14 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 15 , , Jun21131 Best IT Services CEO (Oceania): Sydney JP Borg FAICD PCS Australia Pty Ltd, a company proving that an old company can still pioneer new tricks, is one of the leading voices in the provision of information processing and communications solutions in its industry. Servicing the SME, Corporate and Government markets, it provides its expert work with a client-first mentality to the Australian technology sector. Being Australia’s oldest IT company, PCS Australia is celebrating 50 years in operation this year in 2021. The company, therefore, has undergone a myriad of changes and adaptations over time that has ensured it can adapt, retaining the prestige and competitive nature that propelled it to prominence in the first place. Originally, it provided a bureau service for the printing and typesetting industry that the company was originally established for, pivoting to the IT market in the 80s with the rise of personal computing becoming a reality, which has allowed it to secure significantly lofty partnerships and continue its rise to the top. It had partnered with NEC Corporation, and PCS quickly achieved the status as its number one channel partner. Moreover, it held that position for 26 years . An achievement it is as proud of now as it was back then, ensuring everything it does is handled diligently and to the PCSA standard from network design to supply, installation, and handover of AV and Board conferencing systems – it can even offer surveillance systems and digital signage. Each of these solutions have contributed in it making a name for itself – especially in the Private Education sector – where it was able to provide a major market segment with student notebook programs and the management of back-end servers for over 30 years. As a CEO, therefore, Sydney Borg has always managed to make sure that he cultivates personal and in-depth relationships with his clients. This has allowed him to secure return custom again and again, as he and his company make themselves an invaluable business partnership that can add significant value to its client’s business, making sure to understand each of their requirements and rise to them appropriately. PCS Australia has in this manner been able to survive all sorts of changes and fluctuations in its industry, by ensuring that above all else, its clients are the backbone of its business; furthermore, this is something that has been reinforced by each element of the CEO’s own career. Syd has held many Executive ,non executive and voluntary Board positions throughout his career and still holds prominent positions such as President and chairman of several organisations for some 20 years. He began in Diesel engineering in the 70’s, completing management training regimens that made him understand every element of the company. Eventually, this led to him running his own business in the early 90s after being a high- flying achiever in a role as a sales representative, pivoting towards IT services, which directed him inexorably towards being given PCS Australia as a channel partner. In 1991, his climb to the top culminated in buying out the 6 existing partners of PCS Australia and taking sole control of the Best Female Marketing & PR CEO: Erika Montgomery – USA Three Girls Media provides world-class marketing and public relations services for organisations of all sizes, raising their brand awareness and name recognition through both traditional and digital tactics, all while providing top-notch customer service. It designs unique marketing or public relations campaigns with each business’ specific goals and budget in mind. The agency designs compelling social media updates, SEO-rich blog posts, smartly targeted ads and attention-grabbing email marketing campaigns that promote its clients’ specific products and services. It also creates one-of-a-kind, SEO-rich websites that look fantastic as well as drive traffic. From the wireframe to copywriting and front- and back-end SEO, Three Girls Media designs and builds beautiful, functional sites. When it comes to public relations, whether the client needs to spread the word to the public, investors or the press, Three Girls Media has expertise in creating intriguing communications and media campaigns with clear messaging to highly targeted audiences. Speaking about Three Girls Media’s own brand, Erika Montgomery said, “Contrary to popular belief, Three Girls Media was not started by three women. When I launched the marketing and PR business, I was sure of Situated in the greater Seattle area is Three Girls Media Inc., founded by CEO Erika Montgomery. A boutique award-winningmarketing and public relations agency, it works with clients in all industries worldwide. one thing: If you want to spread the word about something quickly, who should you tell? Three girls… and the news will spread like wildfire! The name was catchy, and the signature logo of girls gossiping enhanced the message perfectly.” Erika founded Three Girls Media in June of 2005. “At the time, I was at a crossroads. Following an award-winning eight-year public relations career, preceded by more than 15 years as a popular radio and TV host in the San Francisco Bay area, I was torn. Should I dive into another stressful corporate relations job with endless hours and thankless employers, or should I take another major career leap into something more rewarding?” It didn’t take her long to choose. With nothing more than a rough idea, a notepad and a $3,000 loan from a friend, the marketing and public relations agency, Three Girls Media Inc. was born. Three Girls Media’s success skyrocketed from its inception. Now a well-established content marketing and PR agency with an astonishing track record of success, Three Girls Media completely broke the mould of “traditional” public relations and marketing with a la carte services and satisfied clients who stay for campaign after campaign. Three Girls Media is proud to be different as an employer, too. It doesn’t just talk about families being first… it lives it! Whether that means dogs barking occasionally in the background or kids at staff meetings every now and then, each member of the team is encouraged to make whatever scheduling allowances are needed to ensure that the health and welfare of their families and themselves comes first. This is especially important to Erika as she recalls being told that she couldn’t leave work early to attend one of her son’s cello concerts or soccer games, or to do volunteer work at a children’s hospital with her Certified Service Dog. Ultimately, Erika is a relaxed and understanding leader. She believes in clear communication and compassion. She is an educator and loves mentoring those on her team and seeing them flourish and spread their wings. It begins with giving transparent directions and ensuring everyone has a complete understanding of the vision and goals. Ongoing communication helps projects progress seamlessly. Growing at the extraordinary pace that the agency has over the last couple of years, Erika has however found a regular challenge to be interviewing, hiring and training staff. It’s a time-consuming process but well worth it to find and retain a quality team. That being said, the opportunity for growth has been phenomenal. Erika has worked incredibly hard to build Three Girls Media’s brand awareness and name recognition and it’s clearly paying off. Three Girls Media is now looking towards a very bright future. Erika’s plan is to continue to grow the company in the coming years, adding new, larger clients and government contracts as well as new team members. The agency is on a projected path to double its net revenue this year if it stays at its current pace. When we asked Erika about her aspirations for her own career, she said, “I believe that setting a good example for other entrepreneurs is key. I love being able to help those who are starting out on their entrepreneurial journeys. I also plan to continue with many speaking engagements to a wide variety of business groups.” Company: Three Girls Media Inc. Contact: Erika Taylor Montgomery Email:
[email protected] Web: www.threegirlsmedia.com company as its CEO, including its 50 staff and contractors. With the introduction of cloud, BYOD, and managed services, PCS Australia has seen plenty of new services enter its industry, making for a more dynamic field of competition than ever before. Therefore, PCS Australia responded by developing two new corporate applications for launch into industry verticals, remaining confident that the Finance and Hospitality Events industries will be as excited as ever to receive its high-end, stable, reliable work as those industries open up again. With discipline, understanding, and an unbeatable work ethic, Sydney Borg sets a good example for his team and ensures a prevailing atmosphere of encouragement and communication across the board. This, alongside the dedicated nature of the staff themselves, has made for a brilliant working environment, with Sydney himself ensuring PCS Australia remains a going concern amongst its peers by sitting on several Boards, looking forward to launching yet more businesses and opportunities as he looks towards the future. Company: PCS Australia Pty Ltd Contact: Sydney JP Borg FAICD Website: pcsa.com.au May21745