World's 10 Businesswomen Making an Impact and Leading Change in 2022

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World's 10 Businesswomen Making an Impact and Leading Change in 2022 AN EXPERT IN FRANCHISING OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION March2022 www.worldsleaders.com OFFERING KEY INSIGHTS INTO THE LABOR MARKET PG. 16 GUIDING BRANDS AND START-UPS TO BUILD AND SCALE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PG. 20 SAMANTHA RINCIONE WOMEN’S DAY SPECIAL EDITION

World's 10 Businesswomen Making an Impact and Leading Change in 2022

BreakingtheGlassCeiling toGoingAboveand Beyond

NOTLONGAGO,womenfacedenormousobstaclesin theirpursuitofopportunitiesthatwouldputthemonan equalfootingwithmen.Inequalitybetweenmenand womenwasabundantlyvisibleaquartercenturyago—in universitycourses,theworkplace,andeveninhouseholds. Inmanyways,thelivesofwomenandgirlsthroughoutthe worldhaveimprovedconsiderablysincethen.Mostpeople inmostnations,wealthyandpoor,aregoingtoschool more,livinglonger,findingbetteremployment,and gaininglegalrightsandprotections.

Globally,around50%ofworking-agewomenparticipate inthelabourforce,comparedto75%ofmales.These figures,however,donottelltheentirestory.Womenhave beenoccupyingmanagementjobsfasterthanmalessince 1991,particularlyinhigh-incomenations,whilefigures suggestthatwomenstillhavealongwaytogobefore equalingtheproportionofmenintheseposts.Womenalso outnumbermalesinthird-leveleducation.Africais currentlytheonlyareaintheworldwherewomenreceive fewerthird-levelcredentialsthanmales,albeitbyanarrow margin.

EmpoweringWomenandGirlsforSharedProsperity providesasignificantleapinglobalunderstandingonthis essentialissue.Mostbusinesseswillgotoconsiderable effortstoincreasetheirprofitmarginsby2or3percent. Overtwo-thirdsofenterprisespolledbytheILOthat measuretheimpactofgenderdiversityinmanagement claim5to20%profitimprovements.

Youcan'tdisregardthebottomlineinbusiness.Gender diversityinmanagementisalsocrucialforcompetitive businessperformanceintoday'sunpredictableeconomic climate.World'sLeadersisrecognisingtheachievementof womenwhoarebringingprogresswiththeircreativeideas

andimprovingbusinessprocesseswithitswomen'sday specialedition "World's 10 Businesswomen Making an Impact and Leading Change in 2022."

ThecoverisfeaturingSamanthaRincioneistheCoFounderandChiefExecutiveOfficerofCraveHotDogs andBBQ.Sheisaselflessleaderwhostrivestobethe greatestmother,companyleader,andpersonshecanbe.

"Men and women should be seen as equal," says Samantha.Shefindsthatmanywomenhaveexperienced whatshehasintheindustry,andthatmakeswomen strongerandgreatleaders.Shebelieves, "We have no choice if we want to make it to the top. So many women leaders have fought for where they are. It shows determination and intelligence. While we shouldn't be treated differently, we are, and we will always rise above that and accomplish our goals”

Inthisspecialedition,letussharesimilar,inspirational talesandinterviewswithmanysuchdedicatedwomen leadersinordertoraiseawarenessabouttheir contributionstomakingtheworldabetterplace.Also, don'tforgettoreadthearticleswrittenbyourin-house editorialstaffandindustryexpertsasyouflipthroughthe pages.

Happy Reading!

Editorial Note

World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture. World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiringacknowledgmentfrombusinesspioneersuniversally.

ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR JACK

SALES MANAGER MEGAN MORGAN, ALEX GONZALEZ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER GRACE NELSON, ANNA CARTER

FOR EDITORIAL ENQUIRES | info@worldsleaders.com

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Expert in Franchising Expansion and Operations 08
COVER STORY An
SAMANTHA RINCIONE
BETTINA SCHALLER 16 POOJA BALI 20 ASEEL SHAHIN 24 SELINA NERI 30 CHRISTIANE WUILLAMIE OBE 34 OKSANA KOLESNIKOVA 38 ALICE VEGLIO 44 NITA WHITE-IVY 50 SHERI ATWOOD 54
| MARCH 2022 8

SAMANTHA RINCIONE

An Expert in Franchising Operations and Expansion

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Cover Story

Acompanyleaderhas

numerousobligationsto maintain,andiftheleaderis awoman,thosetasksaremultiplied bymany,sincewomenplaya prominentroleatworkandathome.

SamanthaRincioneistheCoFounderandChiefExecutive OfficerofCraveHotDogsand BBQ.Sheisaselflessleaderwho strivestobethegreatestmother, companyleader,andpersonshecan be.

Samanthahasspentherentirecareer intherestaurantandhospitality space.Atayoungage,shebecame thelargestmulti-unitfranchiseefor RedMangoyogurtandsmoothie café.Sheownedandoperatedten unitsonLongIsland,NewYork. Aftersellingherunits,shefoundeda firmcalledEmergingFranchises. Emergingfranchiseswouldhelp smallbusinessesbecomefranchises. Hercompanywouldassistthemwith everythingfromlegallybecominga franchise,tosalesoftheirfranchise, layout/design,menuandmore. Developingbrandsfromonetotwo unitstobecomenationallyknownon alargescale.Samantha'sexperience asafranchiseeandafranchise developer,andnowasafranchisor, allowshertounderstandand comprehendallanglesofthe business.Sheisatruefranchise expertinsideandout.

Samanthawantstobealeaderand rolemodelforherthreechildren, ages7,6,and2,byshowingthem whatit'sliketobeastrongand powerfulwomannotjustatworkbut alsoathome. "When it comes to the business, I personally value our team and our franchisees," saysSamantha. "They all are part of our Crave family, and that means something."

Shealwaysleadsbyexample,fights forherfranchisees,andtriestoset themuptobeassuccessfulas possible.

CraveHotDogs&Barbecue

Craveisafast-casualhotdogand barbecuerestaurant.grilledall-beef hotdogs,smokedbrisket,pulled chickenandpulledporkcanallbe foundonthemenu.Unliketypical BBQrestaurants,therearecreative twistsonbasicdishessuchasthe tacotrio,macn'brisketsandwiches, andmore.Withover20toppingsto choosefrom,customersmay customizetheirhotdogstotheir liking.Therearealsohotandmild sausages,brats,andvegetariandogs tochoosefrom.Thevarioussides andmouthwateringdessertsarealso fabulous.Aself-pourbeerwallwith 18-42localcraftbeersontaparea highlighttotherestaurants.Local breweriesarefeaturedateachsite, whichalsoofferswine,cider,and,in certaincircumstances,mixed cocktails.Patiosanddrive-through canbeaddedtothelocations,

increasingrevenuestreams.Crave alsohostsaplethoraofeventssuch astrivia,karaoke,openmicnight, andtaptakeovers,bingo,family gamenights,andmore.Thenewer restaurantsalsofeatureaxthrowing lanes,whichmakestheexperience somethingspecial.It'satrue experenintialrestaurant,wherethere issomethingforeveryoneinthe familytoenjoy

ImprovingasaLeader

Intoday'senvironment,being innovativeistheonlywayto advance.It'scriticaltoundertake ongoingmarketresearchandstayon topofcurrenttrendsinsocialmedia, technology,andmenuinnovation. Samanthaisalwayslookingforways toimprovethebrandsmenu,social mediapresence,andincomesources.

Samanthabelievesthatsomeleaders havegottencomplacentintoday's industry. "They lose sight of the customer demand and if you don't grow with the times and your customers, you will eventually stop

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growing all together." CraveHot DogsandBBQalwayspridesitself onbeinginnovative,inventive,and opentoideasfromitsfranchiseesand otherteammembers.Sheasserts, "Crave is a true family with our national staff, franchisees, and corporate team. Together, we are better as a whole.”

Asaleader,Samanthapridesherself onlistening.Sheadds, "It's important to understand that you don't always know best, and that people have great ideas. Instead of my 2 eyes on the company, I have hundreds. I consider myself lucky to have such wonderful people around me.”

WhatisneededtojointheCrave family?

Whilefinancesarecrucialsincethey areneededtoexpandandoperatethe business,Samanthabelievesthat personalattributesareequallyvital whentryingtorecruitnew franchisees.Shepointsoutthatif someoneismarriedorhasaspouse andwantstobecomeaCrave franchisee,theywillneedtheir partner'ssupport.TheCEOgoeson tosaythatthefamilymustbeon boardandbelieveinthebrandand thepotentialfranchisee'sambition anddriveforsuccess.Ofcourse,the franchiseemustbelieveinthebrand andthemselves,aswellasshare CraveHotDogsandBBQ'svisionof whatitistodayandwhatitcanbe.

"When we bring anyone into the Crave family, the goal is to try and have a fun, loving atmosphere for everyone. It is proven that growth happens when people are happy and successful. That is what we try to bring to our every day at Crave."

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Cover Story
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ABornLeader

"Men and women should be seen as equal," saysSamantha.Shefindsthat manywomenhaveexperiencedwhat shehasintheindustry,andthat makeswomenstrongerandgreat leaders.Shebelieves, "We have no choice if we want to make it to the top. So many women leaders have fought for where they are. It shows determination and intelligence. While we shouldn't be treated differently, we are, and we will always rise above that and accomplish our goals”

Samanthahadalwayswantedtolead, butshewasn'tsureifitwouldbeher children'slittleleagueteam,thePTA, orabusiness.Shefellinlovewith thisbusinesswhenshefirststarted, andthemoreshelearnt,themoreshe

flourished.Shesaysherpersonal experienceshaveshapedwhosheis, andsheisecstatictoleadthe wonderfulcompanythatherandher husbandSalhavefounded.

BeinginaChief'sRole

BeingtheChiefexecutiveofficerofa nationalbrandcomeswithmany responsibilities.Oneofthose responsibilitiesistopreservethe brand'simage.Sheandherstaffwant peopletoknowwhotheyare,what theystandfor,andthattheyarehere tostay.Samanthaisalsoinchargeof theday-to-dayoperations,overseeing herfabulousteam.Sheshares, "Fortunately for me, I have a fantastic partner, my husband Sal." Salistheco-founderandchief developmentofficerofthecompany Theduoissuchagreatteam,and

Samanthalovesworkingwithhim andhavinghimasherpartnerinlife andbusiness.Theyalsohavea phenomenalteamofcorporatestaff. Shesays, "It makes running and overseeing the day-to-day fun, and every day is better than the next as we grow.”

Samanthaalsohandlesalllegaland financialaspectsofthecompany.She asserts, "This brand is mine and my husband's baby, so I have my eye on all aspects, but I have a great team with me every step of the way."

Samanthaconsidersthatthebestpart ofherdayissendingouttheteam updateandtheirweeklycalls.She feelsexcitedtotalkaboutwherethe brandistodayandwhathergoalsare fortheweek. "Each week we grow more and more and it's not only me that's excited, our team and Crave family are too!”

BeaStrongVoiceintheWorld

Beingafemaleleaderisdefinitelya challengeattimes,whichshedoesn't letaffectherorthebusiness.

Samanthaknewtheremightbesome barrierswhensheinitiallyjoinedthe professionasawomanattheageof 19,butshemanagedtodisregardthe ignorantandbeasloudasshehadto inordertobuildhercareerand business.Samanthabelievesshehas beensuccessfulinherendeavors,and herbestadvicetoaspiringfemale entrepreneursistostaythethe course,bestrong,andbeheard.

Sometimesitismoredifficulttobe heardorforpeopletotakeyou seriouslyandunderstandyour opinions. “As a woman you just have to be louder and stronger which I learned early in my career." says Samantha.

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Cover Story
Offering Key Insights into the Labor Market
BETTINA SCHALLER
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SVP Head Group Public Affairs The Adecco Group.

Nameda“Staffing100Europe Influencer”andintothe International50ofthe“Global Power100–Womenin Staffing”since2017andinto theLatinAmerica25Top LeadersinStaffingin2022, BettinaisSVPGroupPublic AffairsTheAdeccoGroup

BettinaSchalleroverseesthe GroupPublicAffairsactivities oftheAdeccoGroup, encompassingregulatoryand policyissues,andtheAdecco Group'sengagementin Employers'Associationsand StrategicPartnershipsona globalandEuropeanscale.

Belowarethehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetween theWorld'sLeadersand BettinaSchaller:

Briefouraudienceabout yourjourneyasafemale leader.Whatchallengesdid youhavetofacetogetwhere youaretoday?

Ihadaprivilegedupbringing, withlittlehardship.Overall,

NtheresistanceIencounteredas Iclimbeduptheladderwas manageable.AndIdidseethe setbacksasanopportunity.I amarisktaker,soIknowthat somedecisionsmightnotlead tosuccess.Therefore,Itake anysetbackinitsstride.

OnechallengethatI'velearnt tomanageistonavigatemy ownself-confidence.Ilearnt earlyonthatmyverystrong beliefinmyselfcanbeseenas arrogance,asbeingover-thetopandbullyish.Still,tothis day,thesearenegative attributesinafemaleleader.

SoIlearnedtousemy confidenceincontrolleddoses. SometimesIwonderwhat wouldhavehappenedifIhad unleashedthatfullpotential.

DescribeAdeccoGroups' offeringsthataddressthe needsofyourcustomers.

TheAdeccoGroupisthe world'sleadingtalentsolutions andadvisorycompany,driven byapowerfulpurpose–to makethefutureworkfor everyone.Itfocusesonthefull spectrumofHRsolutionsthat businessesandworkersneed: fromflexibleandpermanent placementtorecruitment, outplacement,outsourcing, and,ofcourse,skilling,reskilling,andupskilling.

Enlightenusonhowyou havemadeanimpactinthis industrythroughyour expertiseintheindustry. Mybackgroundisin governmentaffairsandpolicy advocacy.SinceIjoinedthe privateemploymentservices industryin2010,myfocushas beenoncarvingoutthevalueaddofourservicesand solutionstowell-functioning labourmarkets.Weprovide prosperity,security, adaptability,workand, importantlythesedays,apath throughthecomplexlandscape oftheworldofwork.Inmany countriesacrosstheglobe, therearemisconceptionsabout therolethatweplayina country'scompetitiveness.We areoftenmajoremployers, takingthatresponsibilityon withpride.SoIinteractwith policymakersatalllevelsto ensurethatweworktogether tounleashourcontribution.

Whatarethechallengesyou andyourteamatAdecco Groupcomeacrossinyour day-to-dayoperations?

Thesedays,themaindaily challengesrevolvearound connectivityandengagement. Forthemostpart,wehave beenremoteforthelast2 years,andmyteamisspread acrosstheworld,justasthe35 000AdeccoGroupcolleagues

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are.Ihaveheavilyincreased mybilateraloutreach,making surethatI"checkin"on colleaguesregularly AndIam veryawareofmy communicationstyleasso muchgetsdonewithouthuman interaction.

Whatpeople,whatbooks, whatlifefactorshave influencedandimpacted you?

Iwasandstillaminfluenced bypeopleorsituationsthatare "wrong".Toalargeextent, witnessingatoxicleaderdo harmandbuildingmy resilienceandstrategyto counterthathasshapedmetoa largeextent.Iamverydriven byvalues,soifIseeinjustice ordiscriminationbeingdone,I willspeakup.AndIwill rememberhownottoactsince Iseetheimpactsuch behaviourhasonpeopleand organisations,andultimately onproductivityandoutcomes. Thereare,ofcourse,also positiverolemodels.The circumstancesandlifeof NelsonMandelastillinspire me.

Describeindetailthevalues andtheworkculturethat drivesAdeccoGroup.

AttheheartofTheAdecco Group'scultureareourfive corevalues:teamspirit, customerfocus,passion,

responsibility,and entrepreneurship.Equally valuableistheimportancewe placeondiversityandequal opportunityforeveryone workingwithorthroughThe AdeccoGroup.

Themixleadstoauniquetype ofcolleague,independentof thecountryfromwhichthey operate.

Wheredoyouenvision yourselftobeinthelongrun andwhatareyourfuture goalsforAdeccoGroup?

Ilooktobuildonmycurrent role,usingmynetworkand expertisetocreatevalueforthe groupandtheworldofwork ecosystemthatIoperatein.I havebeenmentoringand supportingyoungpeoplein andoutsidethegroupforthe pastdecadeandmadethe deliberatedecisioninearly 2021toheavilyraisemyvoice

forwomen'sleadershiptopics andjointhemovementto breakdownbarriersfor womeninleadershippositions onceandforall.

Whatwouldbeyouradvice tobuddingWomenLeaders?

Allowmetoputforwardafew elementsofadvice–onemight resonateparticularly.

Ÿ Thinkaboutwhereyour strengthcomesfromand honeinonthat—withthat: Behonestaboutwhatis importanttoyou.

Ÿ Communicate/make yourselfheard.

Ÿ Alwaysthinkabouthow youdo/canaddvalue.

Ÿ Fosterrelationships.

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BALI Guiding Brands and Start-Ups to Build and Scale Successful Business
POOJA
| MARCH 2022 20
Founder & CEO Venuscast

Thenewageleadersorleadership isnotaboutthe"yearsof experience"thatapersoncarries, butthekeyleadershipskills.To PoojaBali,ageisjustanumber, doesnotdefinehowgoodaleader onecanbe.Shesays, "Leadership among younger generations like the millennials or gen z is about creativity, self-confidence, values, being humble and having an incremental mindset and the one who wants to bring change and make an impact paving the way for generation alpha."

PoojaBali,FounderandCEOat Venuscast,isaserial entrepreneurandaseasoned branding&marketingexpert guidingbrandsandstart-upsto buildandscalesuccessful businessmodelacrossindustries inUAE,India,GCC&MENA regions.

Belowarehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetween World'sLeadersandPoojaBali: Briefouraudienceaboutyour journeyasawomenleader. Whatchallengesyouhadto

Tfacetoreachwhereyouare today?

Myjourneyasaleaderstartedat theageof6whenIenteredmy schoolandwasintroducedtothis termcalled"classleader"or "classpresident".Thistermcalled "leader"fascinatedtheyounger metoanextentthatIwantedto bethateveryyear.Atmyschool inBaldwinGirlsHighSchool, Bangaloretherewereclass electionsheldeveryacademic yearwhichwasademocraticway ofchoosingaleader,nominated andwhosecuredthehighestvotes amongaclassstrengthof60+ students.Thiselectiondayis somethingthatIlookedforward toeveryacademicyearasitwasa KPIformetointrospectand reflectifIamstillapeople friendlypersonwhocanlead. Luckily,Imanagedthat throughoutmyschoolingand everyyearIdevelopedand learnedhowtobeabetter& humbleperson.Ididmanageto developleadershipskills throughoutmyeducation.

Buttheprofessionalworldwas differentwhenIbeganmy journey.Peoplewerestilltiedto theconceptofexperience=better understandingandleadership.My opinionswerenotvaluedowing tomygender,ageandexperience. HoweverIsawthisasan opportunitytolearnandbreakthe thinkingofsocialnorm.Thebest criticsgotthebestinme.Until todaythisthinkinghasn’t

changedbutmyfocusandmotto haschangedtobeabetterversion ofmyselfeveryday.Ichannelize myenergyintopositivityand learning.

suggestion/recommendationin teammeetingswerebeingshot downorcriticizedbecauseofmy gender,ageandexperiencewhich wasquiteunreasonable.ButI tookinapositivespirittokeep learningandbetteringmyself.I challengedthesocialnormby showcasingmyskills/knowledge andvalidreasoningratherthan fightingit,Iembraceditandsaw anopportunitytolearnandadapt. Thisiswhatgivesmethecourage topursuemydreamswiththe entrepreneurialspirit.

DescribeVenuscast'sofferings thataddresstheneedofyour customers.

Venuscastofferscreative, branding,marketing,and customerexperiencemanagement solutionswithanintegrated approachtosmallandmedium businesses.Ourmissionisto empowerbrandstranslatingtheir vision,strategytowards sustainablegrowth,facilitating qualitybusinessoutcomesfor theirendclients.Thisapproach hashelpedustogrowyear-onyearalongwithourcustomer base.Asstrategicbrandpartner, wegrowalongwithclients.I enjoyleadingthepassionateteam alignedwithourmission& culture.Venuscastwasfoundedin

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2020inUAE,expandedtoIndia in2021andnowcurrentlyserves customersacrosstheworld.

Enlightenusonhowyouhave madeanimpactinthisindustry throughyourexpertiseinthe industry?

Asaserialentrepreneuranda seasonedbranding&marketing expertguidingbrandsandstartupstobuildandscalesuccessful businessmodelacrossindustries inUAE,India,GCC&MENA regions.Currentlytransitioning intoafinance&investment strategistrolewithfocuson sustainability(DEI&B,ESGand SDGs)throughimpactinvesting byworkingwithbusinessesfrom venturecapital&privateequity, financialservices,investment managementandmanagement consultingindustries.Iplanto leadsolutionsfocussedonlead generation,funding,enabling businessestoscale,alongside successfulM&As.

Whatpeople,whatbooks,what lifefactorshaveinfluencedand impactedyou?

Allthepeoplewhohavecrossed pathinmylifehavemadean impacttofindbetterselfevery day.Ihavebeeninspiredby strongwomenathome,someof mypeersintheindustryand successfulwomenleadersandthe impacttheyhavemadeinthis world.Theyinspiremetobelieve inmyself,dreambig,focuson

impactfulgoalstocreatebetter worldforfuture,workwith passiontoachievethosegoals (success)andhopefullyinspire futuregenerations.

Wheredoyouenvisionyourself tobeinthelongrunandwhat areyourfuturegoals?

Manifestinghasbroughtthelittle me,towhereIamnow.Istillowe andpledgetodoalotmoreasI amonlygettingstartedandbe thatchangeintheworld.Hence last24monthsofmylife,I investedinmyeducation& learningfromthebesttobebetter equippedtoreachmydream faster.Iinvestedinpursuing GlobalExecutiveMBAwith specializationinFinancealong withVentureCapital/Private Equity(VC/PE)programfrom ColumbiaBusinessSchool.Iam alsopassionateaboutdisruptive innovation&technologyand henceinvestingindevelopingmy skillsinfintech,blockchain, cryptocurrency,artificial intelligence,machinelearning andsustainability–building sustainablebrands&products. Withtheseskills,plantopivot intoVC/PEspacein2022asa womenimpactinvestor

Womenentrepreneurs,founders, executivesinthefinanceindustry facealotofbias,moresofrom womenofcertainethnicities.I intenttobeanimpactinvestorto practiceDEI&B(diversity,equity, inclusion&belonging)investin

sustainablebusinessesaligned withESG/UN'sSDGgoals.My careeraspirationistoinvestand takehighperforming entrepreneurs&missiondriven companiestothepublicmarket andunlockgrowthpotential.I envisionmyselftobeapartofthe teamtoringthebellwithan historicIPOatNYSE/NASDAQ. Throughthis,contributeto innovation,socioeconomic development&economicwealth creationforsocietyatlarge.

Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingWomenLeaders?

Myadvicetobuddingwomen leaderswouldbetobelievein themselvesandhavefaithina bettertomorrowbygivingthe besttoday Womenleadersneed tobefearless,empathetic and brave.Theirpassionshoulddrive themforwardandweneedto supportandupliftfellowwomen leadersaroundtheworld.Also, investinlearningandupskilling tobefuturereadyforthefutureof work.

Theonlywayweaswomen leaderswillstandoutand competeiswiththefoundationof education,skills&knowledge.

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Developing Effective Strategies & Solutions while Utilizing Business Resources
ASEEL SHAHIN
| MARCH 2022 24
Head of Business Operations ACINO

DrivingChangeisastrong skillsetthatAseelShahinhas developedasmanyof multinationalorganizationsshe waspartofrequiredaquick butmajorbusinessturn aroundatthetimeshejoined them.ThatdemandedAseel's focustounderstandingthe situation,analyzingdata/ information,liaisewith stakeholdersandengagethem attherighttimetoeffectively implementthechange

Aseelisanexperienced CommercialIntelligenceand ExcellenceManagerwith demonstratedhistoryof workinginthe Pharmaceutical,Medicaland ConsumerIndustrysuchas Novartis,Johnson&Johnson andcurrentlyasHeadof BusinessOperationsat ACINO.

Belowarehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetween World'sLeadersandAseel Shahin:

Briefouraudienceabout yourjourneyasawomen leader.Whatchallengesyou hadtofacetoreachwhere youaretoday?

DThroughoutmycareer,Ihave beendeterminedtoempower myselfbyseizinglearning opportunities,pickingup toughchallenges,takingrisks andensureIsucceedinwhatI do,whichultimatelybuilt confidencethroughoutthis journey,andmademewhoI am.Tacklinguniqueormajor challengesthroughyearskept meoutsideofmycomfort zoneandhelpedmeshapeand understandmypassionand strength.

Asafemaleleader,Wife& Motherof2kids,Iamproud tosaythatIhavesuccessfully overcamemanychallengesin masculinedominantbusiness environment.Ifeelenergized andhappywitnessingwomen inourpresentsocietymore empoweredthanthepast generations.Today’swomen inbusinessbelieveintheir skillsandthevaluetheybring onthetableregardlessofhow theymaybetreatedordealt with.

Thepresenceofglobalization &multinationalcompaniesin ourregionhasbeenacatalyst providinganenvironmentfor womenempowerment,helping excellentwomenleadersto emerge.Andthat’sjustthe beginningofalongjourney whereweseemoreandmore womenholdingseniorand executivepositions.Ifeel luckythatIwasbornina country(UAE)whereits leadershiphasalwaysbeen determinedtoempower womenandbringequalityin

thesocietyandprofessional environments.

Positivechangeishappening globallyandtheimpactis evidentacrosssocietyand organizations.However,Ido believethereisalongwayto goandtofurtherhelpachieve equalityforwomen,strong supportsystemsathomeand workplacearerequired.A supportsystemdoesnotmean creatingadvantageforwomen, buttoallowthemmake choicesonamoreequalscale. Suchsupportsmayinclude extendingthedurationof maternityandpaternityleaves.

Lastbutnotleast,toinvolve andencouragemoremen takingchargeofwomen leadershipinitiativesisanother importantwaytosupport womenempowerment. Involvingmenwilldefinitely helpthemfurtherunderstand thereality,challengeandthe goal,whichthenbringsoutthe collaboratorinthem.

DescribeIndustryofferings thataddresstheneedofyour customers.

IBelieveaddedvalue solutions,Consistency& customized experience/Engagementwhich arethemainpriorityofthe threemultinational organizationsIwaspartof.

Whatarethechallengesyou andyourteaminyour industrycomeacrossinyour day-to-dayoperations?

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Timingbecamelessrigiddue toglobalizationthusimpacting worklifebalanceorIbelieve worklifechoices.Inaddition, thepandemichasforcedusto dependmoreonvirtual interactionswhichmadeus rethinkofnewwaystohave effectivemeetingsthat includedhighlevelof engagement&empathy

Whatpeople,whatbooks, whatlifefactorshave influencedandimpacted you?

CarolSDwekhasinspiredme inherBook:Mindset,where itguidedmetofollowthe growthmindsetframeworkon personalorprofessionallevels. Thereisalwaysroomfor improvement&development. Asmentalwellbeingisan importantfactorinsustainable workenvironment,Ihave soughtforformaleducationon thesubjectandbecame CertifiedasMentalFirstAider whichcontributedin navigatingandsupporting colleaguesinneed.NaturallyI alwaysfollowtwoprinciples (1)Listeningtochallenges& (2)Usinghumanstrengthto staywell

Describeindetailthevalues andtheworkculturethat drivesOrganizationsyou workedin.

IbelieveTransparencyin communication,Collaboration, Trust,Engagement&Integrity arequiteessentialtocultivate ahealthycultureacrossthe organization

Basedonmyexperience,the morediverseteamsare,the moreproductiveandcreative theybecomeandconsequently theorganizationsthrivetobe thesame,andbenefitsfromit. Eachindividualpossesssetof strengththatcouldcontribute positivelytothesuccessofan organization.

Wheredoyouenvision yourselftobeinthelongrun andwhatareyourfuture goals?

Iseemyselfbeingapeople's personsofollowingmy passion&interests,Ienvision myselfleadingrolesthatare closertopeople& OrganizationalCulture.Inmy opinionthebackboneofeach organizationisitshuman capital.Empowering& developingthepotentialin peopleleadstoamoreresilient organization.

Animportantaspectforhuman capitalistheenvironment.Itis sometimesthemissingpieceof

thepuzzlethatincludes Talents,Skills&Attitudein organizations

ThisiswhereIamplanningto focusmycareerinthecoming 10years.

Whatwouldbeyouradvice tobuddingWomenLeaders?

Bringmorementothe conversionofempowering womanasitwillcontributeon empoweringeachotherby focusingonstrengthinsteadof gender.

Inaddition,toallWomenBe confident&beyourself,Find yourstrengths,believeinthem andunderstandhowtheycan impactyourorganization,then utilizethem.

Itisimportantthatweraise andempowerotherwoman& nottoletcompetitiveness overshadowthefinalgoal.

Finally,alwaysallowtimefor SelfReflection.

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“On personal level, I found direct conversations is the best way to address the gender bias in professional environment”
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DR. SELINA NERI

A Visionary Education Professional
| MARCH 2022 30
Professor of Management & Corporate Governance HULT International Business School

Dr.SelinaNeriisProfessorof ManagementandCorporate GovernanceatHULT InternationalBusinessSchool (DubaiandLondon)whereshe teachesMBAandexecutiveMBA coursesintheareasofcorporate governance,organizational behaviour,businessandsociety, andluxurymarketing.Sheisa researchfellowoftheFutureof theCorporationProgramofthe BritishAcademyforthe HumanitiesandSocialSciences andamemberoftheInternational CorporateGovernanceNetwork (ICGN).

Hultisthefirsttripleaccredited businessschool(AACSB,AMBA andEQUIS)intheUSA,with campusesinSanFrancisco, Boston,LondonandDubai.Hult isaplacelikenoother,aplaceof innovation,oftryingoutnew thingsandofprofoundselfdiscovery. We Dr.Neristates, " strive for relevance: relevance to business, relevance to personal development, relevance to society, relevance to teaching and research, life-long relevance to our students and alumni. Developing the human is one of our top priorities, beside developing competence in the

Ddomains of business and at the edge of knowledge and possibilities."

Belowarehighlightsofthe interviewconductedbetween World'sLeadersandDr.Selina Neri:

Briefouraudienceaboutyour journeyasawomenleader. Whatchallengesyouhadto facetoreachwhereyouare today?

Myjourneyisoneofsurvivaland grit.Itisalsooneofpersonal discovery.Ihavesurvived physicaldisabilityatavery youngage,afamilybackground thatgavemeaspringboardinto educationandyettriedtopullme backintotheversionofmethat myfamilydesired.Isurvived naturaldisastersandIsurvived illnesses.Idevelopedgritand tenacity.Inthefirstyearsofmy career,intheUSA,Isurvivedan obnoxious,sexistandracistboss whodidawonderfuljobat ignitinginmetheabilitytoshow mytruecolors.Themorehetried todemeanme,thehigherIrose, emotionally,intellectuallyand hierarchically.Istartedmy educationintheliberalarts,went ontoEconomicsandanMBA. Workedforover26yearsin technologyandeventuallycrafted fourindustrychanges.Isaton boardofdirectorsoflisted companiesandfeltonmyskin whatcorporatepowermeansand howitcanservesocietyorselfinterest.IwasawardedaPhDin Businessattheageof52after threeyearsofdoctoralstudiesfor whichIsacrificedeverything.I

fellinloveattheageof39with themanwhoeventuallybecame myhusband,mytrueloveandmy numberonefanclub.Mineisa storywhosetextureisepicand filledwithdiscoveriesofwhoI reallyamdeepinside,whatI standfor,inwhosecompanyI feelcomfortableandwhatdoes notbelongtowhoIam.Iamstill searchingbutIhavelearnedtobe comfortablyvulnerableandtobe me,whateverittakes.

Enlightenusonhowyouhave madeanimpactinthisindustry throughyourexpertiseinthe industry?

Iamabusinesspersonwhocame toacademialateinlifeandIthink thisgivesmecredibility,deepand vastsocialcapital,theabilityto connectthedotsformyselfand forourstudents,whetherin corporateoralumnirelations,in securingtopfacultyforour coursesandthebestmindsthe worldhastoofferintheir respectiveresearchdomains.I bringenergy,optimism,comfort infunctioningastheprimary spokepersonforthecampus, dynamism,visionandahealthy degreeoffunandspontaneity.I doletmyhairdown!Our stakeholderssaythatIaman influencerandaninitiatorofthe "new":Itakethisasa compliment.AsfacultyIbring competence,funandanexciting learningjourneytomystudents. Asdean,Ibuildopportunitiesfor growth,boldideasandtheability towinpeopleoverandthinkoff myfeet:atHultwearemastersin pivoting!

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Whatarethechallengesyou andyourteamatHult InternationalBusinessSchool comeacrossinyourday-to-day operations?

Wefaceavarietyofchallanges thatcommandourabilitytopivot andtobeintrapreneurial:fromthe Covidpandemicandensuringthe healthandsafetyofour community,tobeingableto functionasastrong,imclusive anddiversesupportsystemfor staffandstudentswhoface personal,professionalandlife crisisandchallenges.Weface challengeswheretheworldwould likeustobend:bendtherules, bendyourethicalstandardsand bendyourmorality Westandfor something:ifyoudonotstandfor somethingyou'llfallfor everything.Wecannotanddonot wanttoaffordit.Westandfora liberaleducationandforwhat educationmeansinahumanlife. Westandforprofessionalconduct inandoutsideofcampus,we standforaninclusivecommunity whereeachofusisfreetobeand valuedforwhoweare.Westand forstudentswhocannotafford theirpostgraduateeducationbut havetalentandmerit,sowehave acomprehensivescholarship programtosupportthem.Itis becauseofourstrongvaluesthat weovercomeday-to-day challenges,fromfindinglast minutefacultytoreplacea colleaguewhocannotteachto pivotingawholecoursearounda greatideastudentsmighthave,to deliveringbigeventswithlimited budgetsandfindingsponsorsfor ourmostinnovativeactivities.

Describeindetailthevalues andtheworkculturethat drivesHultInternational BusinessSchool.

Nothingisimpossible, entrepreneurialthinking,student centricity,costconsciousnessand teamwork.Thesearethe foundationsofhowweoperate. Hultwentfromadisruptorin highereducationtoatriple accreditedbusinessschoolthat playsinthetopleagueofits game.Thesevaluesignitemeand speaktome;otherwiseIcould notbethedeanoftheDubai campusorafaculty.Westandfor aplacewhereweallfeelthatwe belong.Weareafamilyandgo togetherthroughthickandthin.

Weshareaprofoundrespectfor ourstudents,theirfamilies,their professionalandpersonaljourney

AsdeanIampreparedtogo throughfireformyteamandmy students.Thisisalsowhat authenticleadershipisallabout.

Wheredoyouenvisionyourself tobeinthelongrunandwhat areyourfuturegoalsforHult InternationalBusinessSchool?

IcancomfortablysaythatIhave foundmypurposeinaleadership positioninhighereducationinan institutionIrespectandwith peopleIcareabout.Thisisvery rare,andIamgratefultobehere, inthismoment,inthisplace.I likethepersonalityofhigher educationandthetruecoloursof leadership.Itisexhaustingandat timessolitary,butitiswhoIam andwhatIdo.Iamatajuncture inmylifewhereIchoosewhatI doandsofarIhavelearntmany

lessons.WearetakingHulttoits nextera:atimefilledwith flexibility(demandedby students),cuttingedge specialisationsandprograms, pervasiveeco-systemsof education,governmentsand businesswhereourstudentsare introducedtoC-levelexecutives andorganisationsthatshapethe futureofhumanity Weare exploringtheedgeofbusiness topics,whetherfinance3.0, emergingtech,dataanalyticsor thehumanities(muchneededto developtheleadersofthefuture inthehumaneconomy).Weare addingnewvaluetoouralumni whoformthebackboneofwho weare.

Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingWomenLeaders?

Youmustblossomandyoumust learntoknowyourself.The ancientGreekcivilisationuseto saythatknowingourselvesisthe goaloflife.Icouldnotagree more.35yearsagoIthoughtI knewwhoIambutnowIknow thatwasafabricatedversionof me:thetexturewasn'tme,the personawasn'tme.IthinkIwas ashamedandscaredof discoveringmytrueselfasIwas raisedinthebeliefthatlikeability iskey.Itisimportantbutitisthe resultofbeingcomfortablein yourownskin,notagoalinitself.

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CHRISTIANE WUILLAMIE OBE

An Expert in Building Corporate Culture to Support Business Agility, Digital Transformation, and Cyber Security
| MARCH 2022 34
Co-Founder & CEO Pyxis Culture Technologies

AsanexperiencedInformation Technologyprofessionalofover30 years,ChristianeWuillamieOBE hasalwaysvaluedqualityof software,excellentservicedelivery andgoodITmanagement.Shegrew herITservicesbusiness100%year onyearfrom1994toatradeexitin 2001witha40%marginonfixed feesprojects,allthisbasedon operationalizingahigh-performance cultureonallaspectsandprocesses ofherbusiness.

Christianeisco-founderandCEOof PyxisCultureTechnologies,which specialisesinpredictiveculture analyticsforbusinessgrowthand improvement.

Belowarethehighlightsofthe Interviewconductedbetween World'sLeadersandChristiane WuillamieOBE:

Describewhoyouareasaperson, insideandoutsideofthe workplace.

Iamarisktakerandprofound believerintheabilityofpeopleto accomplishgreatthingsand overcomedifficultsituationsifgiven therightleadership,propertoolsand managementsupport.Iamaserial entrepreneurwhotacklesthehard-tosolvebusinessandITproblemsby focusingonfixingthebasics,hiring anddevelopingthebestpeople,and buildingastrongteamculture.My

Acolleaguesandfriendswouldalso describemeasagreatproject organizerandtoughtaskmaster Yet oneveryprojectandeverycompany

Itrytomakeitafunand developmentalexperiencefor everyone.Iampassionateabout realisingindividualpotential.Bothin businesstermsandatindividual level,Iusuallyhaveaveryclear visionofwhatcouldberealised beforeanyoneelse.

Describeyourbackgroundand whatdidyoudobeforeyou started/joinedthecompany?

IgrewupduringtheVietnamwar andcomefromamilitaryfamily.My fatherwasaseniornavalofficerand wasincarceratedinare-education campafterthewarfor12years.I experiencedthewarandovercame manychallengesduringthatperiod. Myfatherwasabiginfluenceinmy lifeandagreatleader.Ididnothave theprivilegeofasupportive upbringingnortheopportunityfor education.IleftVietnamaged14to gotoFranceandbasicallybrought myselfup,fendingformyself.I startedworkveryyoung. Idecided togotoEnglandformore opportunitieswherethecultureis moreopenandliberal.In1980,I workedforUNHCR(UnitedNation HighCommissionerforRefugees) andhelpsetupareceptioncentrefor resettlementofVietnameserefugees pickedupbyaMerchantNavyship andfromrefugeecampinHong Kong.Iwasresponsibleforthe MedicalCentre.Itwasaprofound experience.

Ihavealwaystakenthehardwayon myprofessionaljourney.Ihave workedfororganizationslargeand smallasanemployeeandasan advisor,Ihavealwaysgivenbybest andhonestrecommendationson solvingissues.Thisdoesnot sometimesservemewell.

Tellusabouttheinceptionofyour businesses.Howdiditallstart?

Ibeganmyprofessionalcareerasa softwarecoder,thenanITproject manager.Mysuccessesleadmeto becomeoneoftheyoungestHeadof ITforamajorUKbank.WhenIset upmyownITServicesCompanyin 1994,Idecidedtodeliveremergency ITprojectsrecueonafixedfee,fixed deadlinebasis.Atthetimeno-one workedonafixedfee.Thesecretwas touseclients'projectemployeeswho havedeemedto'havefailed', organize,teambuildtheprojectteam, fillinanymanagementorspecialist gapswithmyownemployees, engageandcommunicateconstantly withbusinessusersandtogether delivertothedeadlinewiththeclient employees.Mypolicywasthatthe clients'teamgettherecognitionfor deliveringtheprojectsuccessfully andnotexternalconsultants.

Whicharethemajorservicesof thecompanyandhowdotheyhelp thecompanytogetaheadinthe competition?Whatvalue-added servicesdoesthecompany provide?

PyxisCultureTechnologiesisafirst moverinidentifyingandquantifying theactualcausalfactorsthatcreate andsustaincorporateculture.We giveorganizationstheinsightand toolstochangecultureandlinkto businessperformance.Oneofthekey innovationsofourapproachisthe abilitytoidentifyhiddenrisksandto leveragehiddenassetstoimprove businessperformance.Basicallywe havedevelopedarisk-based approachtoleveragingstrategy, structureandcultureasawayto improvecompetitiveadvantage.

Cultureisanoverusedand misunderstoodword. Peopleoften finditdifficulttodefineculture, especiallyseniormanagement.

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Cultureisnormallyperceivedasan HRresponsibilityandfocusesmost ofthetimeonemployeeengagement andsurveys. Webelievecultureis actuallyaleadershipresponsibility.

PyxisCultureTechnologiesview cultureasabusinessecosystem, consistingofmultiplecausalfactors insidetheorganisation,suchas policies,workpractices,training, managementstyleandnumerous otherfactorsthatinteracttoinfluence howemployeesatalllevelsinteract witheachother,customersand suppliers.PYXIStakesasystem thinkingapproachusingvisualtools andsoftwaretomapallthese importantculturecausalfactors. Our platformhasthefacilityidentify hiddenbusinessrisksthatareculture relatedandprovidesaroadmapto improvecultureandbusinessresults.

Whatisthesignificanceof innovativeideasinthecompany?

Innovationmustbeatthecoreof everycompanyculture.Thathas alwaysbeenthecasebutisespecially truenowthatweliveinaglobal economyandthepaceoftechnology isaccelerating.Everycompanyis vulnerabletonewtechnologyand newcompetitors,manyofwhichare halfwayaroundtheworldanddon't careaboutyourpastsuccess.They wantyourcustomers.

Innovationisnotincrementalbut comesfromastepchangeinthinking abouthowtobestservecustomers andsolveproblems.PYXISis innovatingthecultureconsulting industry,whichhasbeenstaticfor thepast50years,relyingon employeesurveysandtop-down cultureworkshops.Thefactisthat over70%ofculturechangeefforts failtodeliveronthebusiness benefits.It'stimefornewand innovativethinking,andthat'swhere PYXISisperfectlypositioned.

PYXISisaboutleveragingyour assetsandpeopletocontinually adaptyourbusinesstochanges.

Giveusyouropinionon;do organizationsrelyheavilyon individualheroicsorteam processes?

Nooneindividualcandeliver organizationalsuccess. Success requiresteamworkandshared objectives.Unfortunately,most executivesfocusmoreonthesuccess oftheirownfunctionthantheoverall enterprise,thuscreatingfunctional siloswithlittleinformationor resourcesharing.Itisoftenthecase thatonefunctiondeliversonits projectsandbudget,yetthecompany overallunderperforms.

Whatareyourresponsibilitiesas theCEOofthecompany?Whatis thehappiestpartofyourdaily routine?

Thefascinatingthingaboutbeingthe CEOofafastgrowthdisruptor

companyisthateverydayis different.Itrequireskeepingyoureye onthelonggameaswellasreacting today-to-dayissuesofproduct development,cashflow,customer suggestionsandofcourse,social mediaandmarketing.Thebestpart ofmydayisspeakingwithpotential clientsandseeingtheireyeslightup whentheygraspthatfinallyitis possibletoreallygetagripon cultureandhowitimpactsbusiness performance.

Whatadvicewouldyougive someonegoingintoaleadership positionforthefirsttime?

Myadvicetoaspiringleadersisto alwaysvolunteerfortheworst assignments,sincethatiswhereyou willlearnthemostaboutyourself, yourcapabilities,andtheneedsof thebusiness.Also,Istronglysuggest theyreadthebiographiesofgreat leadersthroughouthistory,both ancientandmodern.Theywilllearn examplesofhowadversityforged theirleadershipskillsandphilosophy andhowtheyovercameobstacles.

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ALICE VEGLIO

Using Fitness to empower as many Women as Possible by allowing them to reach their Full Potential

| MARCH 2022 44
CEO & Founder Bright & Fit Fitness Program
CMO & PARTNER FORBES FRANCE worldsleaders.com | 45
| MARCH 2022 46
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NITA WHITE-IVY

A Tech Savvy HR Leader with Extensive Work Experiences

| MARCH 2022 50

Operatinganefficientbusiness requireseffective communication,askilled workforce,andeffectivework culture.Theseallcanbeachievedby havingaproficientHRteamthatis alsoresponsibleformoderating errors,increasingemployee engagement,formingthefoundation forbetterclientrelationships, stimulatinginnovationandcreativity, andhelpinginbuildingapositive culture.MeetNitaWhite-Ivy,Chief HumanResourcesOfficerat BlackBerry,whoholdson experienceinbest-in-classglobalHR practices/managementandinterface withthecompensationcommitteeof company'sboardofdirectorsmostly intheareasofofficers'andboardof directors'compensation,incentives, andbenefits.

AtBlackBerry,Nitaisresponsible forleadingtheHRteamtodesign anddeliverglobalprograms, initiatives,partnerships,solutions, andservicesinallfacetsofHR,to supporttheachievementofthe company'soperationalgoalsand strategicobjectives.Thisincludes HRbusinesspartnerships,talent development,talentacquisition,total rewards,employeerelations& compliance,DE&I,HRIS/HRIT& analytics,HRoperations,supportand services,andstrategicprograms.

TheBeginning

Nitaconsidersherenteringthehigh technologyindustryasHRmanager ofprofessionalemploymentand compensationforanotable mainframecomputercompanywas thetruebeginningofherHRcareer PriortojoiningBlackBerry,Nita spent15yearsastheheadofglobal HRwithSybaseInc.,untilitwas acquiredbySAP.Shesays, “We became part of SAP and I concurrently served as Chief People Officer for SuccessFactors (another SAP-acquired company) until I joined BlackBerry.”

Atthebeginningofhercareer,she wastermed“thefeisty”and“most productiverecruiter”fordeveloping anddrivingsuccessfuluniversity relationsandrecruitmentprograms whichacceleratedrecruitmentoftopnotchcollegegraduatestofill engineeringanddevelopment employmentrequisitions.Nitawas alsofortunatetobeselectedatthat timeasoneofthehigh-potential employeesforthecompanythereby receivingapromotiontothenext gradeevery15to18months.She asserts, “It was my desire to be in high demand, energized, and forward-looking-industry and work environment. I always aspire to be where technology addresses current global requirements plus the foresight for the future.”

AWomanofPersistence

Nitawasasinglemomatavery youngage.Then,shewastakingthe responsibilityaloneforthechild,and beinganewimmigranttotheU.S. andlivingwiththesolepurposeto provideagoodlifeforhersonasa responsibleparent.Shesetouther “togettheproperacademic preparation”tobeabletocompetein thejobmarketandqualifyforagood jobandpay.Itwasanunwavering goalforhertosecureastronger futureforbothofthem(forherand herchild.)Thechallengesofnot havingfriendsorfamilymembersto assisther,workingfull-timewhile goingtoschoolfull-time,didnot derailherfromthegoal.

Nitaconsidersthatthereasonsheis thrivingandfeelingstrengthenedin thesectorisbecauseofbeingan activeparticipantandcontributorina turn-aroundorganization.BlackBerry isthethirdturn-aroundcompanythat shehadbeenfortunatetojoin.There istheultimaterewardandthe sweetnessofsuccesswhenthe companysucceedsinachievingits transformationobjectives.She deems, “Employee morale,

performance and retention, recruitment of talent, and company stock price all get the positive boost just to name a few.”

ForNita,successishavingastrong purposetoachievewithfocusand perseverance,overcoming challenges,acknowledginganyfear offailure,andmanagingituntilthe completionofwhatonesetsoutto accomplish.

ThrivinginMale-Dominated Sector

Nitastates, “Challenges, setbacks, roadblocks, and the lessons we learn from them do make a person stronger.” Fromherjourney experiences,shepointsthatasa woman,andaminority,enteringthe high-technologyworldand succeedinginitwasmost challenging,tosaytheleast.

Nitarecallsthatsheworkeddoubly hardeverystepoftheway,didher “homework”todemonstrate knowledgeandproficiency,and earnedprofessionalrespect accordingly.Sheasserts, “Being a corporate officer for three companies in the last 20+ years has its own set of challenges. But they are just thatchallenges to overcome and to navigate with purpose and determination for one to succeed and make a difference.”

ThebiggestlessonsofNita's professionaljourneyare:

(1)Abilitytojuggle,prioritizeand re-prioritizewhatneedstogetdone asdaysusuallydonotgoasplanned;

(2)Understand,keepuptodate,and delivertothecompany'sbusiness needs/requirements;and

(3)Balancemindandheartwhen leadinganddevelopingyourteam members.Acceptthattherewillbe somefailuresanddisappointments,

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| MARCH 2022 52 A W ARDS

butwitnessingmenteesgrow,and blossomprofessionallyarethe preciousrewardstosavour

TheBrand;BlackBerry

BlackBerryisdeliveringthenext generationofcloud-based,AI cybersecuritysolutionstoaddress todayandtomorrow'scybersecurity threatsandensureorganizationsof allsizesremainsafe.

BlackBerryispoisedtoextendthis positionbyacceleratingtheadoption ofemergingautomotiveconnected serviceswithitsBlackBerryIVY platform,co-developedwithAWS,as wellasbyexpandingitsfootprintin safety-criticalconnectedendpoints foundinindustriessuchas transportation,medical, manufacturing,androbotics.

TheRootsofBlackBerry

AccordingtoNita,integrityand innovationarefullyembeddedin BlackBerry'scorevalues,whichare wellcommunicatedtoitsglobal employeesandpostedontheinternal websiteasshownbelow.Shesays, “HRmodelstheseCoreValuesin everythingthatwedo.”

Innovation:TheCompanyleadsin itschosenmarketsbyconstantly innovating.“Welearnequallyfrom oursuccessesandfailures,andnever restonourlaurels.”

Integrity:Thebusinessisbasedon thetrustcustomersplacein BlackBerrytosecuretheirmost valuableinformation. “We conduct ourselves at the highest level of business ethics by complying with our internal controls and procedures.”

CustomerFocus:BlackBerryis successfulbecausecustomerstrustit tosecuretheirmostsensitive information.“Eachdaybeginsby focusingonourcustomersfirstand beingasresponsiveaspossibleto

theirsecurecommunicationsneeds.”

Accountability:Theteamsare knowledgeable,fullyengaged,and accountable. “By cultivating and rewarding individual passion, creativity, and achievement, we meet and exceed our commitments to our colleagues and the business.”

TeamworkandMutualRespect: Allemployeesworkasoneteam, unitedbehindthesamegoals,and alwayswithrespectforeachotheras professionals. “We have each other's backs and do whatever we can to support each other, including colleagues in other workgroups.”

EnsuringtheCompanyLeadswith BestWorkPractices

Thepandemichasalteredthe “normal”orregularworkday.Nita leadstheHRteamtoensurethe companydeliverswhatisbest practiceintheindustryintermsof programs,systems,processes,and policiestoservethebusinessneeds andincompliancewiththe employmentlawsofthecountries whereBlackBerrydoesbusiness.She mentionsthatduetoCOVID-19, thereisno“best-practicebox”to drawfromforHRpractitionersto meetandsolvethechallenges, uncertainties,andissueseachday brings.Atthistime,anduntilthe teamsreturntoanear-normalor normalcompanyoperation,sheis leadingtheHRteaminprotectingthe healthandsafetyofemployeesand maintainingongoingandcloseHR

communicationwiththepeople leadersandemployees.Furthermore, theteamisalsokeepingabreastof localgovernmentandhealth authorities'directives/mandatesand ensuringcompanycompliance.

AsaLeader

Nitaseesherselfasa'tenacious' leader.Prioritizing,beingresilient, andtakingtimetorechargeincluding takinga'mentalhealthdayoff'isher mantraofhavingabalancedlife.

Atthecompany,shekeepseveryone motivatedbyhavingandsharinga commonpurposeandfocus, maintainingongoingcommunication andcollaboration,andrecognizing teammembersfortheircontribution andsupportofeachother.She asserts, “I am committed to seeing, and be a part of, the completion of BlackBerry's successful turnaround.”

ANoteforYoungLeaders

“Have a sense of purpose that is strong enough for you to not yield to challenges, roadblocks, and setbacks, each of which carries a lesson to be learned for future reflection and draw from as a useful tool,” saysNita.She furthersuggeststhatdoyourbestto achieveabalancebetweenmindand heart.Shethinks, “Applying emotional intelligence, especially in today's world of pandemic fatigue and mental stress, will connect you positively closer to your colleagues and customers.”

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SHERI ATWOOD

| MARCH 2022 54
Founder and CEO | SupportPay

Providing a Ground-breaking New Approach to Sharing Child Expenses and Managing Child Support S

FounderandCEOofSupportPay, SheriAtwoodsays, "We want to make family life easier by changing the way families manage money across households – from a conflictridden, time-consuming & stressful event to a collaborative process between family members. We want to make single, divorced, and blended families' lives easier by delivering innovative applications that will save parents time, money, and headaches.

"

SupportPay,launchedin2013,is thefirst-everautomatedchildsupport paymentplatform,poisedto transformthecomplex,timeconsuming&stressfulprocessthat impactsnearly300millionparents exchangingmorethan$900billionin childsupport&childexpenses worldwide.WithSupportPay,today's modernfamiliescanspendlesstime managingandarguingaboutchild support,expensesandalimonyand moretimefocusedonraisinghappy, healthychildren.

Astheonlypaymentplatformthat manageschildsupport,shareschild expensesdirectlybetweenparents, andmanagesspousalsupporttoo, SupportPayallowsparentstotrack costs,sendpaymentstoeachother, andavoiddisputesbymakingthe wholeprocesstransparent.Asper Sheri,SupportPay'sonlineplatform providesasharedlogofreceiptstoo, whichhelpsensurethatmoneyis goingwhereit'ssupposedtogofrom theveryfirsttransaction.

Thefollowingarethehighlightsof theinterviewbetweenWorld's LeadersandSheriAtwood:

Briefouraudienceaboutyour journeyasabusinessleaderand howlonghaveyoubeenassociated withtheorganization?

PriortoSupportPay,Ihadavery lucrativecareerasamarketing executiveinSiliconValley,including beingtheyoungestVicePresidentat Symantec.Iwasadivorcedsingle mombusyjugglingacareerand raisingachildandquicklyrealised thatyougetabillforeverythingin lifebutyoudon'tgetabillforchild support.Isearchedhighandlowfor asolutionandwasshockedtofind outtherewasnothingavailable.At thesametime,mydaughterhadto haveemergencybrainsurgery,which reallyforcedmetolookathowIwas spendingmytime.Irealisedthenthat ifIwasgoingtospendsomuchtime awayfrommydaughter,Iwantedto

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ORGANIZE | MANAGE | TRANSFER

workonsomethingthatmadean impactontheworld.Idecidedtoquit myjobandstartSupportPay,giving parentswholiveapartasolutionto managetheirchildsupportandshare expenses.

InDecemberof2016,Icloseda$4 millionSeriesaround.Thecapital enabledmetocontinuetogrow SupportPay,butitalsomeantIgave upcontroloftheboard,withme beingonlyoneofthreevotes(the othertwowereinvestors).Seven monthsafterraisingSeriesA,Iwas firedfrommyowncompanyand replacedwithaninvestorinsider Within30-daysofmebeingfired,20 ofthe25employeesquitorwere

fired,andwithintwo-monthsthe productdidnotwork.Afewmonths later,Ifoundoutalongsidetheother shareholdersthattheywere liquidatingmycompany.Ireached backouttotheboardtoletmecome backandfixthesituation,asIfeltI owedittotheinvestorswhobelieved inmeandtheparentswhorelyon ourplatform,butunfortunately,my requestwentunanswered.After severalofferstoacquirethecompany werecancelled,Idecidedtomake onelastattempt.Inearly2018,I formedanewholdingcompanyand madeanoffertoacquirealltheassets back.Myofferwasaccepted,andI usedtherestofmysavingsanda personalloantobuySupportPay

back.Sincethen,Ihavefocusedon fixingtheproduct,gettingthe previoususersbackanddriving revenuetoensurewearenow financiallyindependent.Ifnothing else,Iamafounderwithgritand determination,andthisstory,whileit didn'ttakeplaceattheverystartof mycareer,feelsliketheoriginstory ofwhoIamtoday.

Whatisthedirectionandstateof innovationsinthecompany?

MyhopeistomakeSupportPaya hugesuccess,deliveringamuchneededsolutiontothemillionsof parentsandchildrenwhohaveto dealwiththecomplexityof

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managingchildsupportandsharing expenses.Althoughtherehavebeen significanttechnologicaladvancesin manyareasofpeople'slives,thenew familydynamicsofseparatedparents workingtogethertoraisechildren havebeentotallyignoredintermsof technologicaladvances.Today,we arehelpingparentswholiveapartin givingtheirchildrenthefinancial supporttheydeserve.Inthenear future,wearelookingtoexpandto usingthesametechnologytohelp siblingsandotherfamilymembers whoareprovidingfinancialsupport fortheirageingparents.Together, SupportPaywillbethedefacto standardforfamiliesmanaging financesacrosshouseholds.

Doesyourorganization'scorporate responsibilitystrategymatchthe availabilityofyourcurrent resources?

SupportPay'smainmissionistohelp today'smodernfamiliesspendless timemanagingandarguingabout childsupport,expensesandalimony andmoretimefocusedonraising happy,healthychildren.With countlessinitiativestomaketheir servicesaccessibletothoseinneed, SupportPay'slatestannouncement, timedtoDomesticViolence AwarenessMonth(October)to removetheworryoffinancial instabilityfordomesticviolence

victims,standsasagreatexampleof theorganisationutilisingitscurrent resourcestobringitscorporatesocial responsibilitystrategytolife.In alignmentwithDomesticViolence AwarenessMonth,SupportPayis offeringafreesubscriptionto SupportPaypremiumforthose experiencingdomesticviolence.

Morethan90%ofdomesticviolence victimsforgosupportandexpense reimbursementduetofearsof increasedviolence.Mothersavoid collectingsupportorreimbursements duetofearsofbeinghurtagain, whileothersdonotcollectsupport becausetheylackawaytopreserve confidentiality,orarelimitedby courtordersbarringcommunication. Evenwhenvictimsareabletoget support,theyareoftenunableto maintainaccuraterecordsofall transactionsduetothestress,and potentialrelocation,thatcomeswith escapingabuse.

SupportPay'scontact-freesystem providesareliableplatformto receivesupportwithoutworry, whetherparentsarepayingsupport directlybetweeneachotheror throughstateagencies.

Howeffectiveisyour organization'sstrategicvision? Whatarethethreethingsyou wouldliketoshareaboutthe company?

Withanultimatemissiontogetall childrenthefinancialsupportthey deservefrombothparents,our cultureofintegrityandinnovation stemsfrompeoplewhohaveseen childrenwithoutthisequalfinancial support-orexperiencedthis situationfirsthand-gothrough.A majorityofSupportPay'semployees have/aresingleparentsorhave directlyexperiencedtheimpactof divorcesomehowintheirlives. Havingthisuniqueinsider perspectivepushesusthatentire extramiletomakeparents& children'sliveseasierwith Supportpay,startingwithensuringall childrengetthefinancialsupport theydeserve.Weworkhardto achieveourmissionbecausesomany ofushavebeenontheotherend,ina worldwithoutSupportpaystruggling tomakechildsupportaseamless experience.

WhenstartingSupportPay,theinitial roadblockswerelackofcapitaland lackofawarenessthatasolutionto theissuesthatcomewithchild supportexisted.Mostparentsdon't realisethereisasolution,anddon't thinktolookforone.These challengesforcedmyselfandmy teamtothinkoutsideofthebox, overcominglackofawarenessby seekingtoeducateparentsandfamily lawprofessionalsaboutSupportPay, andworkinghardtoraiseover$7M infundingoverthecourseoffive years.

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World's Leaders Magazine is a Media Company that covers stories of business leaders around the globe. Consistent updates to our online publication, internet based life and master sentiment give a substance rich pursuing knowledge loaded up with fascinating perspectives and remark on the issues of the worldwide business. World's Leaders Magazine inspires readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business. Everyone wants to know the journey of a successful personality or a venture. They want to know more about the establishment, about the path that led them to the pinnacle, about the obstacles overcome, and the all hard work about the Success. World's Leaders Magazine is the platform, where we are unwinding the untold stories of business leaders and the stories of startup turning into the venture World's Leaders Magazine is a trustworthy and honesty acquiring acknowledgment from business pioneers universally.

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