The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders

WWW.PRIMEVIEW.CO | Sept 2021

Business Leaders

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Soulful Stories That Behold the Power to Transpire Upright, Self-motivated. Confident. Optimist & Positive.

Accountable. Courageous. Full of Humour, Passion, Integrity, and Respect for self and others. And most important, Likable. These are some of the traits that sets a person on the wheels of leadership or frames them in broad light as people who inspire. But with the changing times and entry of new blood in the entrepreneurial world, it is time for the entrepreneurs to reinvent themselves upright and up now. Coming from diverse education & professional backgrounds, these entrepreneurs have become the epitome of change and are looked upon for inspiration and motivation by not just their employees but the society too.

Just like a fresh breeze of wind, these entrepreneurs bring fresh, innovative ideas, and Silicon Valley like work culture that has already transformed the way people here perceive being an entrepreneur. On the other hand, we cannot demean the efforts that our local entrepreneurs have put to bring in a change in the perception in the grass root level. Today they are not just creators of job who have huge followers, but one who believes in creating more leaders throughout his/her journey.

But many a times, their story remains untold, and unheard, which when brought to light have the power to transpire generations alike. Saluting such inspirational souls and bringing to you their untold story of hardships, successes, failures and motivation, Prime View dedicates the current edition to “The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders to Follow in 2021”. We believe these stories when read will leave you awe-stuck and inspire you and take up challenge to change the world you want to see it like.

Do let us know what you think!

Prime View Magazine editor@primeview.co

The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders to Follow in 2021

SONAL K

STEVE R DAVID S

DNYANESH K , JOHNSON J.

SAM K.

RICHARD D.

Alex S. , ANJALI G.

Visit: https://primeview.co Email: editor@primeview.co

Jekaterina Stuģe

Amber Beverage Group Group CEO and Board Member

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CONTENTS

Antonis Gavrielides Eurofast International Ltd Deputy CEO

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Gilles Herard

Capital Corp Merchant Banking Managing Director

Tara Fennessy

Leadership Skills Training Limited Managing Director

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Ana Aldea Datasocial Founder

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business leader, advisor, financial expert, and trailblazer, Jekaterina Stuģe, Group Chief Executive Officer, and Board Member at Amber Beverage Group, is one of the rare female C-Suite examples in the beverage industry. In addition to her excellent ability to manage and develop a global business, innovation is her second passion as she is truly an innovative leader on an everyday basis.

Jekaterina joined the SPI Group (mother company of Amber Beverage Group) as the CFO of the Baltic business unit in 2014. She has participated in the development of Amber Beverage Group (further also - ABG) and since that time, she has worked across many parts of the business. While she held the roles of CFO and COO in the Group, she was made CEO in 2020. As an executive, she has overseen the company’s growth and now is set to reach the main ABG goal: to become a €1 billion company over the next five years.

When the global pandemic struck the beverage industry, Jekaterina was part of the management team that proactively focused on realigning ABG businesses to work within the new reality. Through effective cost management, streamlining internal processes, growth in production, and a quick introduction of new brands, ABG exceeded its performance despite the pandemic.

More about the Amber Beverage Group Amber Beverage Group is a rapidly growing global spirits company, which is 2020 and 2021 entered

entered several new international markets and grew awareness of its core brands: Moskovskaya® Vodka, KAH® Tequila, Riga Black Balsam®, Rooster Rojo® tequila, Cross Keys Gin®, and Cosmopolitan Diva®.

Amber Beverage Group’s products are found in millions of households across the globe. Over the last seven years, the Group has grown significantly, nearly doubling its business and expanding internationally through a series of acquisitions. The Group has further enhanced its international operations by establishing and enlarging its footprint in the Americas, the Asia Pacific, and Europe, from which the Group will continue to benefit going forward.

ABG is a leading beverage producer, distributor, logistics provider, and retailer, with over 1400 brands spanning everything from premium vodka and sparkling wines to specialty Mexican tequilas. The company has grown from its original core production business established in 1900, to become a global spirits industry player that, despite the challenges faced by the industry in 2020, had one of its busiest years with excellent financial results reaching almost EUR 31m EBITDA, which exceeds the previous results.

Clientele & Corporate Ethos Amber Beverage Group has around 2000 employees in more than 20 companies from production all the way through to retail. In each function – production, logistics, distribution, or retail – they have several dozens, even hundreds of clients. And each of them is treated individually following their execution standards. The management has worked hard to create a common culture and to streamline its operations so 8

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that they can respond organically to the rapidly changing marketplace and the client’s needs. ABG continuously invests in the simplification and integration of essential functions, through a common platform for day-to-day business activities. This is the internal flow of energy and information that powers its independent, yet integrated business divisions.

Towards Global Expansion Some believe all it takes to become a global market leader is deep pockets, but in reality, it takes a lot more. From local producer to global spirits company, the Amber Beverage Group is a perfect case in point.

They expanded the business quite rapidly, so the family got bigger and bigger, their corporate DNA became more diverse, and there were even more processes to be managed. They actively work to improve and optimize their daily work in order to support this growth.

Jekaterina believes that getting used to changes is the biggest challenge in every company. “Thinking of what and how can be changed and done more efficiently is part of my daily life. The main challenge in driving non-stop improvements in such a global company as ABG is to make people believe that they need these changes and convince them to see that as something positive and not as a threat. From my perspective, this is a very interesting process,” she says.

ABG has transformed from a Baltic enterprise into a global organization with world-class infrastructure. In addition to developing and growing the business ABG already maintains, the Group has been active to acquire and integrate several new companies in the UK, Australia, Austria, and elsewhere. “ABG is operating in a highly competitive environment and faces pressure from both local and international spirits producers. This is the reason why ABG is looking to be a widely integrated company through production, distribution, and retail. Through our own distribution businesses and working with independent distribution partners in global markets, ABG has developed unique capabilities and competitive advantages in relation to the critical aspects of route-to-market management,” adds Jekaterina.

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From the CEO’s Desk Key Factors behind the Success Jekaterina said, “There are two things that helped to reach where I am today. The first one, dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm for the company that I represent. And second, the teams that I have worked with. I’ve always believed that the right team stimulates you to reach the best results possible. The team that pushes each other to the next level is priceless while achieving your personal and also company’s goals”

The Daily Routine Every day Jekaterina starts quite early in the morning by opening emails and checking the up-to-date results that are sent automatically via several programs. Thus she knows where her focus should be spent on this day.

After that, she goes for a short walk to think about the priorities of the day and structures her thoughts, so the day brings the best results possible. As Jekaterina’s everyday is quite busy, the good news is that everyone in her family could be perceived as hard workers, and now when her kids are teenagers and out of the nest, she can truly dive into her aspiration – grow ABG as a global TOP10 industry leader.

Jekaterina leads numerous projects to help around twenty ABG companies to fasten their everyday processes. She is constantly innovating the company’s products and sales channels to get closer to the customers and their needs wherever they are. With roots in the business stretching back over a century, it is a challenge to keep pace with the ever-changing marketplace, while investing in qualities that matter.

Favourite Book “The Da Vinci Code”

Overall, ABG is continuing on its path towards its ambition to become a Top 10 spirits industry player globally. This will be achieved through smart brand building, active management of sales channels, expanding ABG e-ambition, further investment in innovation, focused work on efficiency and effectiveness programs, and capturing new business opportunities.

Jewels in the Crown In the past Jekaterina has won several business awards including the Best Female CEO from Latvia of the Year 2020 in the Global 100 Annual Awards, the prestigious Business Worldwide Global Corporate Excellence Award in such categories as The Most Innovative CFO – Latvia and The Strongest Growth Strategy Team in Europe. Finance Monthly Magazine has recognized Jekaterina as one of the strongest financial professionals in the region.

Advice for Female Entrepreneurs Diversity in the workplace, including gender diversity, makes things better. As simple as that. It works like a law of physics – the more perspectives you have, the more active and creative the workplace dynamic becomes, and as a result – the more efficient the outcomes are. To sum it up - you get better performance. And yet this rule is still far from reality and gender parity remains elusive.

But here I want to offer an optimistic view. The situation for women in the workplace, despite the entrenched obstacles, has perhaps never been better.

That glass ceiling is there, but it is now within the reach to be knocked at and eventually shattered. This is the time for us, women, to dare and challenge and take that ambitious step by saying out loud “Yes, I have the competence and the vision, and I will be the leader!”

Future Outlook The key objective of Jekaterina in her role as the CEO of Amber Beverage Group is to pivot the whole organisation by means of an innovation agenda. This includes the development of new products, expansion in new markets and consumer segments, the introduction of the latest technologies in AI and automation, and reinvention of operational and production processes to achieve efficiencies.

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ith over 15 years of extensive experience in leadership and management, Antonis Gavrielides is the Deputy CEO of Eurofast International Ltd. He has demonstrated leadership strengths and a proven ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment with critical deadlines. Mr Gavrielides has been working at Eurofast for the past 11 years, initially as the Group Internal Auditor from the Cyprus office (HQ), subsequently as the Country Manager and currently as Director responsible for the General management of the office in Greece and the Payroll and Employment Division for the whole Group.

Antonis is highly motivated and fully committed with strong project management and analytical skills.

He is well-organised and works well independently as well as collaboratively in a team spirit. He is also well-versed in strategy and has a proven ability to implement practical and innovative solutions to problems.

Eurofast International: Creating Historical Presence in the Global Market Eurofast International Ltd is a Regional Business Advisory Organisation employing local adviser’s in 23 cities in the emerging markets of South-East Europe & the Middle East (SEEME). The team of advisors is capable of efficiently addressing all client needs in one single meeting, using one single language for all the countries in the region.

Eurofast’s main services are 1) Tax & Transfer Pricing, 2) Payroll & Employment, 3) Accounting & Compliance, and 4) Advisory & Corporate.

The clientele includes multinational companies and organizations which are very demanding. To ensure the unbreakable faith of their clients the team always tries to be one step ahead of them. They identify the problem, and they implement innovative instant solutions. What’s essential for them is the client to realize that they do not see him as a temporary source of money, but they aim to create a bond that will last in time.

Eurofast has over 42 years of historical presence in the global market, counting numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, for 2021, the awards “Top 10 Payroll Provider of the Year” by CioLook and “Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm in South Europe” by Corporate INTL Magazine, were received.

Shortly, Eurofast is planning to enter a new era, combining the experience of the past with the expertise of the present to create a more challenging and innovative approach. During the pandemic, the Eurofast team faced many challenges, which they have proudly overcome. New ways to communicate the services and approaching the clients were invented. The future holds plan on expanding the Group portfolio using new technologies and growing their professional family with new talents in new jurisdictions.

The Inspiration behind the Initiation In the early stages of his career, Antonis said he did not have a precise idea of what he wanted to do professionally. The most important for him was to educate himself because he truly believes that any type of knowledge gives you the chance to develop yourself.

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Following the bachelor's and master's degrees, Mr. Gavrielides was not afraid to take the risk and he started to work hard in his field. He realized that for him work is like a project. He wants to create something and after the finalization and the assurance that everything is working well, he seeks for a new challenge, a new project which will give him the opportunity to learn something new and advance himself and his skills.

Hiccups on the Way The primary challenges that Antonis and his team had when the company grew were not to be disoriented from their vision and to choose colleagues who can understand it and are able to suggest ways to progress towards the primary goal it.

Another ongoing challenge is to maintain the high quality of services they provide in different countries, cultures, and mentalities as Eurofast is a multinational organisation and they aim hard to be the top choice of their clients and the number one Cypriot company.

From the Deputy CEO’s Desk “All of us who want to see this industry evolving must be supporters of a fair play competition.

Furthermore, we must lead our employees, appreciate their skills and efforts, and promote equality for everyone. In addition, cooperation between companies and why not even between competitors could create a new more balanced

industry”, asserted Antonis when asked about his views contributing to a more balanced & equal industry.

He further said, “My parents always encouraged me and supported me to make my own decisions by relying on my own strength, and allowed me to fulfil my dreams. My career mentors and especially Mr. Christodoulos Damianou, owner of Eurofast Group, gave me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as he trusted my ideas since day one and gave me the honour to evolve and contribute to the development of a such an outstanding organisation.

Last but not least, I believe in the power of luck and the good timing that followed me during my professional years and worked as a support system for my success.”

A Day in Antonis’s Life Antonis’s day begins at 08:00 a.m. in the morning.

Preparation of the daily routine and at 08:30 a.m. in the office. Meetings, calls, teleconferences, urgent matters, brainstorming, and discussion with colleagues till 05:30 p.m. After work, he gets to have some time for himself. He usually spends time at the gym, which works as stress-relieving. Antonis enjoys cooking for friends and shares a laugh along with a good glass of wine. The night routine always includes preparation for the next day and some good night’s sleep.

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Favourite Book Since Antonis is a food lover, he enjoys reading cooking books or stories of people whose occupation is cooking. A book that he recently read and really inspired him was ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Antony Bourdain. He is fascinated by the combination of products that appear unmatched and turn out to be amazing results. He believes the same applies for the industry since it requires everyone to combine and adjust to different cultures, different people, and different legislations so as to achieve a positive outcome.

Favourite Quote

“Our Aspirations are our Possibilities”

by Victorian English poet Robert Browning. It truly reflects my belief that high expectations always precede high achievement and when you want something a lot, aim for hard work and life will reward you openly.

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nvisaging the need of organizations and developers looking for Funding and Professional Assistance in a diversity of projects, industry veteran, business leader, and visionary, Gilles Herard joined Capital Corp Merchant Banking in the early 1980s and thereby entered the Merchant Banking world Born in 1952, Mr Herard belongs to Montreal, Canada. In the 1970s Mr Herard joined Manufacturers Hanover Corporation of New York as Senior Credit Analyst. At the time, Manufacturers Hanover was considered one of (if not the) most important commercial banks worldwide, counting among its clients the world’s top 500 companies.

The visionary began his career in Banking in 1972 with the Toronto Dominion Bank (Canada), where he attended highly specialized classes in administration and credit, and became a Fellow of the Canadian Bankers Institute. He subsequently obtained another degree from the University of Central Florida in Mastering Skills of International Trade. In academics, Mr Herard holds a University Degree in Administration and a degree from the Canadian Bankers Institute.

In the early 1980s, with 10 years of experience working for world-leading banks, Mr Herard joined Capital Corp Merchant Banking and thereby entered the Merchant Banking world. He has since further developed the international boutique financing market, weathered recessions and various tumultuous industry storms, and remains a successful, trusted, and in-demand resource in complex financial

structuring of private projects worldwide.

More about the Firm Capital Corp Merchant Banking is part of a Group that was formed over three decades ago to meet the growing needs of organizations and Developers looking for Funding and Professional Assistance in a diversity of projects. CCMB offers the Award-winning comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help the clients obtain the funding they need for their project. Capital Corp is very different from anyone else in the industry in that they do not charge any Application Fees, Review Fees, Meeting Fees, Stand-by Fees, Pre-Due Diligence Fees, nor any other type of up-front fees; in fact, they charge no fees whatsoever until such time as Capital Corp is ready to commit to the project.

Clientele & Corporate Ethos Capital Corp Merchant Banking can stimulate optimal performance for its clients. Their success has come from their culture, which strives to foster the same values that help any business succeed: Hard Work, Common Sense and Integrity. What’s more, they have always stayed true to the original vision: providing our middle-market clients the same Tailored Solutions and Funding Packages in International Project Financing by way of Equity Funding and Debt Financing. “Our word is our bond, simple as that. As such, our clients come to us from all kinds of industries: real estate, technology, pharmarceuticals, biotech, film/entertainment, tourism, healthcare, waste management, energy, manufacturing, and more”, 20

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Hiccups on the Way & Supporting Factors “The challenges for us are always the same as for everyone else – the health of the markets, and socio-economic conditions. Although working in a variety of industries makes us flexible, it also means that we are affected by not just one industry’s market cycle, but really all market cycles. So, we need to stay vigilant and very well informed at all times”, said Mr Herard while talking about his major hurdles.

Hard work and determination are always the foundation to build upon – but what has been absolutely critical in building up Mr Herard’s reputation and renown has been to master the craft of project finance structuring and engineering, which Mr Herard has worked his entire career to become.

Creating a more Balanced and Equal Industry “There are a few critical factors that would promote such an industry and that are what we continue to stick to in our own organization: diligence, respect and courtesy, attention to details, and listening carefully to what our clients say so we can show them that we understand”, state Mr Herard when asked about his opinion on creation of a balanced and equal industry.

excelled at over the decades they have been in business. What remains is for them to stay focused on that, where many other companies in the industry ended up distracted or spread themselves thin and expired. Their sustainability is based on persistent consistency and they plan to keep it that way.

Awards & Milestones Mr Herard has been consistently, consecutively awarded in Orlando’s Business Hall of Fame for International Financial Consulting since 2009. Other awards include Gamechanger of the Year in 2017 by Acquisition Finance Magazine, Best International Financing Firm, Marquis Who’s Who, and CCMB obtaining a 2020 award as part of the 50 Leading Companies of the Year by the Silicon Review.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs Unfortunately, the financial services industry is still dominated by men, and for any woman to enter into this arena the challenges are mind boggling - but as with any other industry, this one too needs and can benefit from the involvement and perspective of women, so my advice is to not give up and go for it!

Favourite Book Mr Herard does not read novels, but he reads to learn something about History, Religions, and the people that lived in different periods and left their mark in history as it has always been his passion. He has also read the biographies of all the popes (from the first one to recently elected Pope Francis), he has read the Koran, and the Torah, and several other religious books, so as to better understand the followers of those religions and their religious traditions.

Future Roadmap People will always need someone who can think outside-the-box and deliver results, which is something Gilles Herard and his team have particularly 22

Reversal of Fortune: Five Ways Biden’s Win Will Boost Impact Investing in Emerging Markets

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However it turned out, everyone knew that the U.S. election results would bring significant change to America.

In the world of finance, the markets have already responded positively to the news of President-elect Joe Biden.

Biden’s victory will impact different industries in different ways, but one particular economic sector that will get a major boost is impact investing.

Under the isolationist policies of the Trump administration, it became much more difficult for impact investors to operate in emerging markets. Travel/visa restrictions, inconsistent federal investment in emerging market economies, vacancies at embassies, and a general retraction of U.S. policies intended to help emerging countries all made impact investing work more difficult in these markets. That was a stark difference from what was happening when I was a science and technology advisor for President Obama, who had a robust policy for global development initiatives that helped U.S. companies grow in emerging markets. During that time, impact investors were one of the groups benefiting tremendously from good relations with countries worldwide, and from the Obama administration’s efforts to:

• “Alleviate poverty, and advance global commitments to the basic welfare and dignity of all humankind.”

• Create policies and funding “focused on sustainable development outcomes that places a premium on broad-based economic growth, democratic governance, game-changing innovations, and sustainable systems for meeting basic human needs.”

• “Increase […] investments and engagement in development-focused innovation by seeking and scaling up potential game-changing development technologies such as vaccines for neglected diseases, weather-resistant seed varieties, and clean energy technologies.”

Over the last four years, the Trump Administration’s chaotic approach to international trade policy, threats to gut international economic development budgets and lack of leadership on helping emerging economies hurt the impact investment community. All of the values the sector holds dear – from economic justice and community-based decision-making, to governance, green infrastructure and safe food systems – were eroded if not wholly devalued. Plus, the U.S. government’s shift toward isolationist policies, defunding of many green infrastructure programs, and failure to deal with the pandemic dampened impact investors’ ability to expand their work in these emerging markets.

As we look toward the incoming Biden administration, we can expect that it will reverse course on this isolationism. But I believe the Biden administration will give the sector’s work in emerging markets an even more significant boost. Below, I’ll discuss five key reasons why.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE FINANCIAL FUTURE Under a Biden presidency, impact investors will be able to see their investment dollars go further within their portfolios of green infrastructure-related companies. Biden has already announced a $2 trillion plan to develop the green economy, which will provide a significant boost to renewable energy. And this impact will extend beyond just solar and wind to other green technologies like green chemistry, geothermal, bioenergy, hydrokinetic energy production, energy storage, green transportation, green building and many more. These are the emerging technologies that startup companies have a hard time investing in on their own. History has proven that federally funded research from a wide range of agencies (Defense, Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, etc.) is an economic driver for change and innovation. Biden will bring the might of this type of economy-driving research that has, in the past, created innovations like the Internet, GPS and smartphone technology. Once we rejoin the international community in the Paris Agreement and beyond, our commitments will be matched and met by many other countries. As a result of this, doors will open to impact investors who work in emerging economies.

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For example, I’m confident that the impact investment support work done by Jumpscale (where I work as a General Partner) in Ecuador, Brazil, Kenya and beyond is going to experience a renaissance of growth in impact as a result of Biden’s agenda.

STABILITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS The first lesson in investing is to reduce risk. The destabilization of government institutions, knee-jerk reactions among political leaders and policy chaos are risky: They cause markets to wildly fluctuate and tend to scare off investors. Throughout Biden’s campaign and even during his first speech as President-Elect, he has projected an image of stability, empathy and thoughtfulness that has been missing for the past four years. Biden also has decades of experience working across the aisle in the legislative and executive branches of government, which will help him bring more stability to American society and the global economy. Consistency, predictability and stability are the hallmarks of good business.

IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OPENS DOORS IN EMERGING MARKETS We’ve already seen world leaders congratulate Joe Biden, as cities around the world celebrate his election in gestures of support that we’ve rarely witnessed before. The re-establishment of strong diplomatic and financial relations with our allies worldwide will help impact investors tremendously. Sound policies will help to reinforce both positive investments and positive outcomes in those countries. Cooperation with our allies will help to stabilize emerging economies around the world, which will reduce the risk of working in those countries. It will become easier to find and invest in the innovative impact companies that exist around the planet, yielding global solutions for local (and international) problems.

RE-EMERGENCE OF SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING RESTORES CONFIDENCE The past four years have seen an erosion of trust in the scientific institutions and processes that help guide future innovations for the planet and our society. Conversely, during my time with the Obama administration, I saw the rebuilding of science-based inquiry and research which was gutted by the Bush administration, with R&D sponsored by the federal government leading to innovations that were shared with the private sector.

Biden has always been a big proponent of science-based decision making and research. Regardless of which party controls the Senate, we’re about to see a massive new federal investment in scientific and technological innovation that will rival the incredible leaps we’ve achieved in the past.

EFFECTIVE PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT WILL ALLOW INDUSTRIES TO RESUME BUSINESS PRACTICES It is not possible to overstate how much damage has been done to America’s people and economy due to the Trump administration’s lack of leadership in marshalling an effective federal response to the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Entire industries have been economically devastated, and private equity investors have had to deploy capital to try to save their existing investments, which reduced their ability to make new investments. Additionally, investors’ inability to travel meant they were unable to strengthen relationships or conduct due diligence in foreign markets, leading to a slow-down of innovation. In many emerging markets, a handshake and looking somebody in the eye are essential parts of the process. I expect that within the first six months of the Biden administration, we will see a more rational, science-based and empathetic response to the pandemic. It will lead to a clearer path towards rebuilding our economy, while moving societal norms in a much more positive direction.

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he art of leaving everyone you speak with, inspired and confident to walk through their battles towards their goals and vision, is rarely possessed. UK-based Tara Fennessy, Managing Director of of Leadership Skills Training, is a Leadership Master Coach and Award-winning Trainer who specialises in helping leaders elevate their impact, influence, and leadership skills to unprecedented levels that accelerate business results, build stakeholder relationships, and enhance personal and professional reputation.

Tara Fennessy, the lady behind many businesses' and leaders' growth, is an Author, Trainer, Speaker, Facilitator & Consultant. Kick-starting her career as a coach and consultant, Tara became Managing Director of Leadership Skills Training Limited in 2001 with a vision of “Best Bespoke Global Leadership Training and Coaching Consultancy’. In this two-decade-long journey, Tara has provided training and coaching to organisations globally and gained ample experience that helped her in taking LST to a higher altitude globally, virtually and digitally.

Tara has shown her potential as an empowered business woman and her contribution to the business world has been an inspiration for everyone. As the Managing Director, she manages the business from a strategic level as well as being a lead coach and leadership trainer to the clients. Her book the Leadership WOW Factor – 3 Secrets to Elevate your Impact, Influence and Career earned her ‘Best International Leadership Coach’ in 2019, “My ethos is that when leaders know their message and can be their message, transformation happens at .

all levels for individuals and organisations. Our strap-line 'Helping leaders have the WOW factor' – is the philosophy we are committed to delivering to our clients!” says Tara.

She loves to speak to organisations and leaders looking to become their best version and future-proof leadership skills and influence across the business.

She is ardent and passionate about leadership development and the value it brings to organisations, teams and individuals, both culturally and commercially.

POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCELERATE GROWTH Leadership Skills Training is an award-winning global expert leadership training, coaching, and consultancy provider to senior leaders and teams within large and medium organisations. The firm that was established 35 years back, is at the forefront of the leadership development industry and recognised as one of the most experienced consultancies. Here are the three major offerings by the firm: Training: Leadership Skills Training is at the forefront of the training industry. Here, their delivery methodology is embedded with personality and punch - giving clients a better understanding of their new best and how to lead with impact in their roles and environment. The whole team of LST is highly experienced and skilled in leadership qualities, which are passed on to the clients through immersive learning and delivery to create fearless leaders who have the energy, selfbelief and clarity of thought to engage, enthuse and inspire that cascade into every future interaction.

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Coaching: The leadership and impact coaching experts at LST, whether they are consulting, coaching, mentoring, or training, can tailor all or any one element of the WOW Wheel to suit your organisation’s needs. In the past five years alone, the team has coached over 2,000 senior professionals across major global corporations from professional services firms to manufacturers and retailers, giving us unprecedented insight into what matters most for businesses and their leadership.

Consultancy: Leaders drive culture, culture drives behaviour, behaviour drives performance and performance drives results. Created for leaders and their teams, the consulting service starts you on the journey to becoming future-fit to lead your business in this changing world with the future in mind. The team aims to unleash the power of the collective, leverage strengths whilst drawing in customers, colleagues, and communities.

THE BUSINESS SUCCESS For Tara, success is about making a difference! She says, “There’s nothing better than seeing the results my clients achieve when they trust themselves and in turn others trust them. What’s more, I am really proud that the legacy of my clients’ time with me not only enables them to lead effectively but helps them to do the same with future leaders."

As a leadership and communication consultant, she actively works with leaders to help them know their message and be their message, so they build credibility and trust for themselves and the organisations they represent. She is passionate about inspiring self-confidence and self-belief in people through their ability to lead with clarity, confidence, and courage, and this is how Tara sees her progress.

THE CLIENT PORTFOLIO & SUCCESS MANTRA The clientele includes Tesco, Ernst & Young, PWC, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office, Accenture, JCB, Lacoste and many other renowned brands. The impressive client portfolio is testimony to the vast experience Tara can bring to every project and the results they can achieve. Many of their clients acknowledge what impresses them the most is how the team bring fresh new energy into their methodology, conveying personality and punch into leadership development– they facilitate them to elevate their impact, influence, and leadership skills to accelerate business and personal objectives, and ultimately empower the clients to have the ‘wow’ factor.

Leadership Skills Training works with clients on a totally customised approach to provide their best leadership development experience. No training is prescribed, although of course there are common themes. Key for the team- and what makes them so successful - is that they ensure the impact is measurable through a change of thinking, feeling, and action, with a direct result across the three key pillars: clarity, confidence, and courage.

JEWELS IN THE CROWN ● AI's 2019 Leading Adviser Awards Leading Leadership Training and Coaching Consultancy of the Year ● AI's Global "Best of the Best in Training & HR 2017 ● Business Excellence 2018 Award "Training Consultancy Firm of the Year

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Five things that have changed in sales because of COVID that will never be the same as before Since COVID began impacting our lives many people have reached out to us at Datasocial seeking help with an updated sales process now that face-to-face networking is basically gone.

There are severe doubts about whether we will go back to selling on golf courses and restaurants when the pandemic passes.

The pandemic has accelerated some changes due to the absence of physical relationships, yet many of them will never be the same as before.

1. The growth of Smarketing

Founder at Datasocial

Traditionally the sales and marketing teams teams have been at each other's throats, but today they need to learn to work together.

Thus, marketing has grown faster than ever.

Why? Sales have always given very little value to marketing leads because they could generate their opportunities at expensive restaurants and golf courses.

But with everything closed, they have had no choice but to look pleadingly to their peers for leads to work with.

And this has led to more and more talk about the "lead hand-off" - what the mechanisms are for handing off leads from marketing to sales and what each of the teams has to commit to. Who calls the leads? How long do sales qualify the leads they receive? None of this is new, but COVID has given it the importance that sales teams have traditionally tried to take away.

In this scenario technology tools can bridge the gap between sales and marketing and the tech is continually growing.

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2. Prospecting by providing value is the answer What if inbound can't give me the leads I need? You simply have to pick up the phone or email and try to generate leads by providing value.

And providing value is the most important part. Finding opportunities so that in the sales process, the other prospect receives value even if they don't buy from you, for example, with an audit of their website or CRM. It's no use calling everyone with nothing to offer. We are past that time; it is the time to provide value, even if it is remotely.

3. Automation and value The automation of sales and marketing tasks is here to stay.

It did not arrive with COVID; it has been with us since the 90s when the first marketing platforms were born and have been evolving ever since.

According to Gartner, "A marketing automation system is a system that helps marketers execute multi-channel marketing campaigns by providing a scripted environment for creating business rules and interfaces to a variety of third-party applications."

information face-to-face, it is key to have real-time and updated information about the opportunities we are working on. Therefore, it is more necessary than ever that technology is at the heart of the relationship between the customer and the company.

5. A connected technology stack Now that people can't see each other, it's time for applications to "talk to each other".

The switchboard can no longer be a horrible room full of underpaid people, where everyone is shouting simultaneously, but a cloud application that connects the whole team and is synchronized in real-time with the CRM to which it constantly sends information. The same goes for the other applications where we interact with the customer, which are many and create silos of information that are not accessible by the other team members that may contain very valuable information.

It is time to have a connected technology stack and a CRM that reflects all interactions with customers, wherever they are.

These tools, mostly from the marketing world have been overtaking sales and today many sales tasks can be done semi-automatically, such as importing leads into a CRM or sending sequences.

Far from worrying about the tasks that teams no longer do, there is an opportunity to add value to the tasks we don't automate, spend time on the leads that are truly qualified, and focus our time on creating meaningful and value-adding relationships.

4. Sales teams have begun to value CRM. In times of scarce opportunities, each one must be carefully nurtured and worked on. CRM, which most sales forces see as a divine punishment, has become an ally that gives them context about the relationship with the potential customer, informs them about the technology that customers use, about revenues and employees, tells you about the interactions that other departments have had and in some way sheds light on the customer relationship as a whole.

Now that we do not meet our partners in the corridors or at the coffee machine and we cannot share customer 33