lead to some business instability in the region. Maintaining the size of the portfolio was a major challenge for KIC.
KIC is the first insurance company in Kuwait and the GCC. It has the advantage of keeping experienced staff who have been with the company for decades. Taking some of the key staff to the most advanced ways to run a business, in particular the reliance on technology, was a challenge that they enjoyed the stages to overcome it.
Being Influenced
by
Working with Great People
Mr. Sharif is an ex-consultant with McKinsey& Co. that he considers his best school. He still cherishes the days he worked for Mckinsey, the people he worked with, and the leaders that he worked under such as Mr. Dominic Barton. In addition, he has worked with people who had a great influence on him, like:
Ÿ His mathematics professor Dr. Klaus Kaiser at University of Houston.
Ÿ His space physics professor Dr. Bering at University of Houston.
Ÿ His first actuarial manager Mr. Marc Pitoniac who taught him how to survive under any work challenges.
Ÿ Mr. Abbas Khalaf, Regional president of ALICO, MEASA Region who taught him leadership.
Ÿ Mr. Barry Jacobson, President of ACE Life (now Chubb) a great leader.
Ÿ Mr. Ghazi Abu Nahl, President of Nest Investments hard work and perseverance.
Evaluating Employees Objectively and Compensating them Fairly
Mr. Sharif has created a positive environment at KIC where everyone thrives. The company strongly believes in the well-being of its employees. It strongly encourages education and pays all education expenses to its employees. Moreover, it created the first company kitchen run by a professional chef to provide daily healthy meals to its staff at minimum charges. It created a nursery at work to help mothers with baby kids, age 0-5 at no charge. It has a thorough 360 system to evaluate its employees objectively and to compensate them fairly. It established KIC academy to offer professional courses and training to its staff.
Striking a Balance between People Safety and Business Safety
When Covid-19 pandemic arrived, it had its pros and cons
on the insurance industry as a whole. However, Mr. Sharif sees more pros than cons. The way of doing business became more technology-driven, as technology is a key success factor for all industries including insurance.
AKIC puts a balance between people safety and business safety. As such, it was present and functional in its market.
Contributing to Community with Welfare Services
When it comes to giving back to the community, KIC always stands tall. On almost monthly basis, it runs different campaigns examples:
Ÿ Cleaning the beach in Kuwait
Ÿ Blood Donation campaign
Ÿ Brest cancer awareness campaign
Ÿ Diabetes awareness campaign
Being People Person and Expanding Robustly
Mr. Sharif advises aspiring and emerging CEOs in the insurance industry to work on their technical and managerial skills. He tells them to learn the essence of leadership and cultivate a healthy lifestyle. He asks them to be rough, tough, but reasonable.
Besides, he also advises them to be people person, have a large connection in industry, and to avoid arrogance and give smile to everyone.
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‘‘ ‘‘
CEO/Co-founder
Thomas A. Bock
MD,
MBA, CEO
Notable
Thomas A. Bock A Recognized
Life-Science Leader Developing a New Class of Oncology Medicines
Recent advances in science and technology have
resulted in a new era of more targeted therapies for many diseases. These advances have materialized for patients, resulting in some truly transformative treatments, thanks to the talent and dedication of the life sciences community.
Meet one such life-science leader who has developed and commercialized six lifesaving paradigm-changing blockbuster medicines in cancer, ultra-rare disorders, and inflammation, and who has built four entrepreneurial organizations that created a major impact for both patients and investors. - Thomas A. Bock, MD, MBA, and CEO at Notable.
Inspired by his work, we at Insights Success had a conversation with Thomas to know more about his journey and how Notable is transforming the way cancer is treated.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Give us a brief overview of your position at the company, and your journey since inception. I joined Notable as an Independent Board Director in 2020 and then started serving as the CEO in February 2021. At that time our company was known for our predictive technology platform developed to help physicians determine which cancer treatments are most effective for their individual patients.
Today, we are beginning to leverage Notable's leadership in predictive technology to develop cancer treatments focused on individual patients who we know will respond to a specific treatment. My role is to drive our organization to a leading precision therapeutics company by creating a new class of precision medicines – predictive precision medicines.
Please describe the technology that makes your company standout from the competition.
Notable's predictive technology combines machine learning, laboratory automation, and high throughput screening directly on patient blood samples to predict responses to therapies with a 92% accuracy. Over the past years, we created a unique and continuously growing library of optimized (out of millions of options) platform conditions and predictive data across approved and investigational cancer treatments. This enables us to focus on the most promising candidate medicines and develop them as predictive precision medicines solely in clinically responding patients. Patient by patient. Cancer by cancer.
What is your opinion on the advancements of businesses to improve their offerings with newer technological developments?
Notable represents the next generation of predictive precision medicines for patients with cancer, based on the emergence of new technology. Our platform can predict an individual's clinical response to cancer treatment from a blood sample taken before beginning treatment with a 92% accuracy. I am proud of how our proprietary technology addresses the question that matters most to patients, yet previously could not be answered: "Doctor, will this treatment work for me?"
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work culture? In what ways do you implement it at your organization?
Notable's culture extends from its core mission of redefining treatment for people with cancer. For us, the patient matters most. This means that we not only pursue transformative medical impact but also, proceed responsibly and with the sense of urgency that patients deserve. Our team is spearheading therapeutic solutions at the interface of therapeutics, diagnostics, and engineering.
Scientists, engineers, and experts from many fields work together closely and also build off of the insights and ideas from each other. They work hand in hand, peer to peer in a unique and collaborative approach. Leading this patientfocused and integrative culture is key to an innovative environment, and I believe it is because of this that we have been able to recruit and retain top talent across industries.
In what ways have you or your company contributed to the community? If given a chance, what change would you bring in creating a "community of healthy business"?
Today, most cancer treatments deliver only modest clinical response rates and fail for the majority of patients, exposing them to ineffective therapies and unnecessary side effects and toxicities. Notable's mission of delivering predictive precision medicine that works for each cancer patient, and reducing unnecessary side effects, makes an important impact for the community. These types of advances will revolutionize treatment for people with cancer.
What is the best way to meet today's/tomorrow's challenges with your company's exceptional products and services for urgent needs coming our way?
In order to create the stream of predictive medicines that patients can rely on with the urgency they deserve, it is critical that we continue to collaborate with industry partners and academia. Having developed and commercialized medicines for cancer and rare diseases for more than twenty years, I know that many medicines can deliver a huge medical impact but unfortunately only for a small subpopulation of the patients who receive them. We have created a platform that reproduces the human cancer cell microenvironment that can be used to test cancer therapies, patient by patient, with a 92% accuracy,
before they receive treatment. Thanks to our platform and its prediction accuracy (as reported by Stanford University*), we can now engage with prospective partners to co-develop and license such transformative medicines solely focused on responding patients. Patients can be confident that their treatment will work for them, and our life sciences partners benefit from a faster development speed and a higher likelihood of success.
*Source: Michael A. Spinner, …, Peter L. Greenberg; Ex vivo drug screening defines novel drug sensitivity patterns for informing personalized therapy in myeloid neoplasms. Blood Adv 2020; 4 (12): 2768–2778.
As an established CEO, what would be your advice to the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the industry?
Be able to pivot quickly to take advantage of emerging opportunities, expect bumps and detours along the way, and most importantly, stay true to your core values. When you develop products for patients, proceed with extra urgency and care.
How do you envision sustaining your company's competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of Security? Where do you see yourself and the company in the next five years?
Part of our integrative culture is to be externally focused and equally seize opportunities and address challenges with the best possible approaches. Challenges make us stronger and will expedite our vision of delivering a stream of predictive precision medicine and redefining the standard of care, always ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients. Patient by patient. Disease by disease.
Each patient is notable and can benefit from a predictive precision medicine that works for them. “ “
The Break from the ORTHODOX LEADERSHIP
There is a saying, "become the best version of
ourselves." Well, what does it take to become one? It is the break from the ordinary, challenging orthodox thinking, and coming out as the best version of ourselves. It applies the same in leadership; today, it is the break from orthodox leadership, which we need with innovative ideas. What else follows in the journey of a leader? Let's have a look through this article.
Long-lasting Leadership
The will to learn new things by collaborating with the experts of that particular field expands the knowledge of the business leaders. While we may agree that everyone's journey in life is different, it follows you till the end once you choose. But the end goal is to make an impact in the life of others, be it in the form of business, sports, politics, entertainment, or any other niche. And, when it comes to business, there is a position where assisting, motivating, and impacting the lives of others is the responsibility of the business leader - CEO. The decisions taken by a CEO can have a huge impact on the organization's life and the people.
The CEO Ingredients
When we speak about the CEO, what are the must-have qualities to watch out for? The primary aspect comes from knowing to solve the problems of the employees and the company. The team's support helps the CEO in critical times and without a team player, one cannot succeed in business or any other field. The rest of the qualities comes from maintaining a culture that is worth inspiring and following.
The CEO is the most appropriate and responsible person for meeting the needs of the employees and the company. The ideas, decisions, and culture set by the CEO make the company shine in every situation. He/she is involved in every management decision and is the person who understands the clients and the employee's needs. He/she
also acts as a mediator who digs deep into every problem of all the company levels, as the CEO is involved in several meetings right from the employee to the company growth. There is no single decision taken without a CEO; as a matter of fact, he/she is the face of the management.
There is a lot of value for integrity in the life of a CEO because you have to provide honest recommendations and instruction in every part of the organization. Additionally, being aware of the market updates and know-how comes naturally, as you got to be the best in business for the team and the company. Lastly, promoting inclusivity and diversity in the organization makes the organization a place to thrive.
Where are we Now and the Future
Today, we see more intelligent CEOs with a positive and fresh approach entering the business arena, breaking the trend of orthodox leadership. With their innovative thinking, companies are resulting in more innovative practices. The CEO is bringing the transformation and successfully meeting all the expectations from the clients to the employees. Ultimately, only living up to these values can bring the overall transformation in the industry.
The journey of the CEO is no doubt challenging but looking at the results, it is all worthy in the end. In a world full of transformation, it is best to balance both technology and compassion. It will lead us all to a better future, where we as humans can nurture and progress even more, making the world a better place to live for us all.
Lastly, with this, let's all hope that we live a life full of compassion and kindness whatever time we have on earth. After all, it should not always be about the business and profit but also about creating a world of opportunities, where all the people feel included. And, being a CEO, it becomes his/her role to lead all such people with the best skillset.
Thomas P. Shivers CEO and President
Partners
FourStone
Thomas Shivers
A Relentless Leader with a Progressive Approach
Relentless leaders set directions to make ideas into reality. They focus on producing ideas that have practical implications for them. What makes them stand out from the rest is their ability to listen to their team and recognize the effectiveness of their offerings. One such pioneer of relentless leadership is Thomas P. Shivers , who has been consistently recognized as an industry leader for his constant focus on results, accountability, and practical application.
With over 25 years of executive and entrepreneurial experience in the workers’ compensation managed care marketplace, Tom has been instrumental in shaping the industry. As the CEO and President at FourStone Partners , he has created a unique consulting firm that has been widely praised for its innovation, effectiveness, and efficiency.
We, at Insights Success, caught up with Tom to unveil his entrepreneurial journey and how FourStone Partners is optimizing the performance of businesses.
An Entrepreneurial Journey
Tom founded FourStone as a startup that has now grown into a national organization. The firm started without any private equity money; FourStone has been self-funded since its inception.
Along the way, Tom has met great people and great clients who, in one way or another, have contributed a tremendous
amount of learning experience for him. It has been an incredible journey for Tom, and there is yet more to come.
The Values that Optimize Performance
FourStone has continued its expertise in the workers’ compensation industry and commercializing healthcare products with a unique approach. Tom has centered FourStone around practical application and collaboration. He focuses his time and attention on practical application that helps clients maximize their opportunities based on what truly works and develops implementable and actionable strategies.
Tom believes in less theory and more practical actions. In his opinion, what differentiates FourStone from its competitors is that it provides its clients with impactful strategies and then executes them on their behalf.
Sculpting Strong Leadership
From the perspective of Tom, impactful leadership is collaborative in nature, and it is also never asking anyone to do anything that you won't do yourself. A leader needs to be accountable for the decisions of his or her team.
The personal philosophy of Tom is 'everybody in the room is the smartest person in the room based on the subject.' He implements the same at FourStone. This way, the best idea wins, no matter who creates that idea. This allows people to be at their best selves without any fear and express their
We are a high energy, high intensity, results driven organization that fully engages with our clients to optimize performance. ‘‘ ‘‘
point of view, thoughts, and ideas on the subject. At some point, these ideas and can be embraced and moved forward. Overall, this empowers people to feel free and not be afraid to make mistakes. This approach will unlock their maximum potential in the long term.
In addition, Tom also believes that humility is an essential trait for a leader. A CEO should be open to new ideas and understand that every colleague brings their knowledge to the business. It is crucial to be able to listen. On the flip side of being a humble leader is being relentless in pursuing goals and success.
Tom says, “I've got a team of employees that count on me to be very good at my job. So, I have to be really good at my job for them. And I feel like one of the traits that I have that has allowed me to succeed is that sort of relentlessness and tenacity. If you combine that with humility and behaving honorably, I think it creates a nice culture. And I think the culture at our firm is something we're very proud of.”
A Healthy Work Culture
When asked about maintaining positive work culture at FourStone, Tom says, “I don't think you can overvalue a positive work environment and a positive work culture. I think it's incredibly paramount to the success of a firm long term. We take an immense amount of pride in the culture that we have.”
The culture at FourStone is collaborative, competitive, and family-oriented that prioritizes performance and taking care of each other. The culture is also based upon practical application; the team at the firm treats themselves like they treat its clients. There isn't any theory, esoteric, unquantifiable sort of mission or goal. When people bring ideas to the table for the firm or the clients, they have to be based on practical application, focusing on real world solutions that can be tracked and managed.
Tom and his team are fearless and tenacious when implementing new things. They aren't afraid to quickly make educated decisions to roll out new products and enhance existing products. They work collaboratively, both internally and with their clients and other constituents. The team takes much pride in how they present themselves to one another and their clients and industry.
The Highs and Lows of Pandemic
FourStone managed to survive and experience a slight growth during the pandemic because of its diversified portfolio. Some of its products and services did suffer, but some of them could maintain and grow.
Culturally, the pandemic affected FourStone the most as everyone had to undergo a remote work culture. The company implemented some virtual models for some of its products and services in a brief timeframe. It also meant to
trust the team to do the right thing and work the right way.
Fortunately, Tom has spent much time on hiring based upon character. This helped the firm when it went remote and had to do things differently overnight; the hiring philosophy proved successful as the entire team adjusted remarkably well.
Tom opines that it was crucial to adapt to the circumstances. The performance of the company in many ways has exceeded expectations. In fact, some of the FourStone Team will continue to work from home post-pandemic.
Technological Aspects to Move Ahead
Technology has played such an incredible role in the evolution of how companies function during this pandemic, and Tom doesn't think that's ever going to roll itself back. It will get more important moving forward.
Heading Into New Horizon
Tom has an absolute vision of organic growth, which is a challenging road, and he thinks in the future FourStone will also grow through acquisition. The company is actively looking at some potential acquisition targets. The firm would also like to diversify and expand the services that it offers to its clients.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
In his advice to upcoming entrepreneurs, Tom says, “Be absolutely relentless in your pursuit of success. Listen to people who know more than you, surround yourself with the best team that you can find that has complementary skills to yours, and allow them full opportunity to help grow the company with their own expertise and spirit.”