www.worldsleaders.com Vol.

07 | Issue 12 | JULY 2023

World’s Most Influential A True Trailblazer

BUSINESS Shaping the Future of
Engineering and
LEADERS
to Follow in 2023
Paving the Way for a
Brighter Tomorrow

Chandrashekar. V
 World’s Most Inuential Business
Leaders to Follow in 2023

Leaders of New Era

Doing an own business is exciting and full of potential, but

on the other side, businesses are also risky and unclear.
With so many wonderful ideas out there that in some way
never take off, and on the other hand, there are many
dubious concepts that achieve enormous success. As a
result, the whole picture is a puzzle: When you look
objectively at a list of successes and failures, it will be
Chandrashekhar began his career in 1990 at L&T, initially
tough to pinpoint any single characteristic that would make
working on the shop floor assembling earth moving
one firm more successful than another. equipment. After two years, he transitioned to sales and
marketing, where he handled the sales and marketing of
Over the last two decades, the corporate world has altered those moving equipment in the Northeastern territory of
drastically. People used to believe that experience was the
India, Nepal, and Bhutan. He later joined the Swedish
most important factor in starting a successful business, but
multinational Svedala, focusing on establishing their
today they believe that information is the foundation of
business in the southern part of India. Chandrashekhar then
every great concept. Many new and rising leaders have
spent over 14 years in the construction industry, overseeing
arisen to alter businesses in a wide range of industries.
procurement, equipment management, and the construction
World's Leaders latest edition “World's Most Influential
of various projects in hydroelectric, irrigation, mining, Oil
Business Leaders to Follow in 2023” has curated a list of
& gas and road sectors. Eventually, he took on the role of
the business leaders that have been successful in leading
Managing Director and CEO of GMMCO's construction
some of the top organizations working in industries as
business in 2019.
diverse as healthcare to consumer goods.

Also, while you flip through the pages, don't forget to read
The cover has Chandrashekar V, Managing Director & CEO
of Gmmco. He is committed to building a customer-centric the articles created by our in-house editorial staff and
enterprise that thrives on dynamism. His exceptional industry experts.
leadership skills and relentless drive for technological
innovation have been instrumental in propelling the growth
of Gmmco Ltd. Furthermore, his unwavering focus on Have a lovely read!
providing unmatched value to customers has solidified the
company's position as an industry leader.
 CREDIT PAGE

Editor-in-Chief Steve Sanchez

Managing Editor Jagdish Chincholikar
Executive Editor Nicole Williams
Assistant Editor Gayatri Bhujbal

Art & Design Director Jack Anderson

Business Development Manager Mia Oliver
Business Development Executive Natalie, Jerrey
Associate Designer Kevin Rust

Digital Marketing Manager Victor Clarke

Sales Manager Megan Morgan, Irfan Shekh
Marketing Manager Tom Swann
Technical Specialist Barry Jones
Circulation Manager Danny Parker

JULY 2023

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Cover
Story
08

Chandrashekar. V
A True Trailblazer Shaping the Future of Engineering and
Paving the Way for a Brighter Tomorrow
16 Carlos Santos

22 David Meltzer

26 Emily Rogers

32 Ian Hurdle

36 Mahesh Lunani

40 Stefan Ott

46 Tammy McNeany

50 Tariq Chauhan

54 Tim Conroy
 Chand r a s h e k a r . V

08 | JULY 2023
A True Trailblazer
Shaping the Future of
Engineering and Paving
the Way for a
Brighter Tomorrow

Cover
Story

worldsleaders.com | 09
10 | JULY 2023
In today's rapidly evolving and competitive
business landscape, leadership is no longer
m e re l y a b o u t m a n a g i n g d ay- to - d ay
operations. It requires individuals who
possess visionary leadership and possess
extensive skills and knowledge specific to
their industry. Discover the remarkable
journey of Chandrashekar V, a Mechanical
Engineering graduate and shining star
f rom Bangalore University. With an
impressive three decades of industry
experience in Inf rastructure, Mining,
Construction, and Energy sectors, he has
revolutionized the field.

As the esteemed Managing Director & CEO

of Gmmco, Chandrashekar V is committed
to building a customer-centric enterprise
that thrives on dynamism. His exceptional
leadership skills and relentless drive for
technological innovation have been
instrumental in propelling the growth of
Gmmco Ltd. Furthermore, his unwavering
focus on providing unmatched value to
customers has solidified the company's
position as an industry leader.

worldsleaders.com | 11
Career Journey and Personal Life
Chandrashekar began his career in 1990 at L&T, initially
working on the shop floor assembling earth moving
equipment. After two years, he transitioned to sales and
marketing, where he handled the sales and marketing of
those moving equipment in the Northeastern territory of
India, Nepal, and Bhutan. He later joined the Swedish
multinational Svedala, focusing on establishing their
business in the southern part of India. Chandrashekar
then spent over 14 years in the construction industry,
overseeing procurement, equipment management, and
the construction of various projects in hydroelectric,
irrigation, mining, Oil & gas and road sectors.
Eventually, he took on the role of Managing Director and
CEO of GMMCO's construction business in 2019.
On a personal note, Chandrashekar has a family. His
wife's name is Chitra, and they have two children. Their
daughter, Sheetal, completed her undergraduate studies
12 | JULY 2023
at Georgia Tech in the United States. She then worked at
Deloitte and pursued a full-time MBA at Kellogg, which
she will complete in June. She plans to return to Deloitte
after graduation. Chandrashekar's son is currently
pursuing his undergraduate degree in computer
engineering at Purdue University.
Customer-Centric Solutions
GMMCO Ltd, according to Chandrashekar, doesn't just
sell products, but offers comprehensive solutions that are
customized to meet the customer's specific needs. As an
example, for Coal India, GMMCO supplies and operates
maintenance & repair contracts which are typically
between 4 to 10 years based on the contract guaranteeing
equipment uptime ensuring utilization.
When dealing with Construction companies & retail
customers, GMMCO creates customer value agreements
tailored to their requirements. These agreements can
range from sending service engineers to project
sites for support including parts as needed or
comprehensive product support solutions. The
solutions provided by GMMCO are flexible and
adapted to the situation and the customer's
preferences. The company's objective is to
enhance customer profitability by increasing
equipment availability and optimizing utilization.
Chandrashekar emphasizes that product support
is a significant distinguishing factor in the
market. GMMCO has workshops and provides
comprehensive solutions to its customers. They
offer various options such as equipment rental,
equipment buyback, equipment trade-ins, in
addition to sale of new equipment. Gmmco
works with customers to offer rebuild solutions
offering second life for equipment. This
flexibility allows them to provide a wide range of
services and solutions based on individual
customer and project requirements.
Promoting Entrepreneurship and Excellence
Chandrashekar and GMMCO prioritize
entrepreneurship and excellence as core values.
They strive to instill these values in all
individuals. Chandrashekar believes in fostering
a culture of transparency and honesty, where
people feel comfortable trying new things. In this
environment, even if someone experiences
failure, they are encouraged to focus on moving
ahead rather than worrying on the failure. This
approach encourages innovation within the
company and promotes a fearless attitude
towards taking risks and embracing new ideas.
The organization believes that the biggest risk is
riskless living.
Insights on India's Growth Prospects and
GMMCO's Expansion Strategy
India is poised for significant growth in the next
10 years, emerging as one of the world's fastest-
growing economies. The current population of
around 1.3 billion, it is projected to reach 1.5
billion by 2030, with a notable shift towards
migration to urban areas. Currently,
Exploring Digital Technologies
In today's rapidly evolving and
competitive business landscape,
leadership is no longer merely about
managing day-to-day operations. It
requires individuals who possess
visionary leadership and possess
extensive skills and knowledge specific
to their industry. Discover the
remarkable journey of Chandrashekar
V, a Mechanical Engineering graduate
and shining star from Bangalore
University. With an impressive three
decades of industry experience in
Infrastructure, Mining, Construction,
and Energy sectors, he has
revolutionized the field.
As the esteemed Managing Director &
CEO of Gmmco, Chandrashekar V is
committed to building a customer-
centric enterprise that thrives on
dynamism. His exceptional leadership
skills and relentless drive for
technological innovation have been
instrumental in propelling the growth
of Gmmco Ltd. Furthermore, his
unwavering focus on providing
unmatched value to customers has
solidified the company's position as an
industry leader.
worldsleaders.com | 13
approximately 34% of the population
resides in cities, but that is expected
to rise to 40% by 2030.
The demand for power in India is set
to surge, with the total installed
capacity projected to increase from
the current 400 GW to 1000 GW by
2030. While coal currently accounts
for 50% of power production, it is
expected to contribute around 40%
by 2030, which will still represent a
substantial amount of power
generation. This increased reliance
on coal will drive the demand for
mining machinery.
Furthermore, data security &
governments push for manufacturing
in country will create ample
opportunities in the energy and
transportation sectors, which will be
among the largest industries in India.
Additionally, the country has
ambitious plans for infrastructure
development, with an estimated
investment of over $10 trillion in the
next decade. This heavy spending
will fuel growth and open new
avenues for businesses operating in
the infrastructure sector.
Given the favorable opportunities in
this sector, GMMCO aims to become
a $1.2 billion company by 2026.
GMMCO has created a subsidiary,
GTS, which has formed a joint
venture with the German company
Hauhinco. The subsidiary, known as
HBT, houses approximately 60
design engineers with capability to
design cutting edge equipment and
components. GMMCO is actively
working in multiple directions to
facilitate the growth of its business
and seize emerging opportunities.
14 | JULY 2023
Fostering Growth and Family
Culture
Chandrashekar firmly believes that
GMMCO is not just a company, but a
collection of 3200 families. As the
leader of these families,
Chandrashekar is dedicated to
fostering the growth of the business
and ensuring that the employees also
have opportunities for personal and
professional growth. He finds these
times to be exciting and takes
immense pleasure in his work, driven
by his passion for business.
Chandrashekar acknowledges the
importance of his team and their
collective effort in expanding the
company.
Chandrashekar strives to create a
culture where transparency and
individual contributions are valued.
The employees at GMMCO are
deeply connected to the company,
forming a strong bond like a family.
They take ownership of their work
and are aware of their
responsibilities. If there is a
performance issue, they are self-
aware and take necessary steps to
rectify it and move forward.
Chandrashekar appreciates the high
level of commitment exhibited by his team a long rope to perform, as long
team. as they demonstrate commitment and
talent. Patience is necessary to
Essential Qualities for Leadership provide them with the necessary
Growth support and allow them to deliver
Chandrashekar believes that several results.
qualities are essential for continued
growth and development as a leader. Another important quality
One crucial quality is patience. He Chandrashekar emphasizes is
emphasizes the need to retain the ensuring freedom to individuals to do
leadership team even during their work. He believes in trusting
challenging times when business and believing in his team, allowing
results may not be immediate. them the autonomy to innovate and
Instead of constantly changing teams, perform. Chandrashekar takes a step
Chandrashekar advocates giving the back and views the business from a

distance, offering assistance when needed, but otherwise allowing his
team to take the lead. He likens himself to the 12th man in a cricket
match, providing support and resources wherever required but stepping
back when not needed.
By giving people the freedom to work and feel ownership of the
business, Chandrashekar believes that they will be motivated to grow
the business and contribute their best efforts.
Prioritizing Commitment
According to Chandrashekar, when hiring a new team member, the most
important traits to look for are commitment and talent. While talent is
valuable, Chandrashekar places a greater emphasis on commitment. A
person with talent but lacking commitment is unlikely to succeed.
Chandrashekar believes that commitment, honesty, sincerity, and hard
work are qualities that cannot be easily
taught.
While talent can be developed and
improved through training and
experience, the innate qualities of
commitment and dedication are crucial
for long-term success. Chandrashekar and
his team prioritize individuals who
exhibit a strong work ethic and a genuine
commitment to their work. These
qualities contribute to building a
dedicated and motivated team within the
organization.
Nurturing Growth
Chandrashekar finds tremendous
fulfillment in witnessing the growth and
development of individuals within the
organization, especially as emerging
leaders. As a CEO, he holds
responsibility for various aspects of the
business, including revenue, profitability,
employees, stakeholders such as
customers, and the overall environment.
While overseeing these responsibilities,
Chandrashekar's happiness stems from
observing his team thrive and flourish.
Seeing his team members blossom and
reach their full potential brings him great
joy and satisfaction. He recognizes that
the success of the business is intricately
tied to the growth and well-being of his
team. By nurturing and supporting their
development, he creates an environment
that fosters personal and professional
growth, ultimately benefiting the
organization as a whole.
worldsleaders.com | 15
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Carlos Santos

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constant, and as a business owner, I am
prepared to adapt and change as the
situation requires. I believe this makes
me powerful as a coach, because I am
able to flex with my client as their
needs evolve and change.

Which are the major services of the

company and how do the company
to get ahead in the competition?
What value-added services does the
company provide?

Working with individuals, my most

popular coaching package is The
Vision Lab. A deep dive, 3-month
coaching package that supports
individuals to discover their unique
strengths, overcome mindset
challenges, and design a clear vision
for themselves, including developing
an action plan that supports their leap.

For organizations, I am uniquely
positioned to support the wellbeing of
their international assignees and
families. Combining my professional
and personal experience of moving
countries every 2 years, The Transition
Lab enables organizations to have the
right talent in the right place. This 8-
week online course enables settling the
family faster while providing
appropriate wellbeing support to the
entire family. In addition, with The
Leadership Lab, I can support
organizations in developing their own
leaders instead of wasting time and
money buying from the market, which
is simply too tight.
What are the most important aspects
of a company’s culture? What
principles do you believe in and how
do you build this culture?
The principles of The Leap To Lead
are clarity, ownership, and growth. It is
these three pillars that are core to how I
operate as a business owner, and core
to the coaching packages that I offer. I
truly believe that with clarity, we are
all able to take ownership of ourselves
and our paths, ensuring we continue to
grow.
Give us your opinion on; do
organizations rely heavily on
individual heroics or team
processes?
I believe organizations and senior
leaders can be struck by the heroic
efforts of an individual, but they do so
at their own peril. The very nature of
being star-struck is short term, literally
only while the light glows.
Organizations need to rely on and
develop their teams, their contributors,
and their team leaders. While building
teams can take time and energy, it is a
much stronger long-term strategy for
an organization. A large component of
The Leadership Lab is focused on
developing leaders confidence in
coaching and communicating with
their teams, which is critical if they are
going to develop strong teams for the
future.
What are your responsibilities as the
Coach & Founder of the company?
What is the happiest part of your
daily routine?
As the coach and founder of The Leap
To Lead I am responsible for
everything. I develop the services, the
weekly content, the social media
presence, and the business strategy. It
means I have to manage my time
accordingly, ensure there is time
dedicated to each facet of the business.
I am happiest when I am serving my

28 | JULY 2023
clients; seeing their growth is so
rewarding.

What advice would you give

someone going into a leadership
position for the first time?

Focus on coaching and

communicating with your team.
If you focus on coaching and
communicate effectively from the
get go, the team will develop a
greater sense of trust in you, and
their overall engagement will
increase. When you have trust
and engagement, you and your
team can achieve great things!

worldsleaders.com | 29
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Ian
Hurdle
A Specialist of Luxury Housing

worldsleaders.com | 33
 There are numerous traits and
T
attributes that distinguish highly
successful companies from those that
are more average. You can see
similarities between large companies
and start-ups when you examine the
development of such companies. For
instance, their strategy or work ethic.
But without a strong leader in the
company, even the best ideas may fail
to get traction. A brilliant
businessperson can do the same thing
by taking a concept and making it into
something legendary. A person should
possess the fundamental qualities
necessary for successful business,
including honesty, cooperation,
accessibility, and consistency. These
qualities are possessed by Ian Hurdle,
the founder and director of The
Agency Turks and Caicos, who is at
the top of his profession.
Tenacious Journey
Ian moved from the south of England
to Grand Cayman at the age of 18 to
help his parents realise their dream of
establishing a property there. In that
nation, he constructed two model
homes that he later sold for a profit
during a five-year period. He had never
really attempted to grasp how real
estate worked before. They relocated
as a family in 1998 after hearing about
Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos
Islands as being the next big golden
nugget of opportunity for real estate
investment and development in the
Caribbean. Before he started his own
landscaping business and concentrated
his efforts on design and installation
while overseeing a work team of over
150 employees at its peak, he
constructed a substantial home in the
opulent Leeward community. He was
able to obtain his licence with the
Turks and Caicos Real Estate
Association and complete his
apprenticeship with Regency, a
subsidiary of Christies International
34 | JULY 2023
Real Estate, because of his wife
Tracey's status as a Belonger owing to
their marriage. Tracey is a native of the
islands.
His journey to Beverly Hills, where he
was offered the chance to pitch for
what would become the company's first
international franchise, and an
introduction in July 2016 are the main
events of the lengthy account of how
he acquired The Agency Franchise. As
of October 1st, 2016, he was operating
with the brand in TCI, proving that the
pitch was successful.
Honesty Paramount
Ian Hurdle is the most experienced,
and his team turns to him for guidance
in all areas of everyday operations.
Being active on social media, sharing
his successes and the path he took to
them, gives his team members a very
public road map to follow. As a leader,
there is nowhere to hide. The ongoing
review of objectives, including where
you have succeeded and failed, what
has to be updated, and what must be
repeated, even if it is tedious. Honesty
is essential. To advance in any
endeavour, you must be honest with
yourself every day; else, your business
will stall as you fall into a very cosy
rut.
Collaboration and Accessibility
The satisfaction of knowing that you
can share anything with anyone in your
team and they will reciprocate. Ian
thinks there is a great satisfaction in
knowing that everyone else on the
team will be right there fighting
alongside you on the tough days and
that everyone else is experiencing the
same degree of achievement as you. A
lovely thing has always been, and
always will be, people working
together for a common purpose.
We ar
e hom
so the e to seven d
consta y also prov ogs,
nt ent ide
and d ertain
istract ment
ion.
says I
an.

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worldsleaders.com | 49
 CEO and Co-founder
EFS Facilities Services Group

50 | JULY 2023
 TARIQ
Chauhan
s s is ti n g in th e G rowth
Investing in Individuals and A

In a world full of poseurs, one seeks to have basic

psychological demands for personal growth and

I
development throughout their lives as human beings. One
can discover meaning and purpose in life by achieving self-
actualization and can honestly say that they 'lived.' The drive
to become the best version of oneself is known as self-
actualization. It entails pushing ourselves to reach our
maximum potential and fulfilling our artistic objectives.
People with self-actualization have a more efficient
perception of reality and are better prepared to withstand
uncertainty. They appreciate putting their problem-solving
talents to use in real-life circumstances and assisting others
in improving their lives. Abraham Maslow, a humanistic
psychologist, provided the known definition. Self-
actualization, he explained, is the process of becoming
"everything you are capable of becoming."

worldsleaders.com | 51
Chief executives and entrepreneurs that
outperform their peers in the long-term
tend to be self-actualizing. That means
they are concerned not just with the
progress of their company but also
with their own personal development.
People are observing their leaders
continuously, both consciously and
subconsciously. The more leaders
focus on their own development and
show tangible results over time, the
more they motivate others to do the
same. However, having learning and
growth as fundamental values only
works if the leaders share the same
dedication.
Personal, professional and functional
growth are key pillars driving Tariq
Chauhan, The Group CEO and
Co-founder of EFS Facilities
Services Group.
Leader with self-actualization
Tariq Chauhan's interest and
enthusiasm propelled him to a
successful business career. He is a
professional entrepreneur and a
Harvard Business School alumnus.
52 | JULY 2023
Over 35 years, he has developed
expertise in international banking,
technology and asset management, real
estate, and creating and establishing
businesses in the GCC, USA, UK, and
Asia. In the past 18 months, Tariq has
travelled to more than 50 countries,
irrespective of the pandemic and other
hazards. For the organisation, Tariq
considered himself a colleague first
and a leader second. He is dedicated to
supporting those around him to
become the best version of themselves
and contribute to exceptional results..
People are his motivator, and mirror as
a leader, and he is passionate about
them. Tariq thinks about them every
day and learns from them about how
one can develop, adjust, adapt, and
grow as a leader. He demonstrates his
leadership abilities through the
implementation and the establishment
of EFS Facilities Services Group.
EFS Facilities Services Group was
founded with the goal of being a
regional leader in providing
comprehensive facilities management
services. The Middle East, Africa,and
South Asia and Turkey are all part of
its global footprint.
It is unique in that it combines
progressive, people-focused leadership
with rapid technical adoption, resulting
in the ideal environment for personal
growth for employees and client
portfolios. The business community
has recognised the company for
providing exceptional services to some
of the biggest regional companies,
including prominent multinationals, for
over two decades. With a contract
backlog of USD 1.7 billion and
responsibility for a total area of
approximately 52 million sq.m, with 28
operating firms in 21 countries around
the region, it has set new norms in
facilities management via quality
service delivery and innovation.
Inspiration and daily lessons from
peers
Tariq's function at home is defined by
his family: he is the husband of an
incredible woman and the father of two
beautiful girls. He enjoys spending
time with the family at home because
they inspire him and provide him with
tranquility, allowing him to come up
with new ideas. Every day, he
challenges himself to be a better
version of himself than the day before,
and he is committed to expanding his
work's initiatives and impact.
“I am passionate about people and as
a business leader, I get inspiration and
daily lessons from my peers, and I get
inspired by our clients and our drive to
be of service. I am deeply rooted in
gratitude and self-actualization.”–
says CEO, EFS Group.
The EFS family is the driving force
behind the company's expansion and
makes significant contributions to the
industry. In EFS, setting personal goals
is widely encouraged. They ensure that
every employee, at all levels can chart
their own path to self-actualization and
progress beyond their current
circumstances. Everyone has
professional goals for the impact they
want to see and bring to EFS, in
addition to personal ambitions. Tariq
has an open-door policy and is always
willing to hear new ideas, strategies,
and initiatives that contribute to EFS's
innovative and out-of-the-box thinking.
He believes that success for EFSians is
success for EFS.
Overcoming obstacles
In the profession, Tariq has faced
numerous hurdles; to single out just
one would be unfair. He believes all
the obstacles and struggles have
blended into one massive snowball of
hardship that has taught a valuable
lesson: resilience.. He believes that the
most important barrier-breaker a leader
can develop is resilience.
During the pandemic, the industry
faced numerous hurdles in many ways,
first responders included. Close to a
post-pandemic future, the industry
faces new realities and challenges,
including preserving financial health
while keeping costs low, retaining
clients, attracting top staff, and
integrating technology. Obtaining
competitive new clientele is also a
significant issue, given the tough
financial realities. Industry leaders
must become more inventive in
devising methods to address all the
issues.
"Regardless of adversity level - and
adversity is undoubtedly a certainty - if
you work on your resilience, you will
overcome, adapt, and grow. There is no
easy way to grow. "– says Tariq.
Reduce the risk of operational
Risk management and Controls
In EFS, risk management and controls
are business-critical levers without
which business continuity and overall
commercial enterprise value cannot be
achieved. To generate greater
organisational legitimacy, businesses
must attempt not just to implement risk
controls, but measure its impact.
Management accounting, risk
management, and corporate
governance are all linked and effective
as a result of these actions. At EFS, we
were able to establish a risk mitigation
culture that spread throughout the
organisation and was integrated into all
critical processes. In this domain, each
department, position, and role must
have its own set of key result areas.
worldsleaders.com | 53
 Tim
Conroy
Effecting Organizational Change at Scale while
Overcoming Complex Challenges and Comprehensive
Stakeholder Management

54 | JULY 2023
Chief Technology Officer
Decision Analytics
Experian UK&I

worldsleaders.com | 55
Joining Experian UK&I
Experian is a global organization of
20,000 people across 44 countries,
comprising 94 nationalities and
spanning five generations. Its mission
is to unlock the power of data to create
opportunities for people, businesses,
and society. The firm's strategy is to
improve financial health for all through
its core products, social innovation,
and community investment schemes.
As Tim states, "By investing in our
people, technology, and innovation,
Experian responsibly harnesses data to
transform businesses, help
communities prosper, and enable
people to thrive."
Tim joined because of Experian's
passion to do the right thing and bring
financial equality to all, coupled with a
unique and unwavering focus on
culture. Combing the two meant his
move from the SI world into financial
services was a no-brainer.
Major services offered by Experian
UK&I
Experian's Decision Analytics division
comprises of decisioning tools, Identity
& Fraud, and Analytics, all of which
assist their clients in providing for both
potential and current end users. From
the economic climate to the legal and
regulatory framework, from corporate
operations to competitive problems,
the market as a whole is complicated.
Utilizing the firm's toolkit and the
knowledge of our employees that work
in decision analytics day in and day
out, the team assists in transforming
complicated circumstances into
confident conclusions. The group
minimizes fraud losses while fostering
and defending trustworthy
relationships with customers and
enterprises. Additionally, it aids in risk
assessment and assists businesses in
entering new markets safely while
confidently adhering to current
regulatory and compliance standards.
56 | JULY 2023
Passion for the Sector
Tim was drawn to the information
technology industry because he could
take a notion or vision and work with
individuals who could make it a reality.
There have been many hurdles, but
attempting to deviate from the
paradigm of a traditional leader in a
corporate company was arguably the
toughest one he encountered. His main
piece of advice to everyone is to be
authentic and laser-focused on your
most valuable resource: other people.
Tim works in technology, but
technology is only technology without
a fantastic team to transform it into a
product the market wants.
People often enquire "how did you
manage to succeed?" "When did it
click for you?" "What happened?" and
all Tim can reply is "it's a time thing."
It came with a combination of self-
assurance, an awareness of his people
skills, and a genuine understanding that
your greatest asset will always be the
people you work with. Take care of
them, and the rest really does take care
of itself.
Keeping Vision Align
Tim believes that having a highly
engaged staff that embraces the culture
that your business and you believe in
makes the rest of the problems seem
less difficult to resolve. It indicates that
the business has established a
workflow pattern where anything is
doable. In terms of pure commercial
success, meeting corporate objectives
while stressing customer satisfaction
and service quality is ultimately what
counts.
Advice for the next generation of IT
visionaries
Tim believes in a world where the tech
industry continues to grow, it's crucial
that one's leadership style sets him or
her apart from the many. He suggests,
"Be passionate about what you do, be
driven to succeed, and believe in your
cause, and don't take any knockbacks
personally." He further adds that things
don't always go to plan, but it doesn't
matter, bounce back. He adds, "If you
can master this, then I personally
believe that you have every opportunity
to succeed in such a way that you will
be one of the industry's unique and
authentic leaders.”
Due to the pace of technological
advancement and the increased global
reach that social media platforms are
providing, he also thinks that there has
never been a better time to be a tech
leader. He advises aspiring tech leaders
to surround themselves with excellent
people, work hard, and seize the
opportunity with both hands.
Scott Hardiman
Managing Director Decisioning
Software and Analytics
With 15+ years' experience in
commercial, sales, and business
management roles, Scott Hardiman has
substantial commercial expertise in the
technology business, having shaped,
negotiated, and delivered outsourcing
and system integration contracts. He
has worked with a variety of clients,
including those in the financial
services, public sector,
networking/communications, and
quick-moving consumer goods
industries.
Ahead of Competition
Scott and team Experian have always
believed that data has the potential to
transform lives and create a better
tomorrow. But to do this, data needs to
be understood, interpreted and acted
on. So, fundamentally, that's the focus
of the company's innovation and
investment.
He states, "Everything we do is about
helping organisations unlock the
opportunities data holds as simply as
possible, so they can serve their
customers and grow as sustainable
businesses. We do this by investing in
digital platforms that give lenders not
just data but also analytics and models
that provide actionable insight and
foresight fast." Critically, the team
concentrates on how to use this in
practise. When placed into production,
it is usable and scalable. It sounds
straightforward, yet usability and
utility are sometimes overlooked.
For Scott, problem-solving is just as
important to innovation as data and
analytics.
He genuinely thinks Experian is setting
the bar for innovation in the sector.
And the reason for that is that it has a
strong cultural foundation. He shares,
"Our company was founded on the
fundamental belief that we can use
data, analytics, and software to deliver
fairer, more accurate, and faster
decisions to clients and consumers.
This ethos still underpins innovation at
Experian today."
The awards Experian has won in recent
years reflect this. It is a Forbes top-100
innovator, a FinTech Breakthrough
Awards winner for best consumer
lending product, and its DataLabs have
been recognised in the top tech awards
honouring innovative technology
executives.
Contributing to Constant Progress
Scott's job is primarily concerned with
the ongoing advancement of
technology and analytics. He is in
charge of groups of data scientists,
technologists, and industry
professionals who are pushing
innovation and looking into how the
company's solutions may address client
and consumer issues throughout the
lending, management, and collections
lifecycles. His team is concentrating on
utilising data to derive business value,
followed by minimising deployment
complexity to enable industry-leading
benefit realisation at scale and velocity.
Scott sees his role as an enabler. In the
last few years, he has ensured that the
company actively invests in its people
to support their development. He finds,
"There's a real challenge in technology
and analytics to stay relevant and to
make sure your people are
continuously learning new skills." He
further adds, "But thanks to our
innovation strategy, this is something I
believe we're managing very well and
that's why we're seeing the results in
our products and services."
Expert View
Machine learning that's instantly
deployable through our decisioning
software, allows lenders to create
models and scenarios in real time, so
they can make fast, fair, confident
lending decisions – increasingly with
less and less manual input. It's all about
understanding customers, ensuring
they have access to the right products
at the right rate, quickly, while also
minimising risk. Giving the current
pressures many consumers face with
the rising cost of living, helping people
in this way is what drives us.
Specific innovations include Boost,
which helps consumers improve their
credit profiles and ultimately get access
to the credit they deserve. From a
lender's view, it adds significant value
through its ability to increase the
number of people they can accept,
while also reducing bad-debt rates.
Ultimately, it is machine learning that
powers these capabilities. The reality is
that we have used machine learning to
power our capabilities for decades – in
fraud, scoring, models and wider. More
practically, to enable new channels
such as chatbots and more. Today, new
ML techniques, languages, and
technologies simply offer us the
opportunity to do that in new ways, to
create new value. But critically, it also
enables us to ensure decisions are fair,
explainable and controllable. These are
often barriers to adoption.
Approach towards Innovation
Scott argues that in order to develop
and co-create, Experian has always
aggressively collaborated with
industry, whether it be regulators,
clients, or partners. Additionally, it
collaborates with customers to examine
economic and credit market trends in
order to pinpoint any potential
demands. That was especially crucial
in the recent years via Covid. He
shares, "We quickly pivoted our
innovation agenda during the
pandemic to support our clients and
consumer audiences.
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