Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Robust Networks
Accelerator for
Digital
Transformation
Encourage
& Empower
Breaking out of the
Proverbial Box
Septimus
Blake
An Epitome of Perseverance, Passion, and Prociency
A
Chief Operating Officer has its own challenges,
everything is in his hands, all the weight on his
shoulders, and he has to go through all the stuff
alone, that can be overwhelming and terrifying at times.
Being a CEO, people are counting on you. You must be
doggedly persistent in the pursuit of your goals while being
passionately focused on delivering great products and
services to your customers.
Managing and Achieving this certainty in sustaining competency of the businesses, through our
edition - The 10 Most Creative CEO’s to Watch in 2020 is Septimus ‘Bob’ Blake, the CEO of
National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited. His key responsibilities currently include the
strategic development of the organization so that the company’s customer experience, employee
experience, financial and risk management goals are appropriately set and achieved.
Septimus cultivated a voracious appetite for reading that has never left him to this day. Two
books that have influenced his professional life are the oft-referred “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu
and “Only the Paranoid Survive” by Andy Grove, co-founder of Intel.
His current favorite is “Hit Refresh”, by Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. “His story is one of being
purpose driven, innovative and empathetic. This is reflected in his leadership of Microsoft and
resonates well with me,” says Septimus.
Three leadership lessons from Andy Grove’s book that have guided Septimus’ decisions
throughout his career, are encapsulated in the following quotes.
“You are always in danger, you are in danger of competitors, you are in danger of new ways of
doing things, but most importantly you have a danger that the way you have conducted your
business is going to lose relevance”
“You can be the subject of a strategic inflection point, but you can also be the cause of one” and
“In technology, whatever can be done will be done”.
Lastly, make sure to go through the in-house editorials drafted by the industry experts and the
curated articles written by our editorial team.
Abhishaj Sajeev
abhishaj@ciolook.com
COVER STORY
08
Septimus
Blake
An Epitome of Perseverance,
Passion, and Proficiency
36
Encourage & Empower
Breaking out of the
Proverbial Box
ARTICLE
24
Robust Networks
Accelerator for Digital
Transformation
16 CONTENTS
Jill Button
20
A Exemplary Business Leader
Ascending the Peaks of Success
VANTAGE
Information Services
Integrating Data of Businesses to be
Modeled, Visualized and Monetized
28
Mordecai Rosen
A Data Protection Guru Guiding Organizations
in Safeguarding their Data Effortlessly
32
NICOLE MARTIN
40
Redefining the Benchmarks of
Human Resource Management
Rebecca Burgess
Leading a Change, Impacting Lives,
and Making the World a Better Place
44
Rob Leslie
48 Exemplifying Prolific
Leadership
Shanaz Ramzi
An Epitome of Leadership
and Excellence
Abhishaj Sajeev
Editor-in-Chief
CONTENT FOLLOW US ON
DESIGN
abhishaj@ciolook.com
sales@ciolook.com
December, 2020
Featuring Person Company Name Brief
Vantage Information
John Kogel For nearly 30 years Vantage IT has been providing outsourced
Services Ltd IT support to local businesses, schools and charities.
CEO & Founder
vantageit.co.uk
timus
ke
everance, Passion,
COVERSTORY
“
“You are always in danger, you are in danger of
competitors, you are in danger of new ways of
doing things, but most importantly you have a
danger that the way you have conducted your
business is going to lose relevance.” – Only the
Paranoid Survive, Andy Grove
T
he definition of leadership in a corporate setting, “Though intangible, this mindset is the foundation of my
is not one of titles and hierarchies anymore. It life's progress, and I will always be grateful to my
has become a lifestyle, ingrained into the parents for that,” says Septimus.
consciousness of every aspiring entrepreneur or
professional. His parents urged him to focus on beating the odds and
excelling, in spite of the circumstances. They also
A present-day business leader has to ascertain the instilled in him an appreciation for speed and
growth of the organization as well as his team members understanding the value of being a decent and
– especially in times like these, where a global respectful human being.
pandemic has drastically changed the way the world
functions. “They taught me to look at every job as an opportunity
to learn, earn and to grow. To this day, these principles
Leaders who have managed to achieve this certainty have remained the soundtrack of my personal and
and sustain the competency of their businesses, are professional experiences,” he adds.
definitely made of a different mettle. Through our
edition, The 10 Most Creative CEO's to Watch in 2020, Septimus joined National Commercial Bank Jamaica
we set out to seek such significant and inspiring Limited in March 2002 as a fixed income trader - a role
business leaders, and one prominent name among them which involved identifying investment opportunities to
is Septimus 'Bob' Blake, the CEO of National increase fees, spread income, pricing, purchase and sale
Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited. of financial instruments, and to analyze and forecast
market conditions and trends in order to manage
Let us delve into Septimus' story – one of inspiration, trading relationships.
passion, and commitment to success.
A year later, he was promoted to bank treasurer with
Strong foundations increased responsibility. This included the management
and direction of the bank's asset and liability, liquidity
Septimus started out with humble origins on a small management, investment portfolio management and
farm in rural Jamaica. Despite not having all the foreign exchange trading functions. Along with that
material comforts of life, his parents invested early in portfolio, he assumed responsibility for the
ensuring that he had the right mindset. management of local financial institutions and
correspondent banking relationships.
His role expanded again in 2013, as he was asked to
manage the bank's card issuing and acquiring business,
along with the digital channels. He was recognized for
doing transformative work in all those areas, leading to
which in 2016, he was promoted to Chief Operating
Officer of the bank.
Drawing inspiration
driven, innovative and empathetic. This is reflected in “Not only do you need people who are willing to learn
his leadership of Microsoft and resonates well with me,” from you, you also need people who are also focused on
says Septimus. excellence in areas in which you may be deficient from
whom you can learn. Once you have built that dream
Three leadership lessons from Andy Grove's book that team you have to invest in creating an environment that
have guided Septimus' decisions throughout his career, allows them to flourish. Without that you'll have a great
are encapsulated in the following quotes. team that won't be able to achieve great results,” he
adds.
“You are always in danger, you are in danger of
competitors, you are in danger of new ways of doing Towards new horizons
things, but most importantly you have a danger that the
way you have conducted your business is going to lose In his advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and business
relevance” leaders, Septimus says, “Know your customers. The
customer is the businesses. Be bold and decisive. Don't
“You can be the subject of a strategic inflection point, be afraid to be the first mover. As the maxim says, 'if
but you can also be the cause of one” and you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far,
“In technology, whatever can be done will be done”. go together.' In other words, don't be afraid of
collaborating.”
Redefining Excellence
Talking about his foresight for NCB, Septimus says,
Sharing his opinions on what traits an ideal business “The great thing about the future is that it's ours to
leader must possess, Septimus says, “Leaders should be invent, so there are no boundaries.”
audacious. They are called to invent the future.
However, the vision that guides them must be bold, “On the horizon though is a world class, digital bank
solution-oriented and based on a deep obsession with with exceptional customer experience, and delivering
consumer needs. Despite their grand aspirations value in exciting new ways. We are doubling down on
though, today's great leaders have to make decisions our efforts to develop a culture of speed, innovation,
underpinned by data and execute with accuracy and execution, and resilience that is built around our
speed.” customers' needs. This will be done with a focus on
embracing emerging technologies that give us the
When asked on how he sustains his leadership acumen flexibility to adapt, evolve and empower our people,” he
in this changing technological era, Septimus says that adds.
the rapid pace of technological change is a reward for
the curious and restless mind. “Remaining in a state of As for his own future endeavors, Septimus says he will
continuous learning allows you to connect more dots be focused on learning, growing, and improving his
that can lead you to your goal. However, no matter the effectiveness as a leader, and providing strategic clarity
level of one's intellect, a strong team is critical to to the business.
success,” he explains.
CHOOSE OUR SUBSCRIPTION
17
| December 2020 |
myself. My dad always believed in me and I needed to worth the time and investment. We do not get caught up
start believing in myself more and not let fear keep me in the hype.
from realizing my dreams of building a successful
company. I have not let doubt stop or deter me since. Yes, According to you, what are the vital traits that every
occasionally, especially this year, fear creeps in, but I have CEO should possess?
learned to push right through it and just keep moving Fearlessness, Persistence, Passion and Humility. Being a
forward. CEO, people are counting on you. You cannot lead from a
position of fear. You must be doggedly persistent in the
How do you sustain business operations in the current pursuit of your goals while being passionately focused on
unpredictable markets and cutthroat competition? delivering great products and services to your
Again, you must listen to your customers and be willing to customers.
think outside the box and pivot when necessary. With the
pandemic, most of our projects were put on hold or A great CEO must be humble and inspire their team to
cancelled so we doubled down on our marketing efforts achieve their greatest potential in turn fostering a
and implemented a new ERP solution for our company committed and engaged team who go above and beyond
and the ThryvX Group. for your customers. Without a great team, a CEO is just a
person sitting alone in a board room with his ego for
We have also started offering online training, something company.
I love and never had time to do before. Last, an
unexpected benefit is, business is now done virtually so How do you sustain your creative leadership spirit in
geography is no longer a barrier. Where before we were this crucial time?
focused on Canada, we can now deliver our services My team! I am most happy when I am working with my
virtually anywhere across the globe. team, brainstorming new ideas and developing new
solutions. My team is my greatest source of energy,
How do you keep up with current technological trends creativity, and joy. I could not do this without them.
to boost growth?
Tech selection and digital transformation is what we do. What would be your future endeavours and where do
We are methodical in our approach beginning first with you see yourself in the near future?
understanding the true need and how technology can I am really excited about my newest venture; ThryvX.
enable, streamline, and automate. Our motto is Complimenting my ProcurePro services, my ThryvX
“Practical, Applicable and Sustainable”. If it cannot satisfy partners are experts in Marketing and HR. Leveraging
those three areas, it is just a shiny new object and not our collective expertise, we offer a breadth of back-office
services normally reserved for large enterprise that are
challenging for small and medium businesses to find and
afford.
18
| December 2020 |
About Jill Button
Self-described #GenXFempreneur Jill was
named one of the “100 Inuential Women
in Canadian Supply ChainTM” by Supply
Chain Canada, nominated for the “RBC
Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award”
and featured in “Top 100 Canadian
Professionals magazine.” I am so humbled
and honoured to be recognized. I am
especially grateful for the amazing
relationships I have been able to build
across Canada, the US and around the
world.
About ProcurePro
ProcurePro Consulting is a boutique
“You must be doggedly
Procurement and Project Management
services rm that specializes in helping small persistent in the pursuit of
and mid size companies; competitively
source, contract and implement IT software,
hardware, and services
your goals while being
We offer Virtual Procurement, Project passionately focused on
Management and exible online and
instructor led Training. From 1-hour
workshops to 3-day intensive instructor led
delivering great products
programs.
and services to
To learn more about ProcurePro Consulting
visit
w w w. p r o c u r e p r o . c a o r e m a i l
your customers.”
info@procurepro.ca.
19
| December 2020 |
VANTAGE
Information Services
Integrating Data of Businesses to be Modeled,
Visualized and Monetized
M
ost analytics companies start with where Vantage comes into the picture. It envisions
technology, whereas Vantage Information creating technology that bridges the substantial gap in
Services Limited starts with the business, the market today that every company struggles with i.e.
specifically what creates ROI, and works back to the how to enable teams to make data driven decisions as
technology. Vantage was founded to bring best in class part of their everyday workflow.
analytics to the business user. It was set up with a
mission to build best in class technology that Flagship Technology
operationalizes data driven decisions and deliver value
to organizations through data analytics. It leverages its At the heart of Vantage is its flagship technology,
business experience and uses proven approaches to Vantage Point that operationalizes data driven
create value from data and enhance client profitability. decisions and connects business users with other
Using proprietary processes for prediction and business users across their company's network of
analytics, the company turns its clientele's raw data into clients and suppliers. The technology enables the
actionable insights on demand. communication of value via KPIs that can be set at any
level of the organization, autogenerates tasks with ML
Enabling Businesses to Make Data-driven Decisions models at a user level, allows users to understand why
that task was generated for them by diving into the
Vantage believes that technology companies have done data, and measures ROI from completing that task.
a great job at building amazing technology for the Vantage Point modules are plug and play deployments
power user. At this stage, the messaging of these – no code, no long implementation times, and include
companies to the market is “become a citizen data subject matter such as Sales Analysis, Inventory
scientist”. What these technologies are missing, and Analysis, Customer Analytics, HR Analytics, and
what Vantage Point solves for, is the fact that these Financial Analysis.
companies have teams of people which are hired to
perform very important functions, and not to learn how An Inventive Mind
to code or data model or to become a data scientist.
They don't have time to spend hours searching through The person behind the inception of Vantage Data is its
dashboards to explore the data. They need answers and CEO, John Kogel. John has accumulated an enriching
recommendations on what to do next, so they can experience of 1o years, which was focused on
combine these recommendations with their expertise leveraging data analytics to enhance portfolio returns
in a seamless manner, and then understand the ROI while minimizing risk. In 2014, he began developing his
impact of their decisions. This is how analytics can be own suite of analytics, generating outsized returns for
driven to every person in every organization and this is his investment strategy. On the back of this, he saw an
20
| December 2020 |
John Kogel
CEO & Founder
Vantage Information
Services Limited
“
Vantage's core technology,
organization's network.
21
| December 2020 |
opportunity to expand these analytics beyond the current market opportunities, and it is part of our mission to
scope of finance to industries including retail and ensure that we continue to drive avenues where we share
manufacturing, and started Vantage. our platforms and skills, particularly with previously
disadvantaged individuals and communities.”
As CEO and Founder, John drives the strategy and
technology vision of the company. He plays an in-depth Changing the Way Companies Operate &
role in the product development of Vantage's flagship Communicate
product, Vantage Point, actively works on continually
building and developing great customer relationships Vantage aspires to change the way companies
and a great team. He is focused on making and shaping fundamentally operate internally, and how they
a culture of efficient, data driven investment decisions communicate with each other externally. There is a
based on ROI across his business and clients' massive gap and therefore universal inefficiency in how
companies. Besides, he holds a Bachelors and Masters companies operationalize data driven decisions.
degree in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Vantage builds technology to bridge and eliminate that
from MIT. gap. Ultimately, it does not only want companies to do
this with their own data, but to incorporate their
Core Values customers and suppliers into their Vantage Point
network, thereby driving more seamless cooperation,
Vantage has experienced significant growth and enhanced ROI for all parties, and data monetization.
evolution over the last 5+ years by shaping a fast
moving, high performance culture, all of which is
“
underpinned and measured through its values of
Collaboration, Agility, Catalyst, Diversity and
Innovation. These values all relate to each other to
drive success. Diversity is the underlying difference
matter though. The company is of the belief that with
collaboration and agility, one can drive innovation and Focused on the business user,
change. Diversity however is the fuel that makes the
engine run. Without differences in background, Vantage Point starts with ROI, and
thinking, and approach, any company will struggle, and
ultimately fail, to create a product that differentiates
against today's market. works back into the technology, to
Giving Back to the Community achieve an efficient and data
Speaking about CSR, John asserts, “Corporate Social
responsibility is a key focus of our business as the principle driven approach for each business
of “enabling” is core to who we are at Vantage. We recognise
that not everyone has access to the tools, knowledge and user.
technology that will allow them the best foundation for the
22
| December 2020 |
Accelerator
for Digital
Transformation
24
| December 2020 |
Robust Networks
I
t’s not anymore a mystery how It has become crucial for businesses,
the evolution of technological irrespective of sizes, to have a
era has taken place. Technology robust network infrastructure as it
has revolutionized the perspective is also counted as an essential
of the global population. The component to enhance the agility
imprints of technological and productivity of organizations.
advancements can be seen in almost Network Infrastructure, if
every sector. For example, developed effectively, enables
blockchain technology is creating a businesses to maximize
digital record that verifies any productivity, reduce operational
transaction at a certain time and costs, and manage complex
sequence, and AI is enabling new consolidations. Moreover, managed
ways to interact with consumers via network services help businesses
chatbots and artificial personal run the applications that fuel their
assistants. day-to-day business, enhance their
communication and sharing tools,
The use of internet has brought and improves business flexibility
people from the different corners of and agility.
the world closer than before, and
computers have simplified data- Addressing Current Crisis
processing, analyzing the
organization, and communication If we consider the current pandemic
for individuals as well as businesses. situation, it has changed the way
The one thing that keeps everything businesses operate and
connected is Network. communicate. COVID-19 has
Be it accessing the internet, enforced businesses to operate
downloading a file, printing remotely. Employees working from
documents or emailing an urgent multiple locations resulted in a need
presentation, a sound network to inculcate integrated network
infrastructure is required. monitoring solutions, as staying
Networking Solutions have become securely connected became a
a requirement of almost every challenge. The chances of security
individual and more importantly, risks and inherent physical limits like
businesses. latency and bandwidth, which would
hamper speed, seemed to occur for
In today’s business world, businesses.
companies are adopting e-
commerce module to reach out to Companies with sound network
the customers globally and making monitoring solutions were
their shopping experiences simpler. successfully able to fight against the
In order to ensure the smooth business effects of COVID-19.
running of such business modules, a Adopting a network monitoring
suitable networking infrastructure solution can assist companies in
is vital as it provides speed, ensuring the smooth running of
connectivity, and ultimately value to business networks and processes.It
the users as well as businesses, became evident that how secured
making it a win-win situation for network solutions can be
both the parties. We can safely put resourceful in a crisis like situations.
that comprehensive networked In fact, the research suggests that
systems are at the very heart of e- industrial networking solutions
commerce. market size is expected to grow to
25
| December 2020 |
USD 23.84 Billion by 2022, at a and adware, Hacker attacks, Zero- centralized roles and rules,
Compound Annual Growth Rate day attacks, also called zero-hour promoting high-end data security.
(CAGR) of 21.0% during the forecast attacks, denial of service attacks,
period (2017–2022). data interception, and theft, and These trends are truly shaping the
identity theft. Network security is future of networking technology
Security is Still a Concern available in the form of firewall and are optimizing network
protection, email security, anti-virus performance for modern
Networking along with value-added and anti-malware software, network businesses. Harnessing the latest in
features also increases the chances segmentation, access control, the field of networking solutions,
of cyber threats, which can make the application security, behavioural many network solution providers
company’s private data and emails analytics, data loss prevention, are developing integrated solutions
vulnerable. Data being the core mobile device security, security to deal with the challenges
aspect of business requires high information and event management, businesses are facing.
security. Businesses have immensely VPN, Web Security, Wireless Future is Promising
become dependent on computers Security, etc.
and cloud technology to control With the above mentioned
large money transfers, store data, or Upcoming Trends Shaping the upcoming trends, one can safely
communicate with the communities. Future of Networking assert that the future of networking
They cannot afford any kind of solution is set to be revolutionized.
security breach. Thus, network • Wi-Fi 6 It doesn’t come as a surprise how
security is a vital aspect of The upcoming development in the new and emerging technologies
businesses nowadays. field of wireless connectivity is Wi- have always driven networking best
Fi 6. It is anticipated to change the practices and will continue to do so.
Regardless of size, industry or face of networking solutions in the For example, it is believed by many
nature of businesses, every coming years by increasing the tech experts that a combination of
organization can be a victim of device density that can machine learning and artificial
cybercrime and thus, require a independently coexist in a single intelligence will aid network
degree of network security space without impacting the speed managers to create next-generation
solutions. Past instances of large- on a single device. networking solutions to achieve
scale businesses, who admitted a high-end security and optimize
loss of their sensitive data due to an • 5G network performance.
internal or external security threat, It is the most awaited high-speed
exemplify why network security is of networking technology that would To wrap it up, every size of business
utmost importance. They had to pay be providing blazing fast internet would require robust and secured
a huge amount to recover from a speed. 5G will be competitive in network infrastructure to boost the
security breach. terms of performance, speed and performance of employees,
latency with wired connections productivity, and scalability. The
Digitization has brought a drastic currently. current pandemic crisis has
transformation in human lives as highlighted the need for integrated
well as in the corporate world. Every • Digitized Spaces network solutions and how it can
business that aims at delivering An intersection of IoT, sensors, ensure the smooth running of
products or services as per mobile networks, and digitized businesses. Many network solution
consumers’ demand must keep their spaces will make companies data- providers are walking an extra mile
network infrastructure secured, to smart and derive deep customer and to come up with topnotch network
earn the trust of their customers. business insights by strengthening security solutions to address the
Network Security not only protects the networking solutions ecosystem need of the small, medium as well as
them from cyberattacks or threats, for enterprise uses. large scale enterprises. The pace at
but it also protects the reputation of which the advancement in
businesses. • SD-WAN networking technology is growing
SD-WAN is a framework that will be with other evolving technologies
Some common security threats agiler, more robust and enable and the future of networking
active on the Internet are: Viruses, organizations to route a huge solutions from here looks promising.
worms, and Trojan horses, Spyware amount of network traffic based on
26
| December 2020 |
Mordecai Rosen
A Data Protection Guru Guiding Organizations in
Safeguarding their Data Effortlessly
28
| December 2020 |
The 30 Most Creative CEO's to Watch 2020
29
| December 2020 |
rewarding in so many ways, but it's not easy. Markets, products, and
sometimes people will disappoint. Grit and a genuine love of the work are
awfully important to see you through,” says Mr. Rosen.
Guiding aspiring leaders on how to ride the entrepreneurial path, Mr. Rosen
asserts, “Surround yourself with great people, establish a culture of
excellence, and lead from the front. Have a point-of-view but be data driven.
It's OK to adjust or evolve in real-time. Finally, be agile and
expect change, because, in our business, it's the one
thing that you can absolutely count on.”
30
| December 2020 |
T
he term human resource management was first Following is Nicole’s story, possessing the potential of
coined in the 1960s when the value of labor inspiring and motivating everyone.
relations began to garner attention. Notions such
as motivation, organizational behavior, and selection I am Nicole Martin. My vision, and the reason that I left
assessments began to take shape. In today’s scenario, the corporate world to launch HRBoost, was to help
organizations are often in a need of a Human Resources businesses to create winning workplaces through our
Management System in order to systematically people. We desire to bring joy and purpose to people
organize the workforce. In this competitive world there through their work. HRBoost provides solutions with
are a few organizations which provide the best Human passion to individuals, groups and businesses alike. We
Resources Management System in the marketplace, do not operate under the philosophy that one size fits
and HRBoost LLC is one of them. all. Every leader must align their personal values to the
organizational values and define success clearly so that
Emphasizing on the courage to pursue passion, the every person can connect their role to a transcendent
ability to bring out a change and redefining organization purpose. Our mission is to provide value
entrepreneurship, CIO Look brings to you the journey added Human Resource Services that allows each
of an avid leader, Nicole Martin, the Founder and CEO business to do what it does best. When HR is aligned,
of HRBoost LLC. HR is no longer just a partner; it is a fundamental part
of the business helping to drive the human side of
profitability.
32
| December 2020 |
Redefining the
Benchmarks of Human
Resource Management
NICOLE
MARTIN
33
| December 2020 |
John Tinghitella (CEO of RV Designer)
and I with our book. My latest,
NO FEAR Negotiation for Women
place to work. We have experienced tremendous leader, and a futurist skilled in helping organizations to
growth and proudly nearly every client has been meet their strategic objectives.
sourced through word of mouth. Our appeal and
success is due to our personal dedication for each and In recognition of her complete commitment to
every client. professional excellence as well as her community,
Nicole has been honored by multiple organizations and
The greatest concern I see for today is the Talent most recently as a 2016 Enterprising Women of the
Emergency, which I address in detail in my book, “The Year Champion, by Enterprising Women Magazine, a
Talent Emergency”. Generational Agility is utmost 2017 Excellence in Business Award winner, and a
important to businesses who want to succeed and Mirror Review enlistee of, 20 Impeccable Women in
grow. It is imperative that companies look within their Business recognition in 2017.
organizations to ensure that they have a culture which
embraces diversity, not only we are speaking to gender, As a highly regarded and sought after expert, her
culture, and ethnicity, but also generational diversity. knowledge and advice have been featured in
Creating a team that brings multiple views and newspapers and magazines throughout the country.
experience to a business provides a unique perspective Recent publications, in which she has been seen,
that will elevate the business and ensure continuing include Forbes.com, the Daily Herald Business Ledger,
success, which in turn will lead them to be a best place and Fast Company.
to work. Retaining and attracting top talent is a sure
way to maximize the human side of profitability and She is the author of the books, The Talent Emergency,
become THE place to work. The Human Side of Profitability, and The Power of Joy
and Purpose. She is also the author of the chapter
A Multifaceted Leader “Emotionally Speaking” in the book titled Leading from
the Heart. In addition, Nicole is the host of the internet
Nicole is an internationally renowned speaker and an show, HR in the Fast Lane.
author. She is a dynamic and empowering consultative
34
| December 2020 |
Breaking out of the
Proverbial Box
- by Lyn Ola, Founder and CEO,
Chimes Consulting
G
IRL
GRITTY
Being new in the corporate world is quite tricky for
most people, much more for women.
When I started with my corporate job, I did the usual
nine-to-five. I set my roots and learned whatever I
could about the industry, the work, and myself. I got
the opportunity to work with top multinational
companies. I was ecstatic to achieve my dreams
earlier than planned. However, it didn't take very
long to realize that this set-up is not the right fit for
me in the long run. The dream of being on the top of
the corporate ladder wasn't that too appealing to me
as time passes by. I was not impacting anyone, and I
was not helping others as I wish I could have. I got a
glimpse, and I understood why it was called the
corporate jungle.
Most entrepreneurs who started as an employee
would understand and maybe have the same
reasons they opted to create their businesses. I
wanted many things to change, and so I decided to
take the other road.
36
| December 2020 |
Encourage & Empower
Lyn Ola
Founder & CEO
Chimes Consulting
37
| December 2020 |
38
| December 2020 |
Once you've set your eyes on the prize and realized you forward faster, but you need to ensure that you
how you want your time spent (building on your can still make it yourself. Developing high-quality
dreams and passions), all the risks and obstacles skills is essential. With that, no matter whoever
seem worth facing head-on. comes or goes out of your life, you have two steady
and rooted feet as support.
I'm not saying that it will be easy as many of the best
things in life aren't. But that's where grit comes in. RADICAL
Grit isn't about blind positivity. Not everything you
do will be great, and not everything you plan will Breaking out of the proverbial box is vital in making a
happen in a snap. Grit is about doing whatever you difference. Being atypical is not bad at all. There are
can, whenever you can, and however you can to more risks involved for the unprepared, especially if
make your dreams and goals happen despite all the road less taken, but there are also great rewards
challenges. You push through because you know it's to reap.
worth it.
Changes in the trend and the industry can force us to
For me, I've set my eyes on collaboration with become radical. A few decades ago, the only
businesses and the education of those who share my distribution channels for most businesses were
passion for learning to provide more job physical ones and, now, technology and social
opportunities for people. I decided to integrate my behavior are continuously pushing companies to go
love and expertise in Information Technology and online and reach their customers through digital
Marketing and built means.
Chimes Consulting.
In being radical, entrepreneurs and businesses need
INDEPENDENT to start by being present, significant, and distinct.
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| December 2020 |
Rebecca Burgess
Leading a Change, Impacting Lives, and
Making the World a Better Place
B
y working together, we can shape a future
where profit is balanced alongside people and
planet, so all life can thrive.
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| December 2020 |
Rebecca Burgess
CEO
City to Sea
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| December 2020 |
I think passion is
vital in leadership.
for everyone to see with single-use plastic littered these times that I draw strength from Natalie Fee, their
everywhere. founder, who continues to represent City to Sea on
various platforms about the devastating effect that
The organization's most awarded campaigns have seen plastics have on our oceans,” she adds.
them tackling single-use plastics with a mix of practical,
solutions-focused initiatives and championing for reuse City to Sea's senior leadership help create an open,
over single-use. In these, they have involved diverse caring, and supportive environment at work, made up
stakeholders like individuals, communities, employers, predominately by women. It makes City to Sea
and retailers while inspiring and empowering everyone accessible to people at large, quite unlike most
and being their critic and trusted peer. businesses and corporate bodies.
Behind every great cause lie great pains. For Rebecca's Incidentally, the presence of these women and their
City to Sea, that pain is funding – a constant concern. experiences lead to a campaign for 'plastic-free periods'
Like a committed strategist with limited resources, she where the ills of using plastic-backed menstrual
has sharpened City to Sea's presence and USPs to focus products on human health as also on the environment
on their impacts. These include innovations like the were highlighted quite prominently.
“Refill Campaign,” the world's first drinking water app,
connecting the thirsty to a network of places ready to Swimming against the tide
give them water for free. At present, besides the app
going global, it has over 300K downloads and 30K Rebecca states that a leadership position or the helm
businesses joining them. remains the one place which gives her an unrestrained
view of what lies ahead and considers it as the best
Shortly, the app will be relaunched (with funding from place to be in, in times of crisis. She believes that being
the Volvo Visionaries Award) to guide people to places the holder of the helm, one can plan course changes to
for shopping, eating, and drinking – while using much set the business safely out of choppy waters.
fewer plastics.
With plastics being used by the tons especially by the
The mark of a leder medical fraternity, not out of choice but of necessity,
and the pandemic playing havoc with social distancing,
Rebecca's traits of awareness, trust, and determination City to Sea's hands may be full with concerns of single-
are exemplified in collaborations with noteworthy use plastics, but its feet remain tied down due to
causes like the Break Free from Plastic movement and frequent lockdowns and much-needed social
REPEAT, a reuse task-force of industry experts, distancing.
scientists, NGOs, Government officials, and retailers to
reintroduce reusables back safely into business However, Rebecca, with assuring confidence, states
operations. that no sooner do matters improve, she will be back
with a bang to try and eliminate common single-use
Experience has taught Rebecca that trust is a factor of plastics found polluting our rivers and oceans. To this
time and honesty where time and being open, help end, she plans to shine the light and lead the way from
repose people's faith. “The helm can be a lonely place single-use to reusables. And in that, all of the world
despite all the successes,” Rebecca expresses. “It is in ought to rally behind City to Sea.
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| December 2020 |
Rob Leslie
Exemplifying Prolific Leadership
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| December 2020 |
F
rom having graduated as an electronic Everyone has an identity that needs to be actively
engineer from Dublin City University, Ireland managed and looked after. Sedicii is currently
(DCU) in the early 1980's to being an avid working with governments, tier-one financial
entrepreneur, Rob Leslie is leading by example. Rob institutions and public services organisations in its
is the Founder & CEO of Sedicii, a leading identity quest to build a global federated identity network
platform which has developed technology that that preserves privacy at its core.
verifies data between two organisations without
exposing the underlying data. Rob believes that once the company has the
foundations fully embedded, more and more
A Serial Entrepreneur industry sectors will see the benefits of having
privacy preserving technologies incorporated into
Rob's journey of becoming an entrepreneur has their workflows that manage customer identity.
really been exciting. After completing his graduation,
Rob moved to Japan and worked initially for a A quote from the Spanish Bank BBVA when Sedicii
number of Japanese companies and then for Dell was awarded the Fintech for the Future award
Japan. He was part of the management team that “Sedicii is the start up with the greatest potential to
grew the business to almost 300 employees with a transform the financial sector in the next 10 years”.
turnover of $300m in its first four years. He then left, Other organisations such as BT, Citi, EIC Digital, EY,
continuing his journey as an entrepreneur. PTS Japan PWC and Red Herring Europe have also recognised
was his first start up which was sold after five years Sedicii for its innovative work in the digital identity,
having achieved a valuation at exit of $33m. KYC, KYB and AML sectors.
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| December 2020 |
working smart is important. Great communication at
every turn in our evolution is paramount. Thus, he
shares the highs and the lows, sets expectations,
encourages feedback, and gives recognition. Rob
also passionately believes in perseverance and
persistence in getting one's product or service to
market.
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| December 2020 |
“Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the
vision, passionately own the vision and relentlessly drive
it to completion”
- Jack Welch former CEO of General Electric
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| December 2020 |
Shanaz Ramzi
An Epitome of Leadership and Excellence
Y
ou couldn't find a better way to define Shanaz's to building a CSR angle in all their activities by
persona than SH Simmons' famed quote “If a supporting causes by offering services pro bono
young man tells his date how handsome, smart besides building elements of CSR even in their PR
and successful he is – that's advertising. If the young strategy offering to their clients. These besides, they
man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a were also instrumental in introducing creative posters
great conversationalist, he's saying the right things to and 2-D animations for their client's social media
the right person and that's marketing. If someone else promotions, a trend that has caught on locally.
tells the young woman how handsome, smart and
successful her date is – that's PR.” Their quest to remain distinct today sees their portfolio
in PR services resembling a wide canvas which among
She has been there, done it, relished every moment, and others includes celebs, corporate sector, educational
does so even now. Be it working as a journalist, heading institutions, hospitals, government organizations, and
her own PR firm, or delving in CSR initiatives, her fashion fraternity to television networks, film
career graph isn't the usual narrow one that people get production houses, individual clients looking for party
to see of those starting off as journalists. Her career or wedding organization to mention some. To this end,
started off in 1994 as a freelance journalist. HUM, an they never say no to a client despite the challenging
entertainment television channel came next in 2004 nature of the work which has bestowed upon them a
where she joined as the Head of PR. With them for reputation of being the go-to organization for out-of-
more than a decade, she saw the channel's fast ascent the-box projects. Not surprising then, that they have
to become the largest entertainment network in the already won five international awards during their brief
country. Leaving them as GM Public Relations and existence, beginning with the “Startup of the Year”.
Publications in October 2015, she started her
entrepreneurial journey. For Shanaz, the present is nothing but a reflection of
the past, a past which saw her in the company of a
StarLinks PR and Events, came about in the November surprisingly large number of strong women like her
of 2015 with a clear line of vision. That of doing things mother who she says she never saw sitting idle ever!
with a difference. With this thought in mind, they took The same she says of her late high-school teacher Miss
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| December 2020 |
Shanaz Ramzi
CEO
StarLinks PR
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| December 2020 |
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| December 2020 |
Fikree of St Joseph's Covent School, her alma matter something concrete for the industry, she is in the
who taught Shanaz the value of being meticulous to a process of registering a body that would comprise
fault. Of the men in her life, she credits her father for entities in the field of PR, event management, digital
having nurtured the love for writing and a consequent and activation. PREDA would be the collective voice of
career in journalism. The latter introduced her to her the industry she hopes to spearhead.
mentor Asif Noorani, an editor at the publication house
she regularly wrote for. Meeting him opened avenues in With a decade and half of experience behind her,
her career right down to the present one. She also Shanaz knows what it means to be a leader, as also the
mentions her husband, who has been a pillar of support traits of a good one. In addition to being creative,
throughout and was instrumental in encouraging her to according to her, the leader should be able to take
pursue her career both in journalism and later in the suggestions and complaints with an open mind. These
corporate world. besides, the person ought to remain hands-on who
won't flinch at the thought of getting dirty to get the job
CSR came into her body of work in the year 2000 while done. It's these qualities that inspire confidence not just
interviewing Yasmeen Lari, celebrated architect, and in the team, but also in the clients and other
conservationist for a newspaper. Her initiative, the stakeholders, she says. Another important trait she
Heritage Foundation resonated with Shanaz. adds, is to be organized, prepared and meticulous, and
demanding the same from the team.
Irrevocably drawn to it, she has even since been
involved with all the CSR projects of the Foundation She attributes success in her career thus far to
which in her own words “exposed her to places and diligence, consistency, and time management. Of these,
opportunities she couldn't have dreamt of, besides a she attributes time-management as an essential to
vision of how to lead her life”. Incidentally, her stint with maintaining the balance between personal and
HUM Network too had journalism to thank for when professional life. Always there for friends and family,
she went to interview the president of the upcoming she goes on vacations with them, never though at the
channel. Destiny intervened and it laid the foundation cost of her professional commitments. The Covid-19
for her own company! pandemic has been a surprising paradox then, she says
which has made it that much easier to take out time for
Managing an overflowing platter of responsibilities, one's personal life, and the books she has been writing,
Shanaz nevertheless finds space to do all the right given that a lot of activities and meetings are now
things. She would shortly be setting up an arm of virtual.
StarLinks PR in the UAE and initiate much-needed
diversifications in her portfolio to include talent Technology she sees as the new paradigm which
management among other activities. With her aim to do according to her shall make or break an enterprise,
despite its size, heft, and age. What can keep things in
place besides bringing much needed growth could be
one's knowledge and experience in handling the latest
Life is too short in technology. She credits her zest to learn, even from
those much younger as the key to keeping pace with
to be ordinary – technology.
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| December 2020 |