Category: Leadership

Jason and family from Young Planet holding second hand toys in front of their home

The CEO Helping Families Go Green

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Making a business venture more environmentally friendly is a concern for every CEO. Still, Jason and Emma Ash at YoungPlanet are doing all they can to make a difference to the circular economy. What started as an idea to bring joy to children and parents alike, became an app to also work towards helping more families go green.

We spoke with Jason to find out more.

 

What is YoungPlanet?

YoungPlanet is an app that helps families exchange children’s items for free; helping parents to declutter, give joy to others and save the planet. My wife, Emma, and I created the platform in 2019 with the aim of helping to meet the ever-changing needs of growing families, whilst reducing their household waste. We want to see a generation growing up to view second-hand as their first choice, without detriment to the experience. Wherever there are families conscious of cost and waste, we have a role to play. Our free circular economy business model has helped over 100,000 users to put pre-used children’s things to good use with new families and away from landfill. 

 

What inspired YoungPlanet?

One of the main inspirations for YoungPlanet came to us when we were living in America and went to a yard sale. Our son fell in love with a bright red Radio Flyer truck, and he was so captivated by it that the seller gave it to us for free. This heartwarming experience brought home both the emotional and tangible ‘value’ of things that children enjoy, and the environmental benefits of sourcing quality items within a ‘circular’ environment. Our family has since become focused on prioritising sustainable options by sourcing as many second hand things as possible. It was these experiences that sparked the idea for an app that can use the circular economy to help parents pass on pre-loved items, avoid overburdened landfills, and save money. 

 

What makes YoungPlanet unique?

We are free to use and proud to promote sustainable living in a family-friendly way. Our app focuses on the joy of giving pre-loved items to others, creating a tight-knit community of users that encourage each other to declutter and make changes to save the planet. Families can easily list and track the journeys of their items – not only do they go much faster than selling, but our platform spreads more gratitude because they’re free! We also reward those who have donated more items in the past by prioritising their requests, so more parents are motivated to be more sustainable. 

 

What’s been the biggest challenge?

During the height of the pandemic, exchanging physical goods and making new friends became less of a priority for families. We advised our early advocates to pause their in-person exchanges, and our operations eased. However, as time went on, particularly during periods of lockdown, communities began to realise how important it was to support others facing the same challenges – especially the issues of environmental waste and parenting costs. After introducing no-contact exchanges between our users, communities were able to build trust and create autonomy in exchanging pre-loved items, which allowed our user base to grow organically.

 

What does the future hold for YoungPlanet?

With a current household penetration above 10% in a number of London Boroughs, YoungPlanet is continuing to expand across the UK. Looking ahead, we’d like to become the world’s most loved – and free – circular economy platform, committed to reducing both the environmental and financial impact of parenting. With the help of our planned partnerships and our growing subscription base, we hope to eventually develop an international presence. With the sharing economy set to be worth £9 billion within the next 5 years, there’s no reason why we can’t have the breadth and depth of eBay!

 

What challenges and opportunities have you faced with YoungPlanet?

We started the platform in 2019 after enjoying high profile roles across general management and communications. Although our previous roles involved elements of progressive sustainability, it wasn’t the main focus, which is largely what influenced our decision to set up YoungPlanet. We wanted to use our skills ‘for good’, having spent the previous 20 years essentially encouraging people to eat, drink and wear more expensive clothes. Whilst our combined experience has helped us to develop this platform, proving particularly helpful when it comes to marketing and scaling our brand, we employed a hands-on approach to our business when raising investment. In 2019 we focused on crowdfunding in order to generate community-focused, financial support, and since then we have successfully raised over £945,000 to grow our business through the Crowdcube platform. 

The team that has formed around us has predominantly joined YoungPlanet via the user base, which is very healthy. Whilst juggling work and parenting does come with its difficulties, Emma and I have split things evenly between ourselves, making sure that we both have equal opportunities to treat our boys and represent our business.

 

For business enquiries, visit https://www.youngplanet.com/ to find out more.

Medical Innovation

Medical Innovation: A Masterclass in Leading from the Front

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Led by Colette Hamilton, the ‘CEO of the Year, 2021’ for Manchester, the United Kingdom, Genesyze Ltd has secured a reputation as the company enabling a fast and effective route to market for up-and-coming medical technologies. Working with blue-chip medical device and drug companies as well as bold new start-ups, this firm is ensuring that the medical industry’s push towards further innovation and breakthroughs is always on the up-and-up. Having pulled through the pandemic’s most tumultuous months, it now turns towards what the future of its field will hold, looking forward to seeing the challenges and opportunities the upcoming years will present.

A company working hard to optimise the route to market for medical technologies, Genesyze is helping MedTech companies to reach patients with unmet needs faster. Fundamentally, this means that its clients can satisfy their commercial obligations to investors and shareholders, keeping their innovation pipelines ticking over, whilst keeping up with the demands of their end users. Such practices involve helping its clients to understand the value of their technologies, helping them to navigate barriers to market with ease and sophistication, and avoiding falling into any of the common pitfalls that it so often sees firms encounter, instead establishing the client’s technology as a new standard of care.

Right from the beginning, this company has been one interested in investment and pioneering. Its applied, lean thinking keeps it small, flat, and agile, allowing it to pass advantages directly onto the customer as its work is fast and efficient as well as effective, allowing Genesyze to maintain a kind of ‘helicopter vision’, staying close to the ground whilst building enduring relationships within its market segment. Led by exemplary mind in her field Colette Hamilton, this company has benefitted hugely from her clinical background. As CEO, she learned to walk the walk before even taking the position, and now thrives in the role in order to apply her hospital management and healthcare policy development expertise to the work of Genesyze.

Additionally, Colette has secured some of the UK’s largest health system modernisation schemes over the years, delivering London’s first satellite community dialysis unit and the nation’s first one-stop cancer diagnostic and treatment centre, both of which have secured her position as a front-runner in the medical field. She left public service in order to join PwCs audit advisory practice and work on performance recovery and clinical process re-engineering, holding down any number of commercial and international business development roles in MedTech before she founded Genesyze in 2005.

A qualified Entrepreneurs Circle certified Coach to Business Owners and having completed Harvard’s Executive Leadership course in Behavioural Economics, she has granted Genesyze a first mover advantage. Having brought her own network to the business, it boasts a wide range of partners and clients, as well as an 80% to 20% distribution amongst its clients of blue-chip medical device or drug companies and start-ups. By ensuring it is consistently serving these clients in the best possible way, it makes track-record implementation and growth its USP, with its staff making up the powerhouse behind its operations at every turn. This, in essence, has helped it respond to the pre-Covid paradigm of a competitive market and the post-Covid epoch of increased demand and urgency, teaching Genesyze valuable lessons in prudence that it has since taken on board to take stock of its company and fix any vulnerabilities. Having cofounded the new MedTech umbrella company, Imperetus, in the summer of this year, it looks forward to using this service delivery vehicle to further bolster its global sales and marketing clout, moving forward towards the bright future that lies ahead for Genesyze and its clients.

For further information, please visit www.genesyze.com

Data Solutions

How Executive Leaders Can Leverage the Data Rush

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

More than three decades after the term big data entered the vernacular, cloud-technology and smart devices have propelled the world into a new phase of analytics. The growing network of internet enabled devices has turned every person into an individual data generator. The abundance and ease of access to big data has presented a novel challenge to companies to conduct effective data-driven decision making. Leaders who can identify and apply data-driven approaches to their strategic growth and business operations are well prepared for the endless possibilities of the big data era. 

 

Consider Innovative Data Solutions

While interest in harnessing big data is prevalent across industries, data collection alone is not sufficient for analysis or data-driven decision making. In fact, raw data can actually drive down profits by projecting inaccurate forecasts, or simply not yielding any useful information. 

Businesses need data processing and analytic software to capture and consolidate and transform big data into searchable data sets and visual presentations. However, as effective data analysis requires tailored solutions, tools for niche markets have become a booming industry.  For example, nonprofit and church dashboards present vital metrics such as donation reports and impact indicators.

First movers in the data solution space have the ability to tap into the burgeoning global big data and business analytics industry, which is set to skyrocket from a market value of just under $200 billion to more than $650 billion within the next five years. 

Although many of the biggest players in the analytics software sector are cloud-native companies, any enterprise can leverage its expertise and knowledge to create an industry-specific data solution. 

Companies like Wix and Pegasystems incubate innovative data processing solutions by testing software in-house that are later sold as B2B products. This cycle of building, testing, and then selling in-house tools is an effective avenue for companies in any sector to prototype solutions and test market viability. 

 

Include Data from the Top Down

Data-driven corporate cultures don’t just happen. Instead, innovation is advanced by open-minded and informed leadership. In the early days of business analytics, companies largely delegated data collection and decision-making to a sole technology savvy executive or department. Today, most leaders recognize that an integrated data-first approach that activates and involves all stakeholders is necessary for cultivating the best results. 

Shifting to a data-driven culture often means overhauling multiple aspects of a company’s strategy. Executives who usually rely on their intuition must fully embrace data’s role in validating, expanding, or negating business decisions.

At the same time, data analysis is meaningless without context, experience, and insight.  The key is to view data as a launch pad for deeper investigations. This mindset avoids common pitfalls such as cherry picking or blind reliance on numbers. 

Education is a cornerstone in successful data-driven companies. Top firms such as Eli Lilly and TD Bank have incorporated data analysis training into their executive professional development programs. 

Trained leaders can support and encourage an ecosystem of continuous learning within their departments and teams, thus fostering an environment that is conducive to the dynamic nature of a data-driven business.

 

Focus on Quality over Quantity

Considering the unimaginable volumes of data generated each day, (as much as 2.5 quintillion bytes), the term big data is a bit underwhelming. While the ability to capture unstructured data has made innovative insights possible, it has also highlighted the importance of data quality. Data driven leaders must acknowledge the limits of data in order to leverage data-driven results to their full potential. 

How data quality is defined and assessed is highly nuanced. A basic principle of data analysis asserts that high data volumes reduce the effect of anomalies and errors. When tracking historical trends or longitudinal outcomes, prioritizing quantity can make sense.

However, as most companies are using data to make business decisions that impact individuals or a more refined demographic, data quality often surpasses quantity.  This is particularly salient if a company wants to have a better understanding of a specific customer segment, market, or product performance. Employing data sampling methods can cut out some of the background noise and uncover insights that would otherwise get lost. 

 

Analysts agree that data quality is only as superior as its source. And since humans select inputs and metrics, any data analysis has the potential to reflect flawed biases. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are notorious for replicating many of the same distortions companies have turned to algorithms to erase, including prejudices and cognitive biases. Relatedly, removing the human touch from the analysis process altogether runs the risk of alienating customers and disincentivizing employee innovation. Following the axiom “people first, data second” can help leaders navigate the often blurred lines between helpful and harmful analytic processes. 

Advisor

Advising the Best of the Best

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Even advisors need advice, and when they do, they turn to the team from Advisorist.com. This incredible team offers a wealth of advice that can double business potential. We take a look at the firm, and its remarkable CEO Jeremiah Desmarais, to discover how he has been able to achieve the incredible accolade of CEO of the Year, 2021 – Massachusetts, the USA in CEO Monthly.

Today’s market is a million miles away from the world of thirty years ago. Businesses can move more agilely with teams that value a strong connection between their personal beliefs and the direction of a company. It’s essential, for organizations to thrive, to continue looking forward at all times. The team behind Advisorist have made it their mission to help insurance and financial advisors succeed in today’s ever-evolving market.

Leading from the front of the firm, however, is Jeremiah Desmarais. He is more than just an entrepreneur, thanks to a commitment to sharing what he has learned and what he has earned. He is a valued Forbes contributor; TED Talk speaker; and philanthropist – all these incredible achievements reflect his amazing ambition, not simply for his firm, but for the people he works with.

When Jeremiah established Advisorist, it was to act as a force for good in the world at large. His passion for the sector and knowledge of the insurance industry is what has allowed the team to achieve such overwhelming success. He and his wife founded the company together, with both buying into making something different from the norm that could revolutionize the advisory game.

Advisorist was Jeremiah’s first company and while he started out with minimal experience, he brought an enormous hunger that couldn’t be matched. The business is 100% bootstrapped, with no outside funding, but has grown into a tremendous success story. Jeremiah started with a unique knowledge of the insurance niche, and the limited way in which it had engaged with the digital world, he moved the business in that direction. In a sector that is typically reticent to change, there will always be a need for an advisory firm that is on the cutting edge of what the market has to offer. Jeremiah created a business that did things differently to any of the competition.

While inexperienced, Jeremiah soon found a way of working that benefitted him and his team greatly. Once a hands-on manager, he found better results through the development of core values. These values, presented to the company at large, have guided the way in which the business has developed. More than simply platitudes, these values are the standards to which the team hold themselves at all times.

“Despite most of us having never met in person before, there’s a deep sense of camaraderie and togetherness. I think that speaks to the fact that every single team member has a clear understanding of what the mission of the company is. Being a “force for good” isn’t just something we talk about – it’s something we each personally believe in. That makes it a lot easier to show up each day engaged, and focused,” – Sky Richardson

It was the trust which the strength of these values imparted that gave Jeremiah the confidence to put a working from home policy into place. Working virtually has proven to be a major boon for Jeremiah and his team, developing a culture of results as opposed to presence. His team of self-organized and driven people push each other every day. With no office space to unite them, the decision was made from the start to provide a daily space to discuss work with teams, as well as monthly team hangouts that eschew the formalities of the workplace. This decision was not brought about through trial and error, but through detailed consultancy with an organizational psychologist who advised Jeremiah on how to develop a team that could work in a way that was united but virtual.

Jeremiah’s elite training programs have made an enormous difference to so many clients around the globe, with a team of 22 individuals working across 7 different countries. Before the rest of the world learned the value of virtual working, the team at Advisorist were built on this principle. Working internationally has allowed Jeremiah to access the best that the industry has to offer, regardless of where they live. It has also opened up exciting new avenues which the competition simply cannot match.

As the firm established itself, and its unique way of working, it became clear that while Jeremiah knew there was a role for his business, many in the community at large did not see things that way. The way forward was creating partnerships with other organizations, and through these partnerships to spread the word of what the team did. Over the years, Jeremiah has always been on the lookout for ways to build relationships with those who have a fresh audience and the desire to help.

“force for good” isn’t just something we talk about – it’s something we each personally believe in. That makes it a lot easier to show up each day engaged, and focused,” – Sky Richardson

It was the trust which the strength of these values imparted that gave Jeremiah the confidence to put a working from home policy into place. Working virtually has proven to be a major boon for Jeremiah and his team, developing a culture of results as opposed to presence. His team of self-organized and driven people push each other every day. With no office space to unite them, the decision was made from the start to provide a daily space to discuss work with teams, as well as monthly team hangouts that eschew the formalities of the workplace. This decision was not brought about through trial and error, but through detailed consultancy with an organizational psychologist who advised Jeremiah on how to develop a team that could work in a way that was united but virtual.

Jeremiah’s elite training programs have made an enormous difference to so many clients around the globe, with a team of 22 individuals working across 7 different countries. Before the rest of the world learned the value of virtual working, the team at Advisorist were built on this principle. Working internationally has allowed Jeremiah to access the best that the industry has to offer, regardless of where they live. It has also opened up exciting new avenues which the competition simply cannot match.

As the firm established itself, and its unique way of working, it became clear that while Jeremiah knew there was a role for his business, many in the community at large did not see things that way. The way forward was creating partnerships with other organizations, and through these partnerships to spread the word of what the team did. Over the years, Jeremiah has always been on the lookout for ways to build relationships with those who have a fresh audience and the desire to help.

“Jeremiah has opened my eyes to a vision of myself I never thought possible. His management style leans toward mentorship. He tells me where I’m strong, gives constructive criticism and insight into his creative methodology and thinking process,” – Jazmine Cooper

As time has gone on, this approach has allowed Jeremiah to gain the respect and support of several major companies. These relationships are built on trust and respect, because both sides know the value of the other. While Jeremiah is proud to now be influencing high-level companies through his own, the door is always open to new approaches and ideas. While Advisorist helps wealthier individuals to thrive, the team is always looking to reach beyond that and bring awareness and assistance to disadvantaged communities. It means the team are looking at supporting companies that are trying to get off the ground, as well as ensuring that even higher levels of clients can be reached.

The power of working in this way is one which positioned the team perfectly for the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most advisors have grown their businesses in a way which is exclusively face to face, which meant that the industry was ill-prepared for how to change its way of working. Jeremiah had published a book on the topic in 2017, advising businesses on how to effectively transition to a digitally powered organization. The book became incredibly important for many during the crisis. Similarly, Advisorist saw a huge demand for its services as businesses explored various options that would secure them success in the long term.

The future looks bright for Jeremiah and his team, with their impeccable advice leading to better decisions in a variety of different circumstances. There is a real need for businesses to understand how to grow a business digitally, and not just in 2021, but for success in the future. The power of remote working cannot be limited now. The team at Advisorist are planning more comprehensive programs that generate independent workers who will drive a company forward and a sales model that sells to people as opposed to selling products. In the virtual space, this is key to developing a repeatable sales process.

When Jeremiah started Advisorist, it’s clear that he wanted to create a space where the impossible became possible. When many were ignoring digital techniques, he was forging ahead into a bold new arena and establishing the groundwork. Now, as people have been forced to work online, his team have proven more than capable of meeting the inherent challenges in the system. We celebrate his tremendous success, built on his astonishing leadership, and look forward to what he has in store in the weeks and months to come.

For further information, please contact Jeremiah Desmarais or visit advisorist.com

Falcon Robotics

A Leader Amongst Men.

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Falcon Robotics was founded in 2018 to raise funds for CEO Ahmad AlDarwish’s patent pending inventions. In addition, the aim was to showcase to the world the many constructive outcomes that can come from the United Arab Emirates. Following Ahmad’s recent recognition as CEO of the Year, 2021 – The United Arab Emirates, we take a closer look at his work at the helm of Falcon.

Ahmad AlDarwish, CEO of Falcon Robotics, started his career in the aviation industry as an Aircraft Broker and Flight Operations Engineer. Then, he got his professional drone pilot license and started looking for aerial photography and inspection projects. However, due to regulations and other constraints, Ahmad realized this was not enough to sustain himself as a business and wanted to build his own drones and other products.

Consequently, with the help of his highly qualified team, Ahmad has built Falcon Robotics, a trading company, technology integrator and AI consultancy, all centred around his experience and interest in the field of drones and robotics.

Ahmad learned that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions for the range of challenges that face the various sectors of the industry. Immense amounts of investments, not to mention valuable time and efforts, go wasted trying to solve problems using off the shelf solutions. Ahmad aims to take what is technologically available, and improve upon it as needed. Often, this includes adding extra functionality (both in terms of hardware and software) to produce the best and most feasible solutions for clients.

Ahmad explains, “The experience we gain as we try to come up with the best possible solutions for our customers’ needs, enhances our knowledge and understanding of the most imminent and critical issues various sectors are currently facing. This helps us not only finetune our future efforts towards concentrating on resolving those issues but also helps us in guiding the younger generation, including our interns, about the specific areas where they should expand their energies looking for better solutions.” 

Initially, Falcon Robotics wanted to make its solutions fit the clients’ needs; however, Ahmad explains, “Over time we learned that what the clients almost always need are more customized and targeted versions of whatever off-the-shelf solutions that may be available. Otherwise, there is a good chance they may end up wasting their time and money and start all over again looking for a better solution.” Integral to Falcon Robotics’ success are the core team members, crucial to its consistent, innovative, and reputable role within the industry. Ahmad states, “I highly believe that no matter how good an idea is or how smart the leader is, the team members are the ones that make it happen and work.” 

The only effective way Falcon Robotics can serve its clients is to stay on top of the advancements being carried out at the institutional level. That can only be achieved by practical collaborative efforts between the Falcon group, the research communities, and the educational institutions within the UAE and at an international level. Hence, moving forward, its goal is to increase the level of collaboration with these entities. Ahmad explains, “We will have new highly-qualified talent joining us, will open branches in GCC, set up JVs in EU, USA and work on the already established UK company, Falcon Robotics Ltd. Our main goal is to go global. Also, if we get the necessary approvals, we will be setting up a defence unit that will be serving the international military corps with different solutions. My main plan is to have a product built by Falcon Robotics in every country.” 

Additionally, Ahmad believes that it is Falcon Robotics and the general population’s responsibility to leave the world a better place than it was found.

Ahmad states, “We want our clients to know that we take responsibility for our impact on the earth and are actively and continuously looking for ways to manage, protect and restore the environment. We care about our planet and keeping the environment, and its sustainability is a top priority. We will make it our mission to ensure that we deliver unique and innovative solutions that are not harmful to the environment in any way.” 

For further information, please contact Ahmad AlDarwish via email at: [email protected] or visit www.falconrobotics.ae

 

Leader

Achieving Multi-Sector Success

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

America is renowned as a land of opportunity, and its most successful citizens know how to seize that opportunity and make it their own. We take a look at D4U USA Group, the brainchild of Wagner Pontes, to see how his astonishing leadership has allowed the many organizations in his care to flourish and grow to new heights of success.

Wagner Pontes has proven over the years more than capable of getting involved in the way that American industry operates. His organization, D4U USA Group, has taken major roles in the operations of many companies, controlling their direction of travel not just in one sector, but across the breadth of different industries in the country. D4U USA Group is involved with businesses that work in immigration services, real estate, entertainment park and beverage distribution, and their influence continues to grow.

The team’s astonishing path to growth matches Mr. Pontes. His visionary ambition has inspired those who work for him to reach above and beyond where many would stop, leading businesses to incredible heights of success. For over 18 years, Mr. Pontes has been involved in entrepreneurial activities, so it’s little wonder that this has led to such an amazing triumph. In many ways, he has built an empire in sectors where he might not be an expert, but his skill and ability to lead allows him to find people who can deliver to his exceptionally high standards.

D4U USA Group is comprised of various units, each with its own specialties and unique attributes. They all work together, building towards the greater ambition of Mr. Pontes and his business enterprises. D4U Immigration Services, for example, is one of the largest immigration services firms in the country, making the process of immigration as straight forward as possible for those who want the opportunity to thrive in the USA. The team are responsible of the processing of dozens of green cards every month, using their specialist skills to ensure as many approvals as possible.

Needelss to say, this part of the business is one of the most success, with more than 2,000 beneficiaries served to date, and more than 98% of applications approved. In 2020, the company’s revenue reached over $8 million, and is projected to exceed $12 million in 2021. The company has six units from which it operates. Three are located in the USA, namely in the state of Florida and in the political heart of the country, Washington DC. The last three are located in Brazil, in the states of São Paulo, Goiás and Paraíba, offering vital support to people there.

D4U USA Group has also entered the world of entertainment, with an entertainment complex being one of Mr. Pontes’ more recent endeavors. Named Piquet Entertainment & Race Park, this 20 acre park can be found in Florida, and was built in partnership with the Piquet family of the three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet and the Formula E world champion and former Nascar and Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet Júnior. This racing connection has inspired many of the park’s selling points, including the largest go-kart track in the state of Florida.

Piquet Entertainment & Race Park is also home to eight paintball fields, mini golf, a climbing wall and a collection of motor racing relics, such as F1, FE cars and the 500-miles winning car from the Indy formula. With over $13 million dollars of investment, the development was inaugurated in December 2020 and has already proven incredibly popular. Key to this was the family connected and access to various historic icons of motorsports.

One of the most recent acquisitions was Okkla Reality, a specialist in the purchase and sale of real estate in the state of Florida. Despite being a relatively new addition to the market, only a few months, it has developed more than $4,5 million in business. It also showcases the intuition of Mr. Pontes’ business decisions. While very different to the racing park and the immigration services, it has rapidly proven not only to be a good investment, but a natural addition to the businesses already under the control of D4U USA Group.

Mr. Pontes has recently expanded into other new sectors of the market too. The alcoholic beverages segment is one which holds enormous potential that remains untapped. As such, the team are involved in the “Drink B” brand, launched in the US. This brand has focuses on flavored Brazilian Rum, and is already present in the best restaurants in South Florida. As a brand, it has already made a name for itself in Miami, as well as being a sponsor of some of the biggest musical events of the Brazilian community in Florida.

These close connections with a local community have opened exciting new doors to Mr. Pontes, who has actually been invited to chair LIDE Miami as a result of these successful projects. LIDE is a group of business leaders with more than 3000 members and operating groups in 15 countries. The aim of these groups is to create a place for networking amongst some of the biggest and best regional investors and entrepreneurs. It’s the ideal location for Mr. Pontes to thrive, not only allowing him to keep his finger on the economic pulse of the region, but also to share his not inconsiderable expertise with others in Miami and beyond.

When looking at the career of Mr. Pontes, it is one which covers an exciting range of diverse interests. From law to entertainment, from real estate to beverages, the team at D4U USA Group are involved in many different aspects of business. What is clear, however, is that each is approached with the same entrepreneurial mindset and desire to succeed. All share the unique attitude which has empowered his teams to make the best possible decisions for the growth of the group as a whole – and the growth has been truly astounding. We celebrate Mr. Pontes’ tremendous success and look forward to seeing just where he takes his incredibly diverse portfolio of businesses next.

For further information, please contact Wagner Pontes via email at [email protected]

Concept illistration of SaaS

A Leader Amongst Men

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Intoware is a SaaS company focused on providing solutions for the connected worker. It has developed a mobile-first designed workflow automation tool called WorkfloPlus to aid digital transformation for business that gives productivity, simplicity, connectivity and accountability. Keith Tilley, CEO and winner of CEO of the Year, 2021 – United Kingdom, tells us more.

Keith Tilley, CEO of the Nottingham-based firm, Intoware explains the ins and outs of the company, its offerings and what moral the business holds. “Intoware’s vision is to be the first-choice partner for the connected workforce. Although the way it works has already been changed by industry 4.0 technologies, billions of business-critical tasks are still manual or paper-based. These processes are difficult to audit, can be easily lost or damaged and are very inefficient and tough to analyse.” Keith continues, “our digital workflow platform, WorkfloPlus, has been designed to improve efficiency and provide real data insights for enhanced business performance. We believe that you can accelerate your digital journey by empowering the connected worker, simply by using mobile technology that they use is everyday life.”

To keep up in an ever-changing market, how does a company like Intoware compete against competitors? Keith offers an insight in how Intoware is growing and expanding using its products in this industry.“Using digital workflows to replace paper-based processes helps businesses gain greater insights for data driven analysis. At the same time, it ensures standardised, repeatable and right first-time activity.”

Intoware’s WorkfloPlus allows businesses to digitise processes and workflows on all forms of hardware, smart phones, tablets and wearable devices. Intoware decided to build an open API platform so users can design, edit, manage and build reports from all the workflows quickly and easily to gain new insights from real-time data capture.

However, a business is only as good as it’s product, and the product is nothing without its team of dedicated staff behind it. “Talented people are at the heart of everything we do at Intoware, which is why we launched ‘Contribute Fest’ during the lockdown,” Keith explains. “We encouraged our in-house talent to spend time ‘giving back’ by creating open-source projects and sharing new ideas with software developers around the world.”

Running a company is not without its challenges and rarely has this been more true than during the recent pandemic. “The Covid-19 pandemic caused major disruption with volatile demand for essential products, furloughed staff and new safety procedures to follow. It’s no surprise then, that many businesses are looking to technology for solutions. During the lockdown and beyond, our customers have quickly progressed from testing to full scale deployment. This is because the need for digitalisation accelerated, with some achieving outstanding productivity gains of 200% as a result.”

Keith continues, “With WorkfloPlus, businesses can capture detailed data on how each process is carried out – unlock the value of existing systems through actionable insights that address weaknesses and inefficiencies.”

Clearly the pandemic has had a major effect on many businesses, but for Intoware, it has also presented opportunities, as businesses need to find real solutions for connected workers in a working environment that has had to become more remote and distributed. Keith explains, “We have been able to ride this and seen both our ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue) and pipeline increase. The main effect on the role as CEO is to ensure continuous clear and open communication to all stakeholders – while that is a normal responsibility, during this time, the frequency has been greater. I have been fortunate in my career to have worked with some great people and great companies (both for and as customers). I intend to use that experience to help Intoware (and others) progress and along the way I will continue to learn how to be a better leader – it is never too late to gain experience.”

Keith has worked in the IT solutions sector for almost 40 years and has gained extensive P&L responsibility, experience and growth through both organic and acquisitive means in a fast-paced environment. “In 2019, I was given the opportunity to join as CEO to help accelerate that growth on a day-to-day basis – I jumped at the chance. I believe my experience gained over the years can make real difference, but you need to have the right team with you, all pulling in the same direction. Intoware has a great small team, all pulling the company in the right direction – we are set behind a clear mission and values. It’s a pleasure to work with them,” states Keith.

Leadership is about many things, but in the view of Keith, it is about being able to share the vision for the company, having clear values and taking people with you on the journey – that will have its challenges, but be rewarding at the same time. Keith explains, “Any leader of a small start-up understands the day-to-day pressure of business and Intoware is fortunate to have a highly experienced and approachable board plus shareholders who have bought into our vision and support us on that journey.”

 

For business enquiries, contact Keith Tilley at Intoware Ltd via email at  [email protected], via their website at  www.intoware.com, or by post at The Point, Welbeck Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 7QW, United Kingdom.

Patient Engagement

Patient Engagement in the Digital Age

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

When it comes to healthcare, people have higher and higher standards. They need to be engaged and understood to ensure the treatment process is as smooth as possible. The team at PatientBond, led by Justin Dearborn, is at the forefront of this transformation. Justin was named Most Influential CEO 2022 – the USA for his efforts. Having achieved such remarkable success, we thought it the right time to catch up and find out more about how he did it.

Healthcare depends on medical professionals engaging with patients and patients engaging with medical professionals. Founded by leaders in the field of digital health, the team at PatientBond have built their reputation on offering sophisticated, scientific methods for understanding consumers, integrating a proprietary psychographic segmentation model and machine learning with a dynamic workflow approach. Those who turn to PatientBond can use this impressive platform either on its own or as part of a customer’s existing CRM or EMR investment.

By leveraging healthcare consumer insights and innovative technology solutions, PatientBond has played a crucial role in building tighter bonds between patients and medical teams. As CEO, Justin Dearborn has overseen many of these changes in a rapidly growing market. “The patient engagement technology market is extremely competitive,” he tells us, “and a company needs to truly differentiate to stand out. Our proprietary psychographic segmentation model, based on decades of consumer science, and user-friendly interfaces yield superior results.”

With customers that include hospitals, health systems, insurance companies, urgent care providers, physician practices and life sciences, it’s vital that the information gathered by the PatientBond team can be adapted to their individual needs. “We can scale individualized, personalized engagement across any size population, which is a significant competitive advantage,” explains Justin. It’s part of the reason that so many people turn to the team for help. “We help our customers improve health outcomes by closing care gaps, reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions and promoting healthy and preventative behaviors,” he informs us. It’s this increase in capacity that makes PatientBond such a vital part of so many organizations’ success.

The popularity of PatientBond has seen it become renowned for its high quality and trustworthiness. “For the third year in a row, we have achieved an industry-leading 80+ Net Promoter Score among our customers, when the average IT company NPS is only 33,” Justin proudly tells us. “Our company character is “always happy but seldom satisfied,” which underscores our commitment to innovation, excellence and customer service.” By continuing to find ways to push forward, the PatientBond team has been able to secure ever-increasing heights of success.

The last few years have presented new challenges, due in no small part to the insight of the pandemic, but this has benefitted the PatientBond team significantly. “Digital health overall saw a big bump as patients were hesitant to visit a doctor’s office in-person,” Justin smiles. Moving forward, he plans to oversee a growth of 100% in revenue over 2022. New roles are needed to add to the increasingly busy team. “Our vision is to be the industry leader in activating positive and desired healthcare consumer behaviors using our combination of proprietary psychographic insights and our innovative technology solutions,” we are told. “Healthcare consumers will expect and demand personalized experiences that they experience in other industries.”

As the world continues to change, it’s vital that the healthcare sector change with it. Now, with a bold new future ahead of Justin and his team, we cannot wait to see how PatientBond drives the transformation of the health industry. Their efforts have put them in an excellent position, now, and when it comes to delivering on the measures yet to come.

For further information, please contact Justin Dearborn or visit www.patientbond.com

Ecommerce Fulfillment Services

Ecommerce Fulfillment Services: Here’s What You Need to Know As a CEO

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

As a business owner or CEO, you’ve undoubtedly considered warehousing, shipping, and fulfillment of product for your online business. Making sales and converting customers is exciting, but your product must reach customers quickly for the best experience. This can happen in three ways:

  • You work with a dropshipper to get the order fulfilled
  • You complete your own orders in-house
  • You work with a third party firm to manage your warehousing and fulfillment

Shipping in-house may be more flexible and may save money. For these reasons, new start ups and those with specific product packaging requirements generally conduct their own logistics. In many cases, a cash-strapped company of any age or sector is better off doing things in-house or with a dropshipper. However, as a CEO you realize that sometimes time is more valuable than money. If your company is rapidly expanding and you have the funds to outsource, you may want to consider third-party fulfillment services. Let’s look at the benefits of outsourcing your order fulfillment.

Getting to Know Fulfillment Center Services

A fulfillment service company prepares and sends your purchases for you from its fulfillment center. Businesses who don’t want to deal with shipping or have outgrown their present warehouse capacities might use ecommerce fulfillment services.

Each fulfillment center performs similar functions: they are a command center for all order prep and shipping needs. Fulfillment centers can also be used as warehouses for storing merchandise and many will help you manage your inventory and work with you on customized kitting of your orders. They can really be an asset to your growing company.

Some fulfillment service companies have many fulfillment centers, allowing them to serve more places across the country faster than one. The result is speedy and low-cost shipment to a wide range of customers.

Why use third-party logistics?

Using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to outsource fulfillment has obvious advantages. Outsourcing warehousing and fulfillment can help your company expand and the benefits go beyond that:

Avoid Long Term Contracts

Many logistics firms provide variable pricing. So, as you grow—or stagnate—they can change expenses and meet your demands. Owning a warehouse generally demands greater commitment and you may not be ready to scale to this level quite yet.

Get Expert Help

When you employ an outsourced fulfillment service provider, you get not just warehouse space but also management personnel. Scaling your own order fulfillment and shipping requires hiring personnel which can be costly and can take time away from your busy schedule.

Each 3PL has a team of logistics specialists and support workers to assist you. They handle all of the work involved in receiving, inventory management, order processing, and shipping, allowing you to operate at a higher degree of efficiency.

Efficient Operations

You probably didn’t start a business because you’re exceptional at box packing. Your time as a CEO or business owner is better spent managing and optimizing the firm than on order fulfillment. Let someone else handle the logistics and storage, like Jims Shipping Containers, so you can focus on what matters most to your bottom line.

Be Nimble

While doing it yourself is usually free, it will add up over time. Consumers anticipate speedier shipping times, and executing it in-house might generate a terrible customer experience. 3PLs offer outsourced fulfillment services and can negotiate lower packing and shipping prices. So you may be proactive, some even offer real-time stock updates.

This allows you and your team to focus on new ideas, inventory management, and other activities, rather than back-end logistics or staffing backlogs.

Team Digital

How can Business Leaders Improve Digital Experiences in the Workplace?

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Implementing digital transformation into your business is essential for success. But with technological advancements dominating the business world, it’s important to assess the digital additions within your company to discover if they are making the expected improvements.

As a business leader, you may wonder where to start. Here, we explore five ways to improve digital experiences in the workplace.

 

Provide training on digital tools

There are plenty of ways digital additions will fit within your company, and there can be many purposes too. One benefit is that it can make your employees’ working processes quicker, whether it be through upgrading devices or even the installation of software. With technology constantly changing, workers often have to adapt to new tools. It can be tricky for employees to familiarise themselves with new concepts that they haven’t used before.

It’s important to provide regular training for employees. Not only will it make the transition easier for them, but tasks that require new technology will be completed at a quicker pace and to a high standard. Digital signage can be used to great effect in staff training, as it can not only provide valuable information but also offers a sense of belonging too.

 

Keep up to date with digital trends

The COVID-19 pandemic placed emphasis on the necessity for digital implementations in the workplace with many businesses making adaptations in a time of need. But the demand remains, with the digital transformation market expected to reach $490 billion in 2025 compared to $300 billion this year.

Therefore, the future holds many opportunities to incorporate technology into your business, so it’s essential to set time within your company to research current trends and the uses of new technology. Conducting research will allow you to gain insight into the benefits of various digital tools and assess which will be the right fit for you. And with many businesses also looking to improve digital experiences, keeping up to date with trends and new tools helps you stay competitive.

 

Avoid leaving your remote employees behind

Currently, one in five Brits work remotely. Despite this being the only solution for non-essential workers during the pandemic, working from home has remained even as lockdown restrictions eased. This has been possible due to technology being the saviour during lockdown, with remote work being incorporated into traditional working life and businesses finding a balance between the two.

Remote work offers businesses the opportunity to hire people who aren’t local. So in this instance, you may have just as many employees working from home as you do in the office. It’s key to regularly check in with these employees and ensure that their digital tools are up to scratch, as this is much more important to them than it is for employees working in the office. Ensuring that software and devices are up to date is a necessity so that they can continue to complete their work to a high standard. Planning regular video calls reassures them that they are appreciated in the company, and offers an opportunity to keep them connected.

 

Leave room for personalisation

Of course, digital additions will benefit everybody in the workplace. But it isn’t one size fits all, which is why an understanding of various technologies is beneficial for this.

Investing in one tool may offer a huge advantage to one specific role within your company, but it may be of no use to another – so plan ways to personalise digital tools for each role. Or if it’s something broad, such as artificial intelligence, it may be able to help many people within the workplace. But offering personalisation ensures that the digital implementations are improving your employees’ digital experience, as well as making your investments worth the time and money.

 

Measure the progress of your digital additions

Progress monitoring is a vital part of adding digital transformations. You may have integrated a new technology that is the perfect fit for your company, but it is key for you to monitor how successful it is within the workplace.

This can be done by comparing data of your new and improved process with your previous routine, or even through requesting customer reviews and feedback from employees. By gathering results frequently, you can measure the success of the digital experiences within your business and gain an insight into whether you need any extra technological tools or upgrades. Additionally, businesses that track their goals are twice as likely to hit all their goals within a year – so it’s a crucial step to improve digital experiences.

 

In recent years, we have learned to rely on technology. It’s a vital aspect of the business world and is transforming businesses to become more fast-paced and adaptable. It’s important to understand why you’re implementing different technologies and the benefits your employees or customers will see as a result. Deploying solutions such as IPTV distribution to remote users and employees working from home enables then to access live and on-demand IPTV content, which can help them in their working day. Equally, remote collaboration tools will help them to keep in touch with colleagues. Without a plan in place to improve the digital experience within your company, the additions that you provide can become somewhat useless. Understanding the ways to improve are essential to keep your business competitive.

Client Signature

How and Why CEOs Should Improve Efforts to Connect with Customers

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Sir Richard Branson, the founder of the wildly successful venture capital conglomerate known as Virgin Group once said, “Good customer service begins at the top. If your senior people don’t get it, even the strongest links further down the line can be compromised.” That quote is very true in terms of illustrating that success starts from the top down. 

As a CEO, you’re responsible for overall management, structure and organization of the company.  Nevertheless, this high level of management can take you away from the ultimate key to your company’s success – customers. 

In a study published by CBS News, most CEOs spend about 60% of their time in meetings, 25% on the phone with other businesses or colleagues and around 15% of their time is devoted to working alone.  While all of these functions are essential to running a company effectively, there is a glaring problem with this distribution of time.  That problem is the lack of customer interaction.

While being a successful CEO requires you to perform a dizzying array of functions, too often, these responsibilities can keep you further away from your customer base.  Increasingly, CEOs are beginning to realize that in order for a company to succeed, they need to connect with customers.  Here are a few reasons why customer relations are so crucial to CEOs and ways they can interact with them more effectively.

 

Get on the Front Lines

Analyzing feedback and spreadsheets filled with customer data is a valid way to get a bead on customer opinion about your company’s products or services. However, getting in the trenches and going head-to-head with your customers gives you a visceral understanding of where they are coming from. 

Therefore, get involved with your customer service team. Ask to get on the phone lines to directly speak with customers.  Log into online chat features and start responding to customer inquiries on your company’s website. You get the idea.  Getting first hand dialog with customers is a profound way to deeply understand your customer demographics needs.

 

Talk to Your Sales Team

One of the best sources of information you have to relate to your customer base is through your sales force.  These professionals have their finger on the pulse of what motivates, inspires and drives people to purchase from your company.  The more you speak to your sales team about market trends and customer behavior, the more informed you will be to make better choices for the continued success of your company. 

Furthermore, make sure your sales team has the resources they need to gain big data from other business people and companies who are succeeding at customer acquisition. Click here to discover how you can help your team tap into sales tools and access premium intelligence from other businesses so they can more effectively convert leads into paying customers.

 

Market Groups and Focus Groups

These groups deal with gathering pre existing or potential customers together for discussion about why they purchase from your company.  Alternatively, focus groups can identify why some people are dissuaded from purchasing your products or services.  In either case, having open discussions with people in your targeted demographic about your company’s offerings can reveal sobering information. 

With the advent of big data analytic tools, the focus group has lost popularity for many CEOs in recent years.  This is regrettable, because these groups are far more intimate and accurate in feedback than tracking bar graph trends about consumer behavior.  Both assessment tools have their place, but ultimately group discussions are a vibrant way to understand your customers’ mindset.

 

Implement Surveys

Have your customer service team devise ways to implement customer surveys.  The results can be tremendously telling as to what you can do to make positive changes in the workplace.  Surveys can also reveal where certain departments of the company are falling behind in satisfying customer needs. 

For example, if you and your staff are consistently seeing shipping errors, or inordinately slow ship times – that’s a clear sign to schedule an audit and review your company’s shipping department to address the issue.  Conversely, if customer surveys reveal high satisfaction with your tech support department – that’s a sign to pat your support employees on the back. 

In either example, surveys can prompt you to praise and empower your staff.  Alternatively, if results indicate there are downfalls, it can motivate you to “check under the hood” in various departments and implement plans for improvement in performance.

 

Be Mindful

We know that your position as a CEO is jam-packed with endless details and mind boggling responsibilities. However, it’s important not to become so consumed by these details that it takes you away from your core resource – customers.  Carve out time to connect with customers, and stay mindful about their feedback.  After all, your company’s success is only as good as the satisfaction of your customers.

Oursourcing

When to Outsource Work as a CEO

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Outsourcing has become a buzzword in the business world in the past two decades. And aside from having call centers in various international locations, it can be hard to know what kinds of work to outsource when you’re a CEO. You certainly can’t give up your role, but as a CEO, it’s critical to know when it’s appropriate to outsource and when you should use your internal teams. Here are some clues to help you know when to outsource work as a CEO.

 

You Have a Critical Marketing Campaign

Marketing is a big task and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. You know that the rise and fall of a business can rest on the effectiveness of a marketing campaign and long-term campaigns. Internal teams typically do a great job on the normal day-to-day marketing needs. But when a new need comes along, it can be difficult to get those people on board. In those cases, it becomes necessary to outsource to another marketing agency. Finding an agency with the expertise you need can help your company enter a new market, launch new products, and connect to the right clients.

 

You Need Outside Perspective

When you’re leading a company, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Your business numbers remain stagnant, or they drop and you’re wondering what to do. It’s okay if as the CEO you don’t have all the answers. The best leaders know how to reach out to get an outside perspective when things aren’t going as intended. While you can’t give up your role as CEO, you can hire outside consulting services to help you discover your blind spots. They offer a unique perspective that can be enough to help you and your company move forward in bigger and better ways.

 

You Have a Large Transformational Project

Change is hard. Change is especially hard if you’re transforming the way that you do business. It takes a huge team to not only manage your critical day-to-day functions but to also help create the necessary changes. Outsourcing work when you’re in the midst of a big transformational project is important. You can use outsourced teams to do basic tasks or use them to do the change work.

 

You Are Changing Your Technology Systems

Moving to new technology from older systems is an important task. But being able to transition smoothly can lead to challenges. While your business still needs to function, you also need to be able to set up the new systems so they can operate effectively. Add to the mix training on the new systems, and any adjustments to the processes, and it becomes evident that your IT team might need to be outsourced so you can handle all the new things coming. As a CEO, it’s okay to use outsourced teams to work on your technology and make those systems run smoother.

 

You Need Help Managing Finances

Some CEOs do it all. And that’s okay until it isn’t. When you’re drowning in fiscal responsibilities and it’s clear that you aren’t managing it well, it makes sense to outsource work to a CFO. Using a CFO can provide you with many benefits including adding someone to manage contract negotiations, providing another perspective in strategic planning, and helping you prepare and analyze company financial documents. 

This becomes increasingly important if you’re preparing to sell or merge your company and need assistance preparing all the official documents. Smaller companies can also benefit from outsourced CFO services when they don’t have enough budget for someone full-time. This gives you all the benefits of having a great financial leader without the entanglements of a long-term hire.

 

Some Tips for Outsourcing as a CEO

Finding the right people for your team can feel like it’s more hassle than it’s worth. But the benefits of outsourcing to the right companies cannot be understated. Take your time to find the right help for your business. You need someone with the right expertise to offer to consult, handle finances, take care of your technology needs, or create a winning marketing campaign. Ask around your CEO circles to find people and companies who are great to work with. If you don’t rush into it, you can have success.