The Most Influential Women to Watch in 2019

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VOL 6 JUNE-2019

ISSUE 5

The Most

Influential

Women to Watch in 2019

EDITOR’S DESK EDITOR’S DESK

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f there’s anything that gives me the credibility to write for and about women, it is the exponential amount of inspiration I receive from them on a daily basis. I’ve been acquainted to, worked with, been friends with and shared ambitions with a considerable amount of women. Women who’ve striven to make ends meet, women who’ve built their dreams brick by brick, women who’ve always taken the game to the next level, and women who’re unhesitant to pull up their sleeves, tie up their hair and say, “Let’s do this!” I’ve had the privilege of crossing roads with all such significant women.

However, one thing that has both intrigued and fascinated me every single time is that they never give up. The level of determination, the unwavering passion towards their professions, and the unfathomable dedication they show to anything they have at hand, is impeccable.

Robotics: Simplifying and Safeguarding Saf Safeguar ding the Human uman Lif Life

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN INSPIRATION

The most evident example to explain my sudden burst of excitement and the relevance of the aforementioned aspects is that of the women featured in this edition.

To read their stories, to understand their dreams and ambitions, to acknowledge their contributions and to exhibit all of this has been nothing short of an honor for us at Insights Success.

Amongst this list of The Most Influential Women to Watch in 2019, Jenny Lin, the COO of CMIC, Inc. features as our cover story. With approximately 25 years of professional experience in executive/lab

management, bioanalytical and analytical laboratory operations in support of drug research and discovery, pre-clinical and clinical drug development and a plethora of other spheres of expertise, Jenny has acquired a place in the list of exceptional women who’re making a difference in the business world.

Jenny has been a selected member for Global Bioanalysis Consortium (GBC), making recommendations for global Bioanalysis harmonization. She serves as an editorial board member for peer reviewed journal and chair for international conference. She has authored and co-authored more than 30 publications, white papers and presentations. She is also the inventor of 7 issued US patents.

Jenny earned her BS in Analytical Chemistry at Peking University and her MS in Medicinal Chemistry at University of Connecticut. Jenny is a member of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), American Chemical Society (ACS), National Association of Professional Woman (NAPW) and Global CRO Council (GCC).

The edition also features other influential and inspirational women who’ve contributed to the world and strive every day to make it a better place.

Also, make sure to scroll through the CXO standpoints of some of the leading industry experts to have a brief taste of the sector. Bon Appetite!

Abhishaj Sajeev Abhishaj Sajeev

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JANE ADSHEAD-GRANT INSTILLING LEADERSHIP, INSPIRING CHANGE

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MARINA TOGNETTI

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Cover Story

JENNY LIN

REDEFINING BENCHMARKS IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS

CONNECTING THE WORLD AND MAKING IT A BETTER PLACE

ALYSSA KIMURA AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF RISING BEYOND DISCRIMINATION

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VICTORIA LENNOX LEADING A GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION

ARTICLE

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IMPARTING WISDOM SUCCESSFUL PERSONALITY TRAITS TO LEARN FROM ELON MUSK

CXO

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MAESTRO’S INSIGHTS

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ASSERTIVE LEADERSHIP: TIPS FOR MILLENNIAL WOMEN IN BUSINESS

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A LEADER’S TOUCHPOINT

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PAYING IT FORWARD!

UNBIASED FUTURE

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ESTABLISHING GENDER EQUILIBRIUM

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STELLAR’S VISION SUCCESS IN THE VENTURE WORLD

INTEGRATED APPROACH

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HOW TO DO YOUR BEST WORK WHEN YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY WORKING! MAINTAINING A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE BALANCE

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Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Senior Editor Anish Miller Managing Editor Abhishaj Sajeev Executive Editor Stella Andrew Contributing Editors Upama, Ryan Visualiser David King Art & Design Head Amol Kamble Art & Design Assistant Mayur Koli Co-designer Paul Belin Art & Picture Editor Sapana Shinde Business Development Manager Jennifer Winget Marketing Manager Mary D’souza Business Development Executive Joseph, Sherin Sales Executives Kevin, Alice, Vrushali Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head Pratiksha Patil Technical Consultants Amar, David, Robert Digital Marketing Manager Alina Sege Assistant Digital Marketing Manager Prashant Chevale SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Uma Research Analyst Eric Smith Circulation Manager Tanaji sales@insightssuccess.com

June, 2019 Corporate Ofce Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com

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Jenny Lin COO & Board Director

Cover Story

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ision, Courage, Integrity, Focus, and Humility are the founding stones of a business leader. These are the words of someone who falls in line with what we at Insights Success would undoubtedly designate as a visionary. This is Jenny Lin, the Chief Operating Officer and Board Director at CMIC, Inc. With approximately 25 years of professional experience in executive/lab management, bioanalytical and analytical laboratory operations in support of drug research and discovery, pre-clinical and clinical drug development and a plethora of other spheres of expertise, Jenny has acquired a place in the list of exceptional women who’re making a difference in the business world.

Ascending Zeniths of Success When asked about her opinion on how the changes in technology utilization, volatility of the market and talent recognition, affect the overall development of any business/organization Jenny asserts that, as ever rapid technology innovation and as a service provider, a CRO (Contract Research Organization) must be responsive and ‘ride ahead of the curve.’ For decades, analytical/Bioanalytical testing has played a critical role at multiple stages of drug development.

Jenny has been a selected member for Global Bioanalysis Consortium (GBC), making recommendations for global Bioanalysis harmonization. She serves as an editorial board member for peer reviewed journal and chair for international conference. She has authored and co-authored more than 30 publications, white papers and presentations.

She is also the inventor of 7 issued US patents.

Pharmaceutical companies have to perform a comprehensive battery of tests to ensure product quality, safety, efficacy, purity and stability through qualitative and quantitative characterization of their compounds. These insights are vital in shaping and facilitating the long journey from identifying drug targets and mechanisms, through formulation development, manufacturing, preclinical and clinical trials, and on to regulatory submission, market entry and beyond.

Jenny earned her BS in Analytical Chemistry at Peking University and her MS in Medicinal Chemistry at University of Connecticut. Jenny is a member of the American Society of Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), American Chemical Society (ACS), National Association of Professional Woman (NAPW) and Global CRO Council (GCC).

With unrelenting pressure to enhance the speed, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of drug discovery and development, CRO companies need to be confident that their analytical/Bioanalytical testing is not only tailored to these translational goals, but fit for purpose, and delivers added value in an environment in which scientific innovation, commercial imperatives and unmet patient needs are rapidly transforming the drug-development paradigm.

Sustaining Excellence CMIC, Inc. delivers its Bioanalysis services in four distinct areas—small and large molecule, biomarkers, and oligonucleotides—in an agile and flexible manner. The company has been carrying along the heritage that it built in Japan by including craftsmanship and spirit in its business. Built in that way, it has ensured that its talents are diligently trained, and every system and detail would reciprocate into high-quality data. The company has invested energy and time to offer a top-notch lab environment and work execution. While on the small molecule side, CMIC delivers accuracy and flexibility across multiple platforms including LC-MS/MS, UHPLC-UV, and UHPLC-FLDR just to name a few.

For large molecule, the company’s tool-box contains the latest bioanalytical technologies such MSD, ELISA, NGS and qPCR providing versatility for a sponsor’s programs. For Biomarkers, CMIC supports a range of projects from exploratory research to fully validated assays covering pre-clinical and clinical studies. It routinely develops robust in-house assays using vendor supplied high quality antibodies which are either singleplex or multiplex in design. It also supports various studies for oligonucleotide-based drugs including qualification, full method validation, and GLP sample analysis studies. CMIC has partnered with recognized global leaders in RNA-targeted discoveries and have successfully validated nearly 100 individual leading compounds that steer CMIC, Inc. ahead from the other competition in the marketplace.

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Jenny states that talent management and talent development are key elements of CMIC. Both the terms are not just a simple human resource key phrases, but a part of the business strategy to stay committed to hire, engage, motivate and develop the most talented and excellent employees in the industry. “People always are the most important assets of any business,” Jenny emphasizes.

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Jenny’s strategy of continually up-scaling CMIC’s market competency includes constantly improving and gaining better understanding of sponsor’s needs, being flexible and being sensitive to global market trends/demands, and being agile in implementation. Jenny says that the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries are increasingly adopting novel, “one of the kind” and science-led approaches to improve the efficiency of drug discovery and development.

Jenny is of the opinion that drug research and development parading is switching from traditional small molecule therapeutics to others such as Biologics, Oligonucleotides and Biomarkers. Novel strategies and technologies are leading to considerable improvements in the ability of non-clinical safety studies and faster development cycle into human clinical trials. “As CROs, we need to focus on not only building solid talent pools, but introduce new technologies and closely monitor ever changing regulatory requirements and in compliance with global standards,” states Jenny.

Surpassing Challenges According to Jenny, the most prominent challenge for women in the business world is balancing business and family life.

Jenny is of the belief that with dual responsibilities to businesses and to

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When it comes to encouraging women to take up more of leadership positions, Jenny emphasizes the importance of never stop learning; keep developing necessary knowledge and skills; maintaining positive attitudes and focus; Valuing team success and preparing self (never a believer of glass ceiling); not being afraid to take on additional responsibilities; and Conscientiousness.

Beholding Prominence In her advice to the aspiring and already emerging influential leaders, Jenny says, “Do not be afraid of being stereotyped. There will always be obstacles and failures, man or woman.

Believe in yourself. If you know that you are doing the right thing, be persistent. It is also critical to understand big pictures, value team success and be conscientiousness.”

Talking about her prospective future, Jenny says, “You always grow when the business grows.” Her primary focus is still business. Her goals are to support globalization of CMIC’s business, making it more diverse and robust, a place where the company’s talents can enjoy and contribute, and a leading Bioanalytical CRO that its sponsors would fully trust and truly like to partner with.

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families, finding ways to devote time to both can be challenging at times.

However, she does think that the culture of work is shifting to allow women more flexibility, which is a welcoming change.

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The Most

Influential

Women to Watch in 2019

Adshead-Grant

Instilling Leadership, Inspiring Change

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e often idolize those, who are in a position where being influential and inspirational is evident. Seldom do we comprehend or try to fathom the immense amount of effort, sheer dedication, unwavering commitment and a prolonged strife that person had to endure to reach there.

When it comes to considering or acknowledging women on such positions, why do the aforesaid requirements become tenfold? Even though the gender gap pertaining to pay and position is being fought against, it still lies dormant and is evidently becoming a hurdle for women with significant potential.

To seek and bring into spotlight, such women who’ve successfully overcome barriers of biases, misogyny, baseless gender pay gaps and many others, and have redefined benchmarks in their respective work spheres, is what this issue, The Most Influential Women to Watch, 2019, aims at.

In this endeavor, we came across a plethora of women who’ve built businesses from scratch and shouldered the foundations of organizations, and dedicated their personal and professional lives to make the world a better place. One amongst such profound and prolific women is Jane Adshead-Grant, an Executive Coach, a Facilitator, and a Speaker.

Jane Adshead-Grant Executive Coach, Facilitator & Speaker

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Jane’s journey began at 20 years of age after she left secretarial college and entered the workplace. With the caring leadership of Francesca, PA to the Chief Executive of an International Investment Bank, Jane learned what it took to be a professional, to care about the people she worked for, and to care about the work she did.

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I imagine a world where we treat “each other with dignity, where we

listen first and give our attention, to others and the present moment to enjoy the best quality life.

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She was inspired to develop, to learn more and to seek out opportunities, but not in a way one would imagine. She left her job after 3 years, rented out her flat and bought a ticket to travel the world and for the following 14 months, travelled the world. She met some amazing people, had some fun and meaningful jobs, and learned loads. It changed her life. It changed how she connected with people. This experience taught her about culture, difference, appreciation, connection, hard work, living out of one’s comfort zone, resourcefulness and resilience.

After she became a mother of two children, Jane set up her leadership coaching practice and continued with her journey. With the responsibility of her motherhood on her shoulders, taking a post graduate diploma in psychological coaching and developing her business meant that she had to make sacrifices.

She continually juggled priorities, continued to learn from her mistakes and continued to grow her skills and experience.

Today, Jane is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation; one of just 4% at this level globally. She was awarded ‘Best Executive Coach in South East England in 2016 and 2017’.

“I am fortunate that my practice continues to grow year on year where I have the privilege of working with some incredible clients; those who are keen to develop people-centric leadership and cultures to grow themselves and their people to grow their business,” Jane expresses.

Jane’s current and former clients work within Deloitte, Columbia Threadneedle,

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Rothschild, Unilabs, Bank of Montreal, Punter Southall, KPMG, Charles Russel Speechley, MunichRe and the 5th largest Housing Group in the UK. Redefining Leadership Jane is of the opinion that the role and responsibility of leadership is critical not only for business but also for team members, customers, and our communities, in fact all stakeholders in business.

“I believe as a leader it begins with you, how you see and accept yourself,” states Jane. She considers that without this clarity one may be more susceptible to being distracted, taken off course even, and following routes that don’t fit with where one wants to go and feel like their confidence is being eroded.

“Understanding who you are as a leader is to think about your values, your unique capabilities, what you stand for, and knowing why you do what you do is critical,” adds Jane.

The vital attributes according to Jane that make outstanding leaders, include their capacity to care about all stakeholders, have courage; willing to be vulnerable and who seek to create value not just for the business itself but for team members, the community, the markets within which they operate and the impact on the environment.

Delivering Distinction When it comes to working with clients, as a coach, Jane’s approach is to generate their own independent thinking to solve their own issues and challenges and create their own opportunities. In this way, Jane believes that value is self-generated, deep seated, transformative and owned by her clients, rather than being dependent upon her ideas.

As a leadership facilitator, Jane helps leaders, teams and organisations create cultures that grow people and

performance in harmony. Where individuals feel connected to the organisational purpose, where teams have a voice in how they work together in service of their goals, where leaders build trust and grow their team members recognising both who they are and what they do as human beings, rather than solving their problems for them and seeing them simply as a function.

Creating More Leaders In her recommendation to the emerging generation of leaders and influencers, Jane says, “Invest in a mentor inside or outside of your organisation and learn from them. Observe the behaviours in leaders who have the greatest positive impact and witness how they are being and what they are doing. What questions do they ask? How do they listen? What do they care about? What or who inspires them? What legacy do they want to create? And then, begin to develop your own brand of leadership. One that is true to you and one that is in alignment with your values.”

A prominent question that Jane would invite aspiring business women to think about is, if they knew they couldn’t fail what would they do now? She encourages women to trust in their unique qualities, capitalise on their strengths and seek out others to who will mitigate their less developed capabilities.

Jane believes that every day she learns something for her own personal or professional development. She envisions her future together with her husband, inspiring their two teenage daughters, producing a second edition of her book ‘Are you Listening or Just Waiting to Speak?’ and contributing more to her local community.

Jane also envisions inspiring others to develop cultures where everybody matters through her coaching, in-person and online training programs and open workshops.

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Co-founder

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Maestro’s Insights

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omen in business have come a long way since Katharine Graham, the first female to lead a Fortune 500 company, assumed the role of Washington Post CEO back in 1972. Here in Australia, women now comprise 42% of all employees and more than 30% of all business owner-managers. In the large Australian corporations, the story is quite different; women hold the reins at only 10% of today’s companies and 14 of our Top 200 firms.

The data suggest that it’s becoming more difficult for women to make the jump from key executive to chief executive. Macquarie Group founder Mark Johnson believes it might take another 20 years for the scales to tip again in our favour. It’s the story of many of today’s women CEOs. Being Chameleon-in-Chief As a founder of the Australian company WeTeachMe, I can’t say I agree with Mark. After all, today’s world and business climate look nothing like they did 20 or 30 years ago. I hope that my own story will inspire courage and pave the way for others to create businesses that will create value, especially for other women.

Before founding WeTeachMe, I had barely just arrived in Australia from Greece, to complete my masters in global media communications at The University of Melbourne. I had no background in business, and some may say I had no “business” entering into the arena of entrepreneurship. And yet, through sheer grit and desire to pursue our passion for education, my team and I grew WeTeachMe into the largest school in Australia, with thousands of classes available and even more learners enrolling every day.

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Has my journey always been easy? Far from it. A lot is expected from an expat like me. Or from any woman in business, for that matter. If we want to get promoted at work, we need to appear assertive, confident, and even dominant. We become chameleons and adjust our behaviour, according to what the situation requires, as we navigate our way from the war room to the board room.

How to Be an Assertive Leader Below, I share some lessons I’ve learned along the way, to help other young women navigate the different challenges and demands that a leadership role requires. To be more confident and decisive but also constructive and empowering, incorporate these five habits into your daily conversations and interactions, and learn how to fine-tune your ability to adapt.

Listen for cues. To be a good leader, at times, you will need to be a psychologist, a counsellor, an expert, a sister, a mentor, a friend. At WeTeachMe, I have worked in sales and in marketing. Both roles required me to master the art of active listening and hone my ability to quickly read the room. To be aware of what a customer or stakeholder is thinking or feeling is crucial to building trust and rapport, and helps foster the creation of long-term business relationships.

Mind what you say, and also how you say it.

Assertiveness doesn’t mean being overbearing or abrasive.

Be direct and communicate respectfully so that the other person can focus on what you’re saying, instead of how you’re saying it. Getting the message across is half the battle.

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Express ideas from your own point of view.

Starting your sentences with “I” can spell a world of difference. Instead of saying “you’re not listening”, put it in your own words: “I think what you’re saying is...” Rather than instructing someone to “work this way” say “I’d like your help with...” Convey your feelings and let your empathy come through.

Photographer: Nathalie Saruhashi

Learn how to say no. In the early years of WeTeachMe, I wore multiple hats. Most days, I took on more responsibility than was physically possible. Because that’s what a founder does; you go above and beyond the call of duty. From cold calling one minute to providing customer support the next, juggling tasks requires flawless execution. As WeTeachMe grew, I had to give up some of my hats. This was not an easy lesson to learn!

Today, with a better understanding of the value of focus, I pick three important things to accomplish every day and then, delegate the rest.

Maintain a professional demeanour. If you’re entering into a negotiation, present your case with confidence, without getting argumentative or emotional. Create a winwin situation for everyone, and they will see you, not as an adversary, but as a partner.

Leadership That Inspires Being in business is not always about cutthroat competition, winning at everything, and having it all; it’s also, if not more, about creating personal connections and nurturing the relationships that get us to where we are.

In and out of the workplace, we need to be effective and diplomatic, not just goaloriented. Lead through trust and respect, not through fear. Teach, don’t micromanage. And never stop learning.

Leadership is about having the ability to influence those around us, to rally everyone around a shared vision, to inspire people, and to get those who follow us excited to come to work day after day.

Leadership means celebrating our victories.

But it’s also about forgiving ourselves for our failures, because that is how we become wiser and better. Failing is the best way to learn, and a good leader never stops learning.

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egends never need an introduction. They tend to be victorious despite of their uneventful histories. They stick to captivating traits such as Discipline, determination and self-belief which help them accomplish wonders in the long run. One such example of an extraordinary person is Elon Musk, a South African Business Magnate, Investor and an engineer.

Musk is the founder, CEO, and chief architect of SpaceX; Co-founder, CEO, and product designer of Tesla Inc.; and Co-founder and CEO of Neuralink. As of February 2018, he is the 53rd-richest person in the world and has a net worth of $20.8 billion, which is far more than the net GDP of Greece taken into consideration.

While each entrepreneur possesses a unique set of traits that makes him/her successful, this Tech founder has a few traits much different from any other ordinary CEO, which has allowed him to build some of the world’s most respected and innovative organizations. Musk once quoted, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”

Let’s have a look on these personality attributes and characteristics that make him a contender for the most innovative intellectual entrepreneur of the century alive.

Hard-work and Characteristic Work Ethics Elon Musk is a hard-working innovator, working for about 100 hours a week, and has been productive since many years. He may even be considered as the hardest working 22

employee of the company, setting standards for his colleagues to follow and implement. Since the field of work lies inside his radius of interests, he enjoys it to every moment and bit when it comes to learning and execution.

Strong Risk Tolerance Founding a start-up involves a great deal of uncertainty and risk. A study found that after 10 years of being in business, 96 percent of the start-ups fail. Going by the statistics, Musk must have faced the same odds against him, when he had decided to leave an otherwise comfortable life to start a risky and uncertain business venture.

For instance, Musk left his PhD program at Stanford University to find a company called Zip2 with his brother in the year 1995. Later, the company was sold to Compaq computers, profiting Musk a bit over $20 million.

Following this, Musk once again took a great risk by investing millions of dollars to found a company called X.com, one of the world’s first online banks.

‘Always Be Learning’ Attitude An astounding and less-known fact about Elon Musk is that he is self-taught in programming and in many advanced level subjects. He read and understood a variety of books, which helped him gain endless and persistent knowledge and understand diverse concepts.

The best piece of advice on learning and implementation is to constantly think about how things could be done in a better manner and question self to seek the answers. |June 2019|

Imparting Wisdom

Feedback Loop It is of prime importance to recognize the present symbol or otherwise ‘status quo’ in the market as an organization and re-position accordingly. Musk solicits constant feedback of the companies and executes ‘self-analysis.’ He induces efforts and divergent strategies to improve customer feedbacks and strives towards perfectionism.

For example, he seeks out his critics and tries to converse with them. This habit of self-reflection at regular and considerable periods is pivotal for any entrepreneur or organization to succeed in the long run.

Tendency for Vertical Integration Vertical integration is a strategy where an organization or a firm acquires business operations within the same product vertical. Both Tesla and SpaceX embrace this concept. For example, Tesla not only produces electric cars; they also generate public awareness about their cars via Tesla showrooms across various countries. And SpaceX does not only have the primary goal of rocket propulsions; they develop their own rocket architecture as well.

Faith in Self and the Founding Team Musk undoubtedly possesses a profound belief in his own capabilities as well as the potential-seeking factor of its founding team. He does not hesitate to gamble on large scale unless he is genuinely aware of the expected endresults.

large scale organization. Under his supervision, Musk encourages in creating a positive and comprehensive environment across his firms.

Preferring to Stand Out From the Crowd Musk elects to bring up innovation at every level of his understanding. He tends to impart theoretical knowledge at the base level, applying changes and executing the same on the practical level. He relies more on transitional aspects such as research and development, thereby increasing the probability of ground-breaking inventions.

Tesla Motors, a far headed firm headed by Elon Musk, is anti-ordinary. Its compelling marketplace has become a one-stop destination for potential buyers where they can interact about product specifications. They also have video testimonials that far outperform in the sales-dominated industry.

There is no ambiguity that Musk, by far, has been a pillar of inspiration for budding entrepreneurs and investors because of his prolific and optimistic approach towards life All these traits possessed by Musk, in some manner or the other, coincide with most of your habits. The only thing that stands as a potential barrier between these two is identifying your strengths and working on them on a continual basis. Go on, apply these traits into your daily life, and you may become the next big CEO the world is in need of today!

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A Leader’s Touchpoint

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ever do a deal with a bad person” quoting my idol Warren Buffett, is exactly the sentiment I have used to ground my career, companies, teams and personal relationships. Although my wealth or success cannot measure up to Warren Buffett as yet, it has been a great adventure over an aggressive 10 years since leaving university. To be honest, my ambition far outweighs my talent – yet, since the age of 7 I have been a go-getter, overachiever and outright nerd. This attitude of abundant success enabled by a steadfast work-ethic and tirelessly creative mind, has provided for countless opportunities both in South Africa and abroad in top firms. I have been very fortunate to work with great teams, companies and leaders.

However, initially geared with a millennial expectation to walk into a dream job. With my BCom and two Master degrees (one from Stellenbosch University of South Africa in Economics - Maritime and the second in Corporate Finance & Law from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University), I was surprised when, as many others, I started as a glorified filing clerk and a small basic salary. I also took extreme steps of courage to venture into a bank with no appointment to see Human Resources after months of tedious online, nosuccess job applications. This reality quickly brought me back to humble ground whilst being a good reminder that we all need to start somewhere, and work for it!

Be relentless After earning my stripes and proving my excel modelling capabilities in “not my job description” extra efforts, I was promoted from mundane KYC (know you customer) client services of HSBC bank to analyst, the role I had hoped I would have secured initially. Thereafter I survived the intense and challenging interview process of management consultancy firms Mckinsey and Boston Consulting Group, nearly failing the final case study at BCG due to pure exhaustion of 18 hour banking days, finishing a thesis and studying for CFA. Fortunately, partner Stefano Niavas had compassion and gave me a second chance. Needless to say, I then embarked on a journey of development, growth and exploration as a consultant. I was fortunate enough to work with leading teams, executives, brands in Africa and Switzerland improving processes, unlocking savings and

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was prevalent. It is estimated that ±30% of total transport costs can be reduced by reducing empties with significant environmental positive impact too. This mismatch in demand for space and supply thereof burdened me, and I decided to find a better solution. I started developing an algorithm, similar to online dating, to better match cargo to space moving in a direction. This algorithm paired with an innovative platform-driven business model enabled by digital was the creation of the EmptyTrips platform. Since launching the enterprise orientated marketplace in April 2017, we have won numerous accolades, persuaded clients to try new things, and systematically changed the way big goliath companies think of innovation and technology.

innovating business models. Although many question the value consultants bring to companies, I have never doubted the impact our projects brought to management via enabling a clearer strategy and often enabling them to shine as rockstars.

Check your own pulse In 2016, after an emotional December of disappointment and over-ambition, I resigned from BCG and joined a niche strategy and investment firm named Singular Group. At Singular, under the mentorship of Lorenzo Tencati I was given immense autonomy with the taste of entrepreneurship and a health scare. Within 6 months I resigned to attempt to launch a platform I believed could create purposeful impact paired with profits in a legacy driven industry calling out for disruption; logistics.

Be bold During my consulting years and on many holidays, the topic of inflated transport costs to absorb the empty haul

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Make a plan, and then have fun To fund an idea was harder than I expected. I always say that the economy of ideas is thriving, yet the currency of execution is feeble. As such, we endeavored to prove we had the execution capability, and not just a great idea. To fund the journey, I relied on the one skill I trusted in, strategy consulting. Being a creative that is deliverable orientated often ensured that executives enjoyed working with me on their goals, company strategy or even simply independently sound-boarding. Seedpitch Innovation Consultancy was created to fund Emptytrips through its development phase until we could earn revenues to “bootstrap”, grow and then attempt to raise venture capital.

VC is not a strategy, it is a tactic to growth after all.

To date Seedpitch has assisted executives across Mauritius, Dubai, Saudi, Kenya, Tanzania, Switzerland and South Africa to recalibrate growth strategies, and operational turnarounds. It has been daunting juggling two roles, but I have fun doing it with such a winning feeling when I see a client succeed off a practical but bold roadmap we developed together.

Aspire to share EmptyTrips foundation principle is filling spaces to places, this is only possible by enterprise sharing of data (securely) and asset capacity of course. Personally, the concept of the sharing economy goes beyond that of the platform. I have been so fortunate over the past 10 years to learn, grow, travel, build, launch, fail and win. Teachings I willingly share with those who ask for help. Sharing is caring, I can only encourage all of us to “pay it forward”.

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f it is a woman holding the torch while leading you to glory, follow her without a doubt; she knows the path like the back of her hand.”

Have you seen the shooting digits over the number of women who’ve entered STEM throughout the past forty years?

Do you know how much of a colossally positive effect that has had on the global economy? Does the biological strength-rational decision making comparison barrier still exist at your workplace? These questions do create friction which may eventually lead to debatable consequences, albeit their evident occurrence.

But the most prominent question remains. Have you come across women who have built empires from scratch on the foundations of passion, acknowledgement, and grit? If not, we at Insights Success would be more than obliged to place the spotlight on Marina Tognetti, the Founder of mYngle and an avid tech entrepreneur.

Her passion for entrepreneurship was conceived when working as consultant on a project on internet strategy. That is when she first saw the potential of internet to disrupt industries and forever change the way people buy, sell and interact. “I had to be part of that!

That was the driver to start an innovative company as mYngle, as I knew I could make a real difference, putting in practice all I had learned in my career till then,” Marina expresses.

With mYngle she received a myriad of 28

international recognitions for her contribution as a woman in technology.

While defining the attributes which a true business leader should possess, Marina asserts emphasis on having a strong vision, to set the direction and anticipate and navigate challenges, which also means being able to think out of the box.

Being able to adapt and change to keep the business successful, considering the speed of technological advancement and a greater degree of uncertainty in the world, must also be the attributes of an influential leader. A leader must be bold at taking calculated risks while comprehending the fact that great and unforeseen opportunities come from taking risks.

An Experts Insight When it comes to catching up with the pace at which technological disruptions occur, market volatility and the acknowledgement of prompt talent recognition, Marina has a foolproof strategy for everything. She says that being agile while catering to one’s business operations is paramount.

Pertaining to this, mYngle has been able to secure its position as one of the leaders in its segment by being diligent to build solid principles, work processes, and a team that has the capability and the will to change and adapt according to its constantly evolving surroundings.

Marina states that being agile requires

developing people that think and not just do ‘jobs’, employees that are entrepreneurs. In order to achieve that, the organization must be able to stimulate a culture of experimentation, trial and error, allowing mistakes. She is also of the opinion that evolution and innovation cannot happen without taking risks, and rarely without error along the way.

Marina strongly believes that the key to success is not constantly comparing with competition, but aligning with what customers want. Constant focus on customers and their needs is one of mYngle’s pillars and key strengths she says and suggests that this is particularly important when one is in an industry like that of online education, is in a transition or evolution phase, where the primary challenge is not competition but the unfamiliarity or inexperience of customers.

A Sensible Solution Marina states that for women, the path towards the top is not a straight line. It is not a glass ceiling that blocks their path just before the last step. It’s a labyrinth. She believes that women get lost somewhere along the way. “We need to help women navigating through the twists and turns, and give them the confidence that they can do it,” she expresses.

This requires mentors to guide them as well as role models that are closer by, changing the way a job gets evaluated |June 2019|

and cherishing a new style of leadership, that is more feminine and more inclusive, says Marina. “A strong leader is not that without faults, as we all have faults, but that which is so self-confident to be able to show her vulnerabilities without fearing that it could impact her strength. I believe this can be the strength of a female leader,” she adds.

Bequeathing the Keys of Excellence In her advice to forthcoming generation of leaders and entrepreneurs, Marina states, “First, do not be afraid of taking risks. In order to grow, you have to step out of your comfort zone. You can never make the path completely safe.

And you will never know unless you try.”

“Secondly, don’t always stick to the plan. Things might evolve differently than you had initially anticipated, that is not necessarily bad. Take advantage of it.”

“Last but not least, never give-up. If you don’t succeed at first, try again (and keep on trying). If you believe you can always find another way, there is (almost) nothing that you cannot achieve,” she concludes.

For Marina personally, she says it will also be time for the idealistic voice inside to speak, the voice that believes in giving something back for a better world. “I walked this path and learned a lot. That brought me in a privileged position, where I can act and implement new ideas that can make a difference. I can now use my skills to make the world just a little bit better,” she adds.

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The Voyage Continues When asked about her future prospects with regards to her personal growth as well as what’s in store for mYngle, Marina says, “It is in my nature to want to constantly improve, and it is in the nature of an entrepreneur to always seek new opportunities or areas of development. The future in leading mYngle will surely hold new challenges, as we keep on innovating and being ahead of the market.”

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Unbiased Future

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t the top “It’s all about finding someone’s strengths. Women don’t outperform men and vice versa. But I won’t deny that it takes a lot of discipline to stay at the top as a woman,” Ineke expresses. Just like men, women have a lot of qualities that match perfectly with a leadership role. It’s important that leadership comes from the heart. And you need to have the intention to help others grow and make them better through your role. I call it Servant Leadership.

If you want to make your company a success, you need to be of service to the company and its people. This has nothing to do with gender or background.

That’s why a quota for women at the top is completely nonsense, according to me. All women who really want to reach the top, will find a way to break through that glass ceiling. No bias in the world will stop a woman on a mission to reach that top position. But it’s wrong to think that anyone with the right capabilities – man or woman – can work anywhere they want. There should be a match between your personality, the company’s values and its culture. And sometimes it’s just a case of pure luck. Being at the right place at the right time. If this match doesn’t come naturally, it’s just not meant to be.

But if there is a perfect match between you as a leader and a company, it’s the first positive step, in my opinion. It’s still a lot of work. Having all that responsibility takes a lot out of you. You shouldn’t be afraid to make choices, and that also means saying no to certain activities in your personal life.

I am a mother of two and am not home every day. My husband and I have been able to make it work. I notice that a lot of women still find it difficult. But you can’t run a company part time. You need to dare to go full in. Those doubts often appear during the initial job interview. Women |June 2019|

say “I want to be a director, but I still have children that I need to bring to school. Is that possible?” As if there are no male CEOs that bring their kids to school. The big difference is that men don’t ask these kinds of questions.

They just do it!

Balance It’s all about balance. Recently, I attended a forum on female leadership, where I talked about my role as a CEO. In the audience, were female students who were just about to graduate. When the moderator asked which of them wanted the same job as me, only three of the four hundred students raised their hands. The moderator was shocked, and asked the audience what was going on. “She works too much”, was the answer. “And we also want to be able to go to parties, exercise and have a social life.” That shocked me a little. It’s not that I don’t do anything else besides work.

My downtime, social life and work activities are just one big mix. It’s true that I’m constantly thinking about work.

But I also allow myself to go for a run in the morning or see my hairdresser during the week. To me, it’s just one full week in which I can do a lot.

Did I have this go-getter mentality as a child, since I already knew I wanted to one day reach the top? I think so.

But, at the same time, all the things I hoped for as a child didn’t come true. What I got is a lot better. I definitely don’t regret the choices that I’ve made. I started a family, got married, and am the CEO of a young and ambitious company. I should therefore be the last person to decide whether or not one should have a leadership position based on a ‘home situation’. How you combine the two is up to you. And yes, that takes a lot of discipline. But if you have natural leadership qualities, I believe everything is going to be alright.

The key to achieving this? As a female – or male – leader, you need to learn to let go and prioritise. Just do your best and focus on making things better for other people.

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ALYSSA KIMURA AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF RISING BEYOND DISCRIMINATION Yumi Alyssa Kimura

CEO

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good leader is an inclusive one, they encourage trust within an organization and its team members, they allow feedback to be a ritual rather than a process, and courage others to be vulnerable, admit their mistakes, learn from them and they also actively listen. They are transparent and encourage contribution and co-creation from their teams so that when work is getting done, it’s being done with passion and unity.

A Leader Born out of Discrimination Yumi Alyssa Kimura, the CEO of LEAD started her professional career at the ripe age of 18, founding her own translation business in Shanghai for Japanese and Chinese customers. Her journey towards success was a difficult one. In her own words, “I was then able to get involved in the real estate business, eventually selling a house for 4 million dollars in 2008, earning enough commission to support myself, I was able to attend an ivy league school in Japan, graduating in 2013. This, however, wasn’t without struggle. I would travel back and forth on an overnight during my junior and senior years at college, I worked full time and commuted every week between Tokyo and Osaka.”

She had to undergo many trials and tribulations as an ambitious young female in the male-dominated corporate world of Japan and her inspiring journey into entrepreneurship in America. Growing up both in China and Japan as the daughter of parents of a Russian bloodline, Yumi was regarded as a minority in her own country.

She started her career as an M&A consultant and later on became corporate recruiter in Japan, but her

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|June 2019|

The Most

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Women

Unfortunately, as an ambitious young female in the very male-dominated corporate world of Japan, there were many barriers put in place to ensure that success would remain an unrealistic pursuit. Until an American friend and mentor inspired her journey into the world of entrepreneurship in the United States, back in 2013.

It was an extremely taxing year and a half. However, Yumi was able to graduate without any debt and had a head start on building a network in Tokyo while she was still in college.

Being acquainted with business culture while Yumi was still in school, aided in starting a consulting business called Spinnaker Partners (which worked with venture capitalists and startups) right after her graduation.

The Mission of LEAD The mission of LEAD is to be a platform that fosters employee engagement through matching employees with their co-workers for better communication and career growth, all whilst solving HR’s biggest challenges: enhancing company culture and retaining employees.

Yumi aims to be a role model and lead the way for other women, and people in general to have the same opportunities that have been offered to her through hard work and great mentors.

The purpose and mission of LEAD go hand in hand with this question.

Organizations must work harder to nurture, develop and retain their talent, thinking of their teams as more than just human capital, taking into

|June 2019|

consideration employee experience, rewards and recognition, work life, diversity and inclusion and ways to develop through human, authentic connections that encourage organic mentor and coaching opportunities.

This practice, LEAD believes, will teach its team members to be more agile, resilient and dedicated, even when weathering a storm, with monumental change acumen, strategic foresight, and hindsight.

Sustaining the Leading Position of LEAD in Global Market “Why do organizations like Google or Costco do well? Because their products are seamless. Word of mouth, even in the day and age of social media is powerful. Deliver on what you promise, without monumental hiccups, and that’s what LEAD aims to do, not only deliver a solution but an intuitive opportunity to work on employee experience, development, engagement, and diversity and inclusion problem which is uniquely suited to their individual organization.”

Yumi expresses her views on the secret behind her sustainable business tactics.

“This solution will be amplified by pushing our brand awareness and social media profile by working with credible influencers in our industry and investing in a product that truly delivers on its promise to buyers and shareholders.” Further, she asserts.

The Vision of a Brighter Future “Right now I’m dedicated to see LEAD succeed by helping companies transform HR related corporate development at scale through technologies”, states Yumi.

There are a lot of cognitive gaps between different genders, age groups, ethnic groups, and cultures. Being an Asian, immigrant woman, building up a company in the US and facing

to Watch in 2019

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dream of setting and working in Japan turned into a nightmare with the manipulation of the higher authority.

countless obstacles by doing so, Yumi hopes to have a real impact by addressing exactly these challenges with LEAD. By helping organizations transform the way they engage and retain employees the process and journey of LEAD itself is an incredible personal growth opportunity.

Advice for Emerging Women Leaders Confidence and self- assurance is the key. Women are taught to be perfect from a young age, so a lot of women like to compare themselves to women, especially those who are at the top of their careers.

“Now whilst we should most definitely be inspired by others who are doing great things, I encourage everybody to aim high, it’s important to remember that a pyramid is built from the bottom.

We need leaders and role models at all stages, not just at the top”, Yumi shares her views with the upcoming women leaders.

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s of 2017, 6% of the venture capitalists were women and only 2.7% women owned businesses received venture capital funding. Being a VC in this startup economy, where 90% of startups fail, is a tough job. However, it has noting to do with gender. “Hi. I am Nin Desai. I head a crowdfunded technology venture capital ďŹ rm, NIN Ventures (or NIN.VC). We invest in Series A & B rounds of disruptive technology companies.â€?

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While there are number of factors responsible for success in the venture capital industry including timing and luck, top of that list is a disruptive technology. A disruptive technology is an innovation that changes the way an existing industry functions and also helps create a new market and value network, displacing an earlier technology or a way of doing business.

E.g. 3D printing has been used for rapid prototyping and is being applied in a number of industries today, including |June 2019|

Stellar’s Vision manufacturing, automotive, consumer, aerospace, defense, and especially healthcare. As the accuracy and materials market have improved, the medical space shows great potential for this technology. There are about 114,000 people currently on the organ recipient list in United States; and only 34,770 transplants were performed in 2017. Every 10 minutes a new person is added to the waiting list and 20 people die every day because they cannot find a right organ.

What if 3D printing tissues can help save some of those lives?

Every sector at some point is up for disruption. E.g. Ad Tech. Over time as consumer behavior patterns changed, Digital has now replaced Traditional Television. People are now spending more time on their personal devices like phone, tablets, & PCs. An average American spends about 3 hours everyday on their personal devices, and this is the first time, the time spend on personal devices have surpassed time spent watching Television, which is a big change and opportunity for the Ad Tech Industry.

E.g. 4th Industrial Revolution. We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanize production. The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production. Now a Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the 3D, 4D, digital, other smart and biological spheres.

However, great ideas and technology needs to be backed by a solid revenue model in order to attract customers as well as attain profitability for the company to be an attractive investment opportunity for a VC. E.g. our new initiative, Total Capitalism. A startup needs an ecosystem to thrive upon, thus it is very important for a company to understand the market dynamics, its impact on their industry, product, and also have a good understanding of the competitive landscape in order to achieve long term success. A disruptive technology needs to scale and a through analysis helps gage those risk and rewards.

A CEO is the captain of the ship; and at NIN.VC we start with an entrepreneur because entrepreneurs build companies and not the other way around. Some of the qualities VCs look for in an entrepreneur are ability to dream big with ideas that scale, certain personality traits and work ethics like being focused, disciplined, and hard working. It’s important to have industry expertise and knowledge or surround yourself with people that |June 2019|

compliment. However, flexibility and choices an entrepreneur / the team makes determines the future of the company. An amazing entrepreneur with a disruptive technology, a solid revenue model, and good understanding of the competitive landscape goes to vain, if the company does not communicate effectively or has a good execution strategy.

Venture Capitalists are known to invest in unicorns that prove to be home run for their LPs and while there is no secret recipe for success, hope this helps in understanding the art and science behind each of that investment.

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ntrepreneurship as a skill is a complex entity which encompasses a plethora of attributes one is needed to exhibit. In its essence, this skill aids in broadening business perspectives, enhancing communication skills and induces a necessity for growth and self-development. An evident and profound example of how this skill of entrepreneurship shapes an individual and a number of other aspects is that of Victoria Lennox, the President of Startup Canada.

Victoria, an entrepreneur with a track record of architecting and mobilizing networks, organizations, policy environments and programming, has propelled Canada onto the global stage as an ‘Innovation Nation’.

She has been one of Canada’s leading proponents of entrepreneurship and innovation with deep relationships and ties across academia, industry, government, media and the grassroots startup community reaching every industry vertical from Ai and Machine Learning to CleanTech and FinTech across Canada and the World.

Being passionate about education and entrepreneurship to foster peace, hope and prosperity, Victoria possesses principal diplomacy and political acuity, creates and communicates a compelling vision, and inspires higher levels of achievement and impact of individuals and organizations alike.

Recently Victoria was recognized by the Hill Times as one of Canada’s most influential lobbyists, giving a voice to Canada entrepreneur sector, working with all parties and all levels of government to help create the conditions for Canada to compete and lead on the global stage.

With her ‘collaborate-by-default’ philosophy, her commitment to ‘service before self’ and her enterprising nature of empowering those around her and leading by example, Victoria is one of Canada’s leading public figures in entrepreneurship.

With award-winning enterprises in the UK and Canada, 40

Victoria’s approach to economic development has earned her praise from countries across the world looking to emulate the models she has created. What set her apart from the crowd, are not only her innovative ideas but her ability to match her vision with commitments and hard work, in order to manifest them in a way that others have only tried.

Victoria has been successful in mobilizing entrepreneurs, private sector investment, and bringing the entire ecosystem around the table to have a shared vision of building a more entrepreneurial and innovative nation.

Exemplifying Distinction Startup Canada harnesses Canada’s vibrant volunteer culture and grassroots entrepreneurial spirit. It has put into practice Brad Feld’s ‘Boulder Thesis’, wherein entrepreneurial leaders, with a long-term and inclusive vision mobilize regular events that connect the ecosystem. Startup Canada has leveraged this model to help foster 50 Startup Communities to form a Pan-Canadian network to unite the country’s entrepreneurship community and give entrepreneurs a voice to decision-makers in government and industry.

Today Startup Canada supports more than 250,000 entrepreneurs through its leading digital platforms, startup communities, flagship events and programs to help entrepreneurs to start and scale thriving businesses.

Exclusive Services and Products As the leading digital platform for entrepreneurs, Startup Canada runs Innovative online events that connect Canada’s entrepreneurship community; including, the Startup Canada Podcast with Rivers Corbett, the THRIVE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs with Komal Minhas, and a Twitter chat called #StartupChats which trend regularly, bringing entrepreneurship into the digital narrative of our nation.

Startup Canada also runs the Startup Canada Awards to recognize excellence and outstanding achievement in Canadian entrepreneurship and innovation. Through regional celebrations touring across Canada, Startup Canada |June 2019|

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Women to Watch in 2019

celebrates Canada’s leading innovators and recognizes a broad range of entrepreneurs.

Each year, Startup Canada runs a flagship event called Startup Canada Day on the Hill which connects entrepreneurs with decision-makers to ensure the regulatory environment for entrepreneurs is not only conducive for their growth but accelerates it. Startup Canada also supports a vibrant network of startup communities and rolls out national programs and events through those communities to build capacities to give Canada a leading edge; including, the Canadian Export Challenge, Startup Finance Bootcamps, digital literacy programs and much more.

The Future Roadmap S t a r t u p C a n a d a i s b e c o m i n g C a n a d a ’s entrepreneurship organization. Through focusing on supporting a broad range of entrepreneurs to become export-ready, financially resilient, adopt technologies, and build out marketing and sales strategies to scale, Startup Canada is building the capacity of every entrepreneur, enterprise and ecosystem to scale-up Canada’s entrepreneurial economy. |June 2019|

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We are entrepreneurs working together to build a Canada for entrepreneurs and give a voice to the Canadian startup community.

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Advocating Disruption Victoria is of the opinion that the speed of technological change is accelerating, and organizations must adapt to keep up and remain competitive. She believes that the rate of technological change is tripping up large organizations and evening the playing fields for new disruptive entrants. She emphasizes that to keep pace and to stay innovative, companies and governments alike have the opportunity to work alongside fast-moving startups to leverage their creative potential to stay ahead of and drive technological change.

Victoria Lennox

President & Co-founder

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Tessa Clarke Co-founder & CEO

OLIO

n my role as chief evangeliser for OLIO – the world’s only neighbour-to-neighbour food sharing app – I speak about our work and journey at a lot of events. And without fail I’m almost always asked something along the lines of “How do you juggle having a family with a start-up?” Whilst this is an extremely valid question – and it touches on a topic that’s very close to my heart, it really frustrates me because I never hear the same question levelled at male peers. As a result, this seemingly innocuous question is laden with an enormous amount of gender bias, generally to the exclusion of men. I would suggest that if we want to achieve a fulfilled balanced life for all – male and female – we have to ensure that we’re all participating in this debate about work/life balance, and that inclusivity needs to be the starting point.

Another challenge in this area is, funnily enough, the gender bias experienced by men who choose to be the “stay at home Dad”! Several years ago my husband and I decided that given our respective career paths and motivations in life, it made sense for me to be the “bread winner” and for him to look after our two kids and home, whilst developing property in his remaining time. This has given me the flexibility to pursue the opportunities for OLIO with full vigour, and has been absolutely invaluable in terms of helping me to achieve a balanced life. However, sadly, my husband experiences more than the occasional disparaging passing comment and has even been asked “When are you going to get a proper job?” Thankfully he has no self-

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Integrated Approach esteem issues, and thinks he has the best job in the world!

But I highly doubt that in this day and age anyone would ever dare say this to a woman; and so why to a man? If women are to be truly equal in the workplace – and to achieve a balanced life, then we need to adjust our perceptions of what it means to be a male in a modern society, and accept that this will require men to taking on an increasingly prominent role in the delivery of childcare – which is to the benefit of all involved, not least the children!

Gender issues aside, I spend a considerable amount of mental energy working towards achieving a ‘balanced life’.

I prefer the terminology of a ‘balanced life’ rather than ‘work/life balance’, because when you’re an entrepreneur (and especially an entrepreneur working from home), the two can become very mixed! And to suggest that ‘work’ and ‘life’ are the antithesis of one another surely isn’t what we should aspire to. In the very early days of setting up OLIO, it was pretty much impossible to lead a balanced life because we had to achieve so much, in so little time, and with virtually no resources. As we’ve grown the business and the team however, both Saasha my Co-founder and I have achieved a much more balanced life – which is important, because the start-up journey is a series of marathons, not a sprint, and so it’s essential to avoid burnout. We find that working predominantly from home is extremely helpful in achieving balance (5-10 hours per week gained back through not having to commute!), and we both carve out time during our working days to exercise. In the early days we used to feel quite guilty about exercising when we ‘should’ be working, but now we recognise that if we’re to perform at our best then we need to be mentally and physically fit and exercise is absolutely critical for this.

Plus, I find that I have many of my best insights and inspirations for OLIO when working out, so it really is killing two birds with one stone!

employee’s induction, we talk about the importance of a balanced life, and in our line manager training, we stress that the line manager is responsible for working with their direct reports to ensure that they are achieving a balanced life. What this means is that on a day to day basis our team chat will often show someone walking the dog at mid-day, someone else with their kids at 3pm and others heading off to swim or yoga. Each team member is responsible for ensuring that their work is done, according to whatever schedule best suits them, and as a result, we have an incredibly motivated and productive team, the majority of who say that working for OLIO is the best job they’ve ever had! If you aren’t already talking about how you can achieve a balanced life as individuals and as a company, then I can highly recommend spending some time on it, as the rewards will be enormous!

As well as working towards a balanced life for ourselves, we’ve really baked this into the DNA of the company too.

And this has manifested itself in a couple of important company policies. The first is our holiday policy – we have no cap on the number of day’s holiday an employee can take; however we do have a minimum and insist that everybody has at least 20 days off. This is because we saw research from other companies who had adopted a limitless holidays policy, and it actually showed that the number of days worked by employees increased, not decreased! We also think it’s really important for the team to have a collective break over the Christmas holidays so everyone can really relax, confident in the knowledge that their email inbox isn’t rapidly filling up! We also ensure that in every |June 2019|

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