Theconcept“employeeengagement”referstoaworker’s psychologicalcondition,whetheritbeemotional,cognitive, orbehavioral,andhowitaffectstheirintentiontocarryout theirworkeffectivelyandefficiently.Oneofthenumerous factorsthatmayaffectemployeeengagementinafirmis theworkenvironment.
Howyouremployeesfeelabouttheirenvironmentaffects howtheyapproachtheirwork.Whentheyfeelleftoutor treatedunfairlybycompanypolicies,employeesfrequently haveagloomyattitudeontheircareers.Youmusttherefore makesurethateveryoneatyourplaceofemployment respectsandacceptsoneanother Aworkerwhofeels appreciatedwillbewillingtolearnandcontributefavorably totheexpansionofthebusiness.
Whenemployeesfeelunappreciated,theypushtoquitthe organization;however,whenemployeesfeelrespectedand valued,theywanttorepaythefavorbydeliveringhighqualitywork.Givingyouremployeesasafespacefor learninganddevelopmentisaninvestmentthatwill increaseemployeeoutputand,inthelongrun,improve yourbusiness.Asaresult,itisyourdutyasaleaderto ensurethatyourworkplacepromotesemployeeproductivity bytreatingthemwithrespectandgivingthemopportunities tofurthertheircareerswithinthebusiness.
Inthisspecialissue “World's Best Companies to Work for 2022,” World'sLeadershasrecognizedthemosteffective workplacesandhastalkedwithdedicatedleaderstoraise awarenessabouttheireffortstomaketheworkplacean abodeimprovementandgrowth.
® Thecoverfeaturesehotel ,acompletetoolthatassists travelmanagersincompilingdataandproducingtrip ® volumeevaluations.Workingatehotel includesaccessto air-conditionedoffices,contemporaryequipment,team assessments,andfurthertrainingpossibilities.Employees alsoreceiveopen-endedjobcontracts,financialhelpfor theirretirementplanning,childcarecostsubsidies,and coaching.
®ehotel alsoprovidesremoteworkingoptionsand reasonablecompensation.Thepleasantworking ® environmentatehotel issomethingthatFritzZerweck particularlyvalues.Hepreviouslyworkedinfinance,which isakintoasharktank,wherethereiscontinualpressureto dobetterthaneveryoneelse.Whenpeoplegetalongand cooperatewell,hethinksonemaydomuchmore. Collaborationentailsmutualrespect,considerationof opposingviewpoints,andthedevelopmentofideasfrom oneanother
Also,whileyouflipthroughthepages,don'tforgettoread thearticlescreatedbyourin-houseeditorialstaffand industryexperts.
Have a lovely read!
Astudyshowsthattheyearlyincome forthetravelandtourismsectoris roughly63%derivedfromonline reservations.Youcanhandleonline bookingseffectivelywitha competenthotelreservationsystem. Byautomatingreservation procedures,thepossibilityofhuman errorandfinanciallossesinthehotel industryisdecreased.Asimplified bookingprocessalsoenables hotelierstogivecustomersamore user-friendlybookingexperience.
Itallstartedwiththenotionof makingitpossibleforbusiness visitorstoswiftlyandprecisely chooseappropriatehotelroomsfrom abroadrangeofoffersand contingentsatthebestprice.Asan independentwebportaloffering cutting-edgetechnologyand comprehensivesolutions,ehotel® nowcoversallaspectsofbusiness travel,frombookingtoinvoicing. Everynewproductsince2000has beencentredontheconsumer The serviceofferingsofehotel®are influencedandshapedbythedaily activitiesofbusinesstravellers,travel managers,purchasers,and
accountants,andspecificuser demandsserveasthefoundationfor ongoinginnovation.Becauseitisa data-drivencompany,ehotel® regularlyanalysesitsoperationsto improvecustomersatisfactionand processefficiency.
AlbertSchweizer,aNobelwinner, oncesaid, "Setting an example is not the most important way to influence others. It's the only one." Thissaying issomethingthatexemplifiesthe leadershipstyleofFritzZerweck,the CEOofehotel®.Heisateamplayer, amotivator,andasourceof innovativeideasandwasinitially intendedtotakeoverhisparents' retailbusiness.Workingonnew inventionscontinuallyand collectively,accordingtoZerweck,is crucial.Eventhoughheistheone whoisresponsible,healwaysleaves thedoortohisofficeopenandwould neverusehisauthoritytoimposehis will. "Everyone contributes their thoughts and ideas," heexplains, "and that helps us to avoid mistakes and grow beyond what we thought was possible." Thecontinuousteam effortstoperfectthedigitalcycleof businesstravelhavebeentheopen secretofehotel®'ssuccessfor22 years.
Atehotel®,FritzZerweckisableto combinehisloveoftravelwithhis aptitudeformoneymanagementand interestincutting-edgetechnology Forinstance,heplayedakeyrolein theintroductionofthecutting-edge meta-searchtechnologythat currentlyformsthecompany's
foundation.Userscanapplyfilters thatincludebothbasicoptionslike equipmentandamenitiesandmore complexoptionslikevarious sustainabilitycriteriatotheirsearch, takingintoaccountcompany guidelinesaswellassuitableand, mostimportantly,validoffersfrom amongthemorethan7millionhotel rooms.Forinstance,guestshave traditionallychosenhotelswithechargingfacilities.Similartothis, clientshavestartedtotakecertified greencredentialsintoaccountmore andmoresinceehotel®started promotinghotelswiththem.Of course,ehotel®keepsallinformation up-to-dateatalltimes.
Histeammembersvaluethis thoughtfulapproach,andehotel®has receivedfavourablereviewson workplaceratingwebsitesasaresult. Accordingtotheircomments, employeesarepleasedwithehotel's® commitmenttoahealthywork-life balance,therespectshowninall interactions,andthecompany's supportofopencommunication. Workingatehotel®includesaccess toair-conditionedoffices, contemporaryequipment,team assessments,andfurthertraining possibilities.Employeesalsoreceive open-endedjobcontracts,financial helpfortheirretirementplanning, childcarecostsubsidies,and coaching.
ehotel®alsoprovidesremote workingoptionsandreasonable compensation.Thepleasantworking environmentatehotel®issomething
thatFritzZerweckparticularly values.Hepreviouslyworkedin finance,whichisakintoasharktank, wherethereiscontinualpressureto dobetterthaneveryoneelse.When peoplegetalongandcooperatewell, hethinksonemaydomuchmore. Collaborationentailsmutualrespect, considerationofopposing viewpoints,andthedevelopmentof ideasfromoneanother
Whenaskedwhatadvicehewould givetoyoungcorporateleaders,Fritz Zerwecksays, "You have to have confidence in your employees and be prepared to take on responsibility, even if you have gone down the wrong path before. Too often, leaders bask in the success of the company while shifting responsibility for failures down the line. That poisons the working atmosphere.”
Akeyehotel®technologyisehotel® Analytics,acompletetoolthatassists travelmanagersincompilingdata andproducingtripvolume evaluations.Thedashboardhas29 integratedreportsthatcanfilterall thedatabylocation,nation,hotel, costcentre,ordernumber,contract rate,andpaymentmethod,among othercriteria.Processesmaybe madesimplerbyautomatically analysingalldatatofindpotentialfor savings.Eachemployeemayalsobe locatedinthefieldbytravel managers,acapabilitythatwasvery helpfulduringtheepidemic.
Customersusetheehotel®Rate Managersourcingtooltoconfirmthe availability,completeness,and accuracyofnegotiatedcontractrates. Throughrigorousauditsacrossall GDSandnon-GDSchannels,the platformavoidsundesirablecontract pricesandsupportsdata-based purchasing.Theehotel®central billingsystemcompletestherangeof ehotel®servicesbyenablingclients toeasilyautomatetheirbookingand paymentproceduresandmanage theirbusinesstravelexpenses.
Toenhanceinternalproceduresand hencereducecostsfurther,all ehotel®productscanbeusedalone orincombination.Customers'travel habitshavealteredasaresultofthe epidemic,butFritzZerweckis certainthathotelbookingwebsites willsurvive.Asaresult,ehotel®will keepmakingsurethatclientshave themostflexibilitypossible.The businesshasalreadyrespondedtothe requestfornewstandardsby introducingfreshideasand modifyingitssearchcriteriato include,amongotherthings,hygiene ideas,digitalcheck-inpossibilities, andhybrideventplanning.
Byemphasisingthesealternatives, ehotel®helpsbothbusiness travellersandthelodgingfacilities thatprovidethisextrabenefit.Since ehotel®encouragesandrewardshigh standardsandexceptionalquality,it goesbeyondsimpleprice comparison. "The hotel market in Europe is very molecular and fragmented," Fritz Zerweck explained in an interview with Handelsblatt newspaper: Only about
6,000 of the 30,000 accommodations that ehotel® covers are part of a large chain, the rest are individual businesses. The CEO compares the hotel industry to the food sector, where booking portals are the supermarkets in the system: "You don't see Coca-Cola running its own stores and handling sales and distribution itself," hecontinues, explaininghowhotelsbenefitfrom ehotel®'sconceptandoffering.
Withafocusonallaspectsofthe company,ehotel®hasadistinct competitiveedge.Thesecretto everythingistransparency,fairness, andtrust,includinghappy consumers,engagedclients,and cooperativehotels.Long-term successasaserviceprovideris impossibleifallyou'reafterisafast buck,claimsZerweck.Hisbusiness's consistentexpansiondemonstrates thishypothesis.
Forthepast22years,ehotel®has beenaleaderinthehotelreservation market.Whenitcomestouser friendlinessandconsumertrust, ehotel®routinelyrankshighlyin marketresearchsurveysconducted byreputablemediaoutlets.The Berlin-basedbusinesscantakepride inanumberofprizesforbothits inventionsanditssuperiorwebpage. "A company is only ever as good as its employees," emphasisesFritz Zerweck," and our employees are fantastic in every respect."
JenniferDeslogesisthePresident andFounderofJadeClinics. Jenniferbeganhercareerasan electrologistin1989andhasworked tirelesslytoperfectthe"JadeMethod ofElectrolysis"sincethen.Asa perfectionist,sheadoredelectrolysis asajobthatemphasizedefficiency, safety,andprecision.Withthe objectiveofprovidingpermanent hairremovalwithoutstanding outcomesforallCanadians,Jade Electrolysisbeganfranchisingin 2010.
Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetweenWorld's LeadersandJenniferDesloges.
Briefouraudienceaboutyour journeyasabusinessleader.What challengesdidyouhavetofaceto getwhereyouaretoday?
Myjourneybeganwithaneedtofind asolutiontomyownunwantedhair problem.Ifoundelectrolysisand thenwantedtoprovidethatserviceto otherindividuals.Itwasn'tlong beforethereweren'tenoughhoursin thedaytotreatallmyclients,at whichpointIstartedtrainingother electrologiststoattempttofillthis need.Theseindividualsstruggled withthebusinesssideofthejob. Theywere,forthemostpart,great practitioners,butthebusiness decisionsneededtoactuallyruna successfulbusiness,inmanycases, wereforeigntothem.Franchising wasthesolutiontothisproblem becausewecouldgivethefranchisee moresupportinmakingthecorrect businessdecisions.Though franchisingasafranchisordefinitely comeswithitsownsetofchallenges.
DescribeJadeClinics'offerings thataddresstheneedsofyour customers.
Electrolysisistheonlypermanent methodforhairremoval.Itisvery dependentontheskillofthe practitioner AtJadeClinics,I developedamethodusingmy32 yearsofexperiencetoperfectthe practitioner'sskills.
Enlightenusonhowyouhave madeanimpactonthisindustry throughyourexpertiseinthe industry.
Ispentmanyyearstryingtochange theindustry,byconvertingpracticing electrologiststothemethodsthatI wasdeveloping.Unfortunately,that nevergottractionandIbegan trainingelectrologistswithno experience.Idevelopedabrandthat thepubliccouldtrustandgavemany peopleacareer.
Whatarethechallengesyouand yourteamatJadeClinicscome acrossinyourday-to-day operations?
Thefirstandbiggestchallengethat wefacedwasthephone.Workingas anelectrologisttakesallyour concentrationandansweringthe phonebecomesahugedisruption throughouttheday.Ifyoudon't answerthephone,youloseoutonall thepotentialclientsattemptingto findpermanenthairremoval.Our solutiontothismassiveproblemwas todevelopacentralizedcallcenter thatallclientsforalllocationscould calltobooktheirappointmentsand gettheinformationtheyareseeking. Freeingupthepractitionertodowhat theydobest,electrolysis.
Whatpeople,whatbooks,whatlife factorshaveinfluencedand impactedyou?
Everysingleclienthashadalasting impactonme.Whenaclientgetsthe results,theyhavebeenseekingall theirlivestoseethisjoy.Itissuper rewarding.Equallyimportantareall thepeopleintheJadeClinicssystem, Ilovethemallandtheyhavetaught memorethanIcanexpress.
Takingintoconsideration,the currentpandemic,anditsimpact onglobaleconomies,howareyou drivingyourorganizationto sustainoperationsandensurethe safetyofyouremployeesatthe sametime?
Thepandemicgaveusthe opportunitytogainadeeper connectionwithourfranchisees,to supportthemthroughthehighsand lows,andweareproudtosaythatall ofourfranchiseesandpractitioners areapartofJadeClinicstoday
Describeindetailthevaluesand theworkculturethatdriveJade Clinics.
Wetreateveryonewithout prejudice.Thisisajudgmentfree zone.
Wewanteveryonetobe comfortableandfullyinformed withclearexpectations.
Wevaluehonestrelationshipsand areconfidentinstandingbehind ourresults.
Weprovideasafe,sterile environment.Ourpractitioners areverywelltrained,withaccess todocumentedstandardsof operations.
Ÿ TRANSFORMATION
Ÿ
Welovemakingapositiveimpact onthelivesofothers.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourself beinginthelongrunandwhatare yourfuturegoalsforJadeClinics?
Ourplanistograduallygrowthe businessbyawarding4-6franchise locationseveryyearuntilwehavea clinicineverycityacrossCanada, givingallCanadianseasyaccessto JadeClinics.
Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingbusinessleaders?
Nevergiveup!Ifthisisyourdream, nooneelseisgoingtogiveittoyou; youhavetoworkforit.
Chiropracticgraduatefromthe UniversityofSouthWales, LouiseHamptonistheowner ofAttend2Health.Shelookedatmany healthcarecareersbeforedecidingshe wantedtobeachiropractor.Shewas intriguedwiththeoutcomesof chiropracticcareand,incertaincases, thequicknesswithwhichpatients wouldbegintofeelbetter
Priortorelocatingherpracticeto Buntingfordshefirststartedseeing patientsinBirminghamandopeninga chiropracticofficethere.Shestates, "Attend2Health is my second clinic, closer to home and with my husband Dominic." Shehasbeenawardeda FellowshipoftheBritishChiropractic Association(BCA)fortheworkshe hasdoneontheBCAcouncilandisa trusteeoftheChiropracticResearch Council.
Belowarehighlightsoftheinterview conductedbetweenWorld'sLeaders andLouiseHampton:
Describewhoyouareasaperson, insideandoutsideoftheworkplace. LouiseHamptonisachiropractorand ownerofAttend2Health.Iam th celebratingour15 anniversarythis month,whichIamincrediblyproudof. Inthattime,theclinichasgrownso much.15yearsago,Istartedby rentingashopatthetopof
BuntingfordHighStreet.Itwas October2007,justbeforethe2008 recession.Timeswerehard,butthe businessgotthroughit.Mymaingoal hasalwaysbeentodothebestIcanfor mypatients.Overtheyears,theclinic hasgrownandtakenonmorestaff.We nowhaveapracticemanagerandfive receptionists,aswellasallthe practitioners. Louiseisproudtobea fellowoftheBritishChiropractic Association(BCA)aftersittingonthe BCAcouncilforanumberofyears. Louisehasalsojustbecomeatrustee oftheChiropracticResearchCouncil. Aswellastreatingpatients,Louiseis keentohelpthelocalcommunityby sponsoringlocalsportsteamssuchas theBuntingfordCricketClubandthe BuntingfordBowlsClub.Shealso likestoraisemoneyforcharityand thisyearsheraisedmoneyforthe BuntingfordFoodBank. Attend2healthhasalsowonanumber ofawardsovertheyears,including WhatClinicServiceAwardsforthepast 3years.BestBusinessWomanin HealthandWellbeingin2019andBest BusinessWomaninCustomerService in2020,tonameafew.
Louisehadherchildrenin2009and 2011,soshehasalsohadtobalancea familyaswellasthebusiness. Louise'shusbandisagreatsupportand hashelpedmassivelyovertheyears withrenovatingournewpremisesand
helpingwithallthecomputersand technologyinthebuilding.
Describeyourbackgroundandwhat didyoudobeforeyoustartedthe company?
LouisegraduatedfromtheUniversity ofSouthWalesin2004.Beforestarting Attend2Health,Isetupaclinicin Birminghamwithacolleague.Isold myshareofthebusinessin2007to relocatetoBuntingfordandstart Attend2Health.
Tellusabouttheinceptionofthe company.Howdiditallstart?
WhenrelocatingtoBuntingford,I foundtheshopforrentontheHigh Street. Astherewasn'tanother chiropractorinthetownatthattime,I thoughtitwouldbeagoodplacefora clinic.Astheclinicwasstartingup,I alsoworkedatanotherclinicover40 minutesagotogetsomemoneyasI realizeditwouldtaketimeforpeople tofindoutabouttheclinic.
Whathasmadeyousuccessful? Whatdoyouvalue?
Makingsurethepatientisputfirstis themainthingtobeingsuccessful.The patientneedstoknowyouaredoingall youcantohelpthemandtogivethem afantasticexperienceinpremisesthat arefriendlyandcaring.Allthestaff genuinelywanttohelp.
Whatarethemajorservicesofthe companyandhowdoesitgetahead inthecompetition?Whatvalueaddedservicesdoesthecompany provide?
Aswehavesomanydifferent practitionersinoneplace,itiseasyfor patientstogobetweenusall.We regularlydotrainingtogether,which meansweknowthemainareaswelike totreatandsowhothebestperson wouldbeforthatpatient.Aknee problem,forexample,wouldbebest treatedbyoneofourphysiotherapists, whereaslowbackpainwouldbebest treatedbyachiropractororosteopath. Italsocomesdowntopatient preference.If,forexample,apatient hashadagreatresponseinthepastto acupuncture,theywouldprobablybe bestseeingtheacupuncturistagainto
beginwith,butcouldeasilyswitchtoa chiropractororphysiotherapistif needed.
Whatarethemostimportantaspects ofacompany'sculture?What principlesdoyoubelieveinandhow doyoubuildthisculture?
Havingregularmeetingsandgettogethersreallyhelpskeeptheteam together.Weareabouttoholdastaff BBQforeveryonetogettogether,and wealwayshaveaChristmaspartyas well.Ihaveregularreceptionist meetingsaswellasstafftrainingfor thepractitioners.
Whatisthesignificanceof innovativeideasinthecompany? Byhavingsomanydifferent practitioners,iftheycomeacrossnew
technology,theyletmeknow.For example,ourprivateGPusesPRPand ThermaVein,whicharebothrelatively newtechnologiestotreathairlossand blemishesontheface,forexample.
Giveusyouropinionon;do organizationsrelyheavilyon individualheroicsorteam processes?
Iamproudoftheteamwehaveat Attend2Health.Allworkingtogether, referringifneeded,dependingonwhat isbestforthepatient,wehavea wonderfulatmosphereattheclinic. Ourpracticemanageralsoreallyhelps tokeepeveryoneupdatedandisso friendlywitheveryonethatitmakesit agreatplacetowork.
Whatareyourresponsibilitiesasthe Founder/CEOofthecompany?
Whatisthehappiestpartofyour dailyroutine?
Istilltreatafewhalf-daysaweek,but Ialsodoalltheadvertisingforthe clinicandmakesureallthe practitionersarebusy.Mydaycanbe sovaried,fromcheckingthe receptionistsareOK,tofilmingvideos orpayingstaff,toorganizingany maintenanceonthebuilding,suchas theroofbeingrepaired.
Whatadvicewouldyougive someonegoingintoaleadership positionforthefirsttime?
Whenitcomestoleadership,Inever askanyonetodoanythingIwouldn't bepreparedtodomyself.Listeningis alsoveryimportant.Youneedtomake sureanythingyouareaskingpeopleto doisnottoomuchandthatthey understandwhattodo.Listsaregreat sopeoplecantickoffjobsandkeepon topofeverything.Itisreallyimportant tobeunderstandingandtotakethe timetofindoutwhatisgoingonin
people'spersonallives,asthiscanhave abigimpactontheirwork.Imakesure Itaketimetothankallmystaffand makesuretheyfeelappreciated becausetheyareallfantasticand deservetobetoldthat.
Solomon Partners, a prestigious financial advisory company with a history as one of the earliest independent investment banks, is led by Marc S. Cooper as its CEO.
Solomon Partners received a strategic investment from Natixis in 2016, the worldwide corporate and investment banking, asset management, insurance, and financial services branch of Groupe BPCE, under the leadership of Mr. Cooper. Solomon Partners' clients have expanded access to global advisory services and exclusive financial resources across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and the Americas thanks to the partnership with Natixis.
Under Mr. Cooper's leadership, Solomon Partners has experienced significant growth and diversified sector coverage and today serves clients across a broad range of industries, including Consumer Retail; Financial Sponsors; FinTech; Grocery, Pharmacy & Restaurants; Healthcare; Infrastructure, Power & Renewables; and Technology, Media & Telecommunications.
Belowarehighlights oftheinterview conductedbetween World'sLeadersand MarcS.Cooper: Describeyour backgroundand whatdidyoudo beforeyou started/joinedthe company?
WhenIwasajunior inhighschool,Itoldmyfather,whobecameastockbroker laterinlife,thatIwantedtofollowinhisfootsteps.He suggestedIbecomeaninvestmentbankerinstead,andI decidedtopursuethatpath.
AfterobtainingbothmyBAandMBAfromNewYork University,IbeganmyinvestmentbankingcareeratKidder Peabody.Fromthere,Ico-foundedandservedasVice ChairmanofBaringtonCapitalGroup,whereIoversawthe firm'sinvestmentbankingoperations.
AfterjoiningSolomon23yearsagoasapartnerand managingdirector,IservedasViceChairmanforthree yearsbeforebeingappointedCEOin2016.Earlierthat year,IledatransactionwithNatixis,whichispartof GroupeBPCE,atop10Europeanbank,inwhichNatixis madeastrategicinvestmentinSolomon.Thepartnership
hashelpedussignificantlyexpandthefirmsince2016,from 35bankerstomorethan140,andthenumberofindustries weservefromtwoto14.
Tellusabouttheinceptionofthecompany.Howdidit allstart?
SolomonPartnersistheoldestprivateindependent investmentbankingfirmstillinexistenceandwascreated toincorporatetheethosandcultureofthetraditional investmentbankswiththeentrepreneurialspiritofa collectivepartnership.
Thefirmwasfoundedin1989asthePeterJ.Solomon CompanybyMr.Solomon,andhecontinuestoserveasthe firm'sChairman.Previously,Mr.SolomonwasVice ChairmanofLehmanBrothers,wherehewasChairmanof itsMerchantBankingDivisionandCo-Chairmanofthe InvestmentBankingDivision.
Whataretheprimaryserviceofferingsofthecompany andhowdotheyhelpthecompanygetaheadofits competition?
Weadviseclientsonmergers,acquisitions,divestitures, restructurings,recapitalizations,capitalmarketssolutions, andactivismdefenseacrossarangeofindustries.These include: Ÿ BusinessServices Ÿ ConsumerRetail Ÿ FinancialSponsors Ÿ Grocery,Pharmacy&Restaurants Ÿ Healthcare Ÿ FinTech Ÿ Infrastructure,Power&Renewables Ÿ Technology,Media&Telecommunications ThroughourpartnershipwithNatixis,wecanalsoprovide clientswithglobaladvisoryservicesandproprietaryaccess tofinancingcapabilitiesthroughoutEurope,AsiaPacific, theMiddleEast,andtheAmericas.
Wegetaheadofthecompetitionbyofferingunmatched industryknowledgeinthesectorswecover,creating superiorvaluethroughunrivaledwisdom.
Whatarethemostimportantaspectsofacompany's culture?Whatprinciplesdoyoubelieveinandhowdo youbuildthisculture?
SolomonPartners'cultureisbuiltonhonesty,integrity,and acollectivecommitmenttoprovidingclientswithsound, unbiasedadvice.Weareguidedonadailybasisbythese valuesandpursuetheminacollaborativeenvironmentthat promotesexcellenceandcreativity
Formanyyears,ourfirmhasfocusedoncreatinganopen, collaborative,andeducationalenvironment,andwework hardtomaintainaworkplacewhererespectand professionalismarenotjustvaluedbutexpected.Solomon
hasbuiltthisculturebyseekingoutemployeeswithstrong ethicalfoundations.Wetreatourcolleaguesthewaythey deservetobetreated,andwedon'ttoleratebadactors.
Whatisthesignificanceofinnovativeideasinthe company?
I'mabelieverintheoldadage,innovateordie.Iamalways onthelookoutforwaystoimprovethewaywedothings, andthatincludesstayingabreastofthelatestinnovationsin everythingfromtechnologyandofficedesigntothewaywe interactwithclients.That'sledustooverhaulour workspacestocreateanofficedesignedforthefutureand makesureouremployeeshavethetraining,resources,and technologytoworkattheirfullcapacitywherevertheyare.
Ialsoinviteinputfromstaffatalllevels.Akeydriverof Solomon'ssuccessisthatwe'renotonlyopentoinnovation, butweactivelyencourageit.
Giveusyouropinionon;doorganizationsrelyheavily onindividualheroicsorteamprocesses?
AsmycolleagueJoeStein–whohasbeenwiththefirmfor over20years–likestosay,"there'snoIinteam."Solomon Partnersisverymuchwhatournameimplies:apartnership. Wesupportoneanotherbecausethat'swhat'sbestforour staffandforourclients.
Solomonhasaverycollaborativeenvironment.Ourhardworkinganalystsareasmuchapartofoursuccessastheir moreseasonedteammates.Frommyperspective,everyone whogivestheirverybestisaherohereatSolomon.
WhatareyourresponsibilitiesastheFounder/CEOof thecompany?Whatisthehappiestpartofyourdaily routine?
AsCEOatSolomon,Iamresponsiblefornotonlyleading thefirm,butalsosettingthestrategicdirection.Giventhat weareingrowthmode,Iamastewardofthefirm's expansion.Ialsobelieveit'svitaltoserveasarolemodel bysettingagoodexample,strivingtodomybestand makingmyselfavailabletoassistcolleagues.Ifasenior bankerasksmetomeetwithaclientorprospect,I'mthere. Ifajuniorbankerasksforguidanceontheircareerpath,I provideit.IfourChiefPeopleOfficerwantsmeto volunteerwithourinternsonaparkimprovementproject,I rollupmysleeves.
Thehappiestpartofmydailyroutineismentoringmy colleagues.Itgivesmegreatpleasuretoseethemgrowand succeed.
Whatadvicewouldyougivesomeonegoingintoa leadershippositionforthefirsttime?
ThetoptipsIwouldprovidetopeopleintheirfirst leadershippost–aswellassomeonejustgettingstartedin banking–istosucceedyouhavetolovewhatyoudo,and youshould"worktolive,notlivetowork."It'svitaltotake careofyourselfandkeepthingsinperspective.Tobe successfulinbanking,it'scriticaltostrikethatbalanceand thosethatdon'tgenerallyflameoutfast.
TheCEOandFounderofBeneath AnalyticsisNaitikChandak.Hegraduated in2017withaBachelorofSciencein InformationTechnology.Naitikwillbea greaterleaderinthefutureduetohis outstandingteammanagementskills, productinnovation,andforward-thinking initiativesforresearchanddevelopmentin cutting-edgetechnologieslikeAIand machinelearning.
Belowarehighlightsoftheinterview conductedbetweenWorld'sLeadersand NaitikChandak:
Describewhoyouareasaperson,inside andoutsideoftheworkplace. Thisquestionmademedosomeselfanalysisaboutmypersonalityatworkand outsideofwork.Atwork,Ibelievemorein disciplineandfocusonmypeople,whoare workinghardtoachievethevisionand company'sobjective.Asadecisionmaker,I havetobeverycarefulaboutgrowthandbe readyforthechallengesthatmightcome alongtheroad.Havinganintroverted personality,Iamnotapartyperson,so whenIamnotatwork,Icanbefound aroundbooksortechgadgetsdoingmy research.Iliketoplaychessandliketoeat pizza—IamvegetarianandIdon'treally drink.
Describeyourbackgroundandwhatdid youdobeforeyoustarted/joinedthe company?
IcompletedmyBachelor'sdegreein InformationTechnologyin2017andstarted workingataBangalore-basedstartupasa SoftwareEngineer.Iswitchedmultiple companies,andthatalsotransformedmy careerfromtechnicalrolestobusiness roles.Icomefromabusinessfamilyand havemotivationfromanentrepreneur fatherwhohasstartedabusinessfrom scratch,IadmirehimforwhoIamtodayat thisstage.
Tellusabouttheinceptionofthe company.Howdiditallstart?
ItallstartedduringtheCOVIDperiod. Whilepeoplewerelosingtheirjobs,Iquit myjobandstartedwithBeneathAnalytics. Itallbeganwithhavinganunderstanding andaclearvisionofhowtechnologieslike ArtificialIntelligenceandDataAnalytics canshapevariousindustries.Ibelievethe mostinspiringentrepreneurIhaveevermet ismyfather,whohadknowledgeof businesswithoutanybusinessorgraduate degree.Hismotivationhelpedtoformthe company
Whathasmadeyousuccessful?Whatdo youvalue?
Idon'treallybelieveIamsuccessfulyet;
successisnotadestination;itisa processinwhichIbelieveeveryone mayhavedifferentperspectives.Some maybelievegettingrich&luxuriesare formsofsuccess,whilesomemay believemakinganimpactontheworld inapositivemannerissuccess.Ifall intothesecondcategory,whereI believebeingsuccessfulisequalto beinghelpfultosociety.Ibelievein simplelifeandhighthinking,whichI gottolearnfrommyfatheronly.No matterwhoyouare;whatyouare; neverforgetthatyouarehumanand neverletsuccessbeinyourheadand failurebeinyourheart.
Ivaluemypeoplemorethananything else;IamwhatIamtodaybecauseof them.Theybelievedconstantlyinmy visionandsupportedmeineachand everydecision,beiteasyordifficult.
Whicharethemajorservicesofthe companyandhowdothecompany togetaheadinthecompetition? Whatvalue-addedservicesdoesthe companyprovide?
AtBeneath,wearefocusedon developingproductsandcateringtoa widerangeofservicesthatinclude customAI,cloud,analytics,bigdata, andconsumerandenterprise applications.Ourmethodsareunique inthattheydevelopcustomsolutions basedontheclient'srequirements.For services,ourbusinessmodelisquite unique.Wepartnerwithcompaniesand helpthemtoachievethenextlevelby followingpartnershipmodels—
Ÿ DevelopmentPartner
Ÿ AnalyticsandImplementation Partner
Ÿ CloudPartner
Ÿ TechnologyPartner
Forourproducts,weofferdifferent subscription-basedoffers,and sometimesweletcustomers experimentwiththeproductinorderto gettherightexperienceand expectationsfromit.Wehave6 productsmentionedonourwebsiteat https://beneath.co.in/asB-Canny(AI enabledChatbot),B-SDEA(Smart DataEntryAutomation),B-Vision(AI
enabledProductivitytool),B-Predict (eCommercefocusedcustomerpattern analysistool),andB-Senti(AIenabled CustomerSentimentAnalysistool), andsomeoftheseproductsareunder researchanddevelopment. Furthermore,wehavestrongbusiness partnershipswithFortune500 companiessuchasAWS(Consulting), MicrosoftAzure(Technology), MixPanel(Certified-1stinGujarat,3rd inIndia),andSnowflake(Analytics), andweareconstantlyworkingto expandourrelationshipswithother companiesinordertoexpandour expertiseandlearnmoreeachday
Trustisamajorfactorthathelpsus stayaheadofthecompetition.We believeinwhatwecandeliverandwe deliveritontime.Sometimes situationsmightbegenuinetoget thingsdelayed,butnotalways!
Whatarethemostimportantaspects ofacompany'sculture?What principlesdoyoubelieveinandhow doyoubuildthisculture? Webelieveeveryoneisdifferent,and weallcomefromuniquebackgrounds. Ourkeytosuccessisourpeopleand diversity.Weacceptideasopenmindedlyandletourpeopletake ownershipoftheirideastonurture themwiththerightsetofresourcesand environment.Thefactis,ourcompany ismoreabouthavingan entrepreneurialmindsetthanan employeemindset.
Whatisthesignificanceof innovativeideasinthecompany? Wearelivinginaworldwherechange istheonlyconstant,andchangecomes frominnovation,tryingandfailing withideas.Ourstrongbeliefin innovationcomesfromthepeoplewe workwithonaneverydaybasis.One candefinitelyreachouttomeandpitch theirideainordertokeepthe innovationgoing-on.Wewelcome ideasandshapethemintopeopleand enterprise-readyproductsbygiving completeownershiptoaninnovator withinthecompany
Giveusyouropinionon;do organizationsrelyheavilyon individualheroicsorteam processes?
Well,Iamnotafollowerof stereotypicalstructuresthatcompanies usedtofollow.Ibelieveonecanthink anddeliverasanindividualorasa team.Sometimeswehavetoappreciate theuniquenessandexcellentideasthat onecanhaveregardlessofwhatothers arethinking.Wehaveseensome projectswhereonepersonwasableto deliverthingsontimeratherthan lookingfororwaitingforother teammatestobelieveintheirvisionor idea.
Whatareyourresponsibilitiesasthe Founder/CEOofthecompany?
Whatisthehappiestpartofyour dailyroutine?
Firstandforemost,Iamnotreally entitledtocallmyselfFounder/CEO, asIamalsooneoftheteammembers workingwithme.Iwouldliketocall myselfaleaderoremployee coordinatorwhereonedoesn'treally feelawkwardorshyaboutreachingout tomewithanyoftheirproblems,be theypersonal,professional,financialor mental.Iliketobackmypeopleupif theyarefallingatanygivenmomentin life.Iamadecision-makerforsure; consideringmypeopleallthetime,and yes,that'sthehappiestmomentforme inmydailyroutinewhenIseepeople arenothatingMondayatBeneathto loginandworkremotely!Iamnot bragging,butthat'strue.
Whatadvicewouldyougive someonegoingintoaleadership positionforthefirsttime?
Leadershipcan'tbetaughtbysomeone; youhavetolearnitbyyourselfonly Tolearnthis,youmustbewillingto takeasmanycalculatedrisksas possible,becauseleadershavetomake decisionsbyconsideringtheimpacton bothpeopleandbusiness—ifyouare runningoneorplanningtostartone. Makemistakesandlearnfromthem. Lettheworldknowyouforwhoyou areandwhatyourrealpotentialis.
Nevergiveup,believeinyourselfand yourvision.Whenpursuingatrue passionforwhatyoudo,thatmay actuallybenefitothers,peoplewilltake noticeandmostwillsupportyouinthis mission.Whenthegoinggetstough, don'tlosefocus;thereisalwaysthat rayofsunshineattheendofthe storm”,saysOksanaKolesnikova. SheistheCEOandfranchisorat OksanaFranchisingInternational, Inc. Asamulti-roleentrepreneur,she isalsoaliveperformer;founderofa SchoolofMusic;musicalcollaborator; philanthropist.
Oksanaemigratedwithherfamilyfrom RussiafollowingthefalloftheSoviet Unionin1993,initiallysettlingin FloridawhenshereachedtheUnited States.Whilepursuingherpassionfor music,shewenttostudyatSt. PetersburgCollegeandFloridaState University.
Soonaftergraduation,shewentonto performacrosstheU.S.andon televisionandbecamethefirstRussianAmericanfemalepianisttotravel overseastoentertainU.S.military personnel,acareermovethat encompassedseveralworldtourson behalfofthe Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department of the U.S.
Navy andasolotourtoentertainU.S. troopsinItaly,Spain,andGreece.
Theresponsibilitieschangedaftershe becameamom,andhadresignedfrom herbusytouringlifestyleandtransition intobecomingabusinesswoman.She states, “A transition that was the direct result of performing daily for countless celebrities and business leaders as the in-house pianist at the legendary Polo Lounge in the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel between 2006 and 2013.”
Afterhertransitionasa businesswomansheinitiallysetout teachingpianotoarosterofcelebrities andtheirkids,andgradually,over severalyears,thisbusinessventure expandedintoofferingtutoringfor differentsubjects.Shestates, “It was at this point that I launched my first company, Oksana Management Group, Inc.
(www.OksanaManagementGroup.com ) in 2010, a smoothly-operating business that, to this very day, offers programs in music (piano, voice, guitar, singing, and more); foreign languages (Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese, Korean, Russian, Hebrew, Farsi and beyond); academic tutoring and test prep in all subjects for K through 12 as well as art (drawing and painting), acting and drama, fitness, yoga, cooking classes, martial arts, summer camps, and STEAM initiatives.”
ThebusinessmodelbornoutofOMG, Inc.provedtobesuccessful, withstandingthetestoftimein additiontoamyriadofother challenges.In2019,Oksanaopened hersecondcompany, Oksana Franchising International, Inc. (dba www.OksanaEnrichment.com);forthis endeavor,shedecidedtoapplythe successofthebusinessmodeltocreate anationalfranchisesystem,which provedtobeanaturalevolutionwith regardtoscalingandexpandingthe brand.
Thisnewbeginningalsopresentedan opportunitytoallowother entrepreneurstoflourishinthis excitingfieldbywayofjoiningthe company'sfranchisenetwork;indeed, today'sOksanaEnrichmentoffers franchisingopportunitiesto entrepreneurslookingtoworkinthe areasofeducation,tutoring,afterschoolenrichment,localyouthorientedcommunityclasses/programs, adults/seniorsactivities,andtheonline community.Sheasserts, “We offer a myriad of programs not only for students preferring private, one-on-one tutoring but also for the public, private and charter schools, districts, municipalities, and counties.”
WomenEmpowermentandtheLong StruggletoAchieveit
AccordingtoOksana,femalebusiness leadershavealreadycomesofarinthe worldofbusiness.Shementionsthat allsuccessfulandemergingwomen leadersshouldbeforevergratefulto thosebravefemalefiguresofthepast whopavedtheroadforthemand, ultimately,facedfarmorechallenges withregardtogenderdiscriminationin themale-domineeringworldof business;anotionthattracesbackas littleashalfacenturyago.Justasany businessindividualandentrepreneur, Oksanaherselfenduredmanystruggles onthejourneyofgrowingher enterprises,butshepointsoutthatnone ofthemwererelatedtogender inequality.
Whenitcomestothefranchise industrytherearemany misconceptions.Oksanawantsto providemorereliablesourcesof informationonthewebandnotjust one-sideddatabasedonstoriesof failureand“scare”tactics.Sheisrather showcasingandsharingmoreofthe reliableandprovensuccessstories.She
