Issue 9 2024 Featuring:
Welcome to the September 2024 issue of CEO Monthly. CEO Monthly is dedicated to providing the latest news and features across the business world to our readership. By sharing knowledge, insights, expertise, and success stories from around the globe, we aim to inspire individuals and promote positivity in a world that is in a constant state of evolution. From law advertising to education initiatives, mortgage and saving products to IT consulting, and more, this month’s issue boasts a small yet mighty collection of CEOs with a passion for progression. Utilising many tools, modern and traditional, yet all seasoned, our awardwinning CEOs are elevating their industries by cultivating an environment of care and respect. They lead with compassion and a commitment to excellence, and always by example. We are sure there’s inspiration to be found in each of our awardee’s success stories, and we sincerely wish you a prosperous month ahead. We look forward to welcoming you back to another issue in October. Rebecca Scotland, Editor Website: www.ceo-review.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
4. News 6. Discovery Partners: Discovering How Trust Leads to Success 7. Mr. Turing: Generative AI Transforming Data intoValuable Insights 8. Idea Harbor: The CEO Putting People First 9. Melton Building Society: Efficacy and Excellency in Every Endeavour 10. ADSQUIRE: Digital Advertising Designed for Lawyers 11. Basis.Point: Breaking Down Educational Barriers for Ireland’s Youth 12. Trust, Flexibility and Respect are the Only Word Business Leaders Need 14. Start Your Business With The End In Mind Contents
NEWS Clarivate Appoints Former ProQuest CEO Matti Shem Tov as the Company’s Next CEO
The Andersons, Inc. announces Bill Krueger, the company’s current Chief Operating Officer (COO), will succeed Pat Bowe as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective October 1, 2024. Mr. Krueger also will be appointed to The Andersons Board of Directors. Mr. Bowe will remain as the company’s Chairman of the Board. “Bill has been integral to our strategic growth during his tenure with The Andersons, helping to position the business to take advantage of new opportunities across the agriculture supply chain,” said Bowe. “As COO, he has been immersed in our core operating segments, and has demonstrated exceptional leadership with a proven track record for creating value for shareholders. After nearly a decade as CEO, I am proud to pass the baton to Bill.” Pat Bowe joined The Andersons in 2015 as the company’s first non-family member CEO. Under his leadership the company completed its largest acquisition, achieved record revenue approaching nearly $17 billion in 2022, grew adjusted EBITDA from approximately $120 million to over $400 million by 2023, and steadily increased dividend payments, retaining the company’s track record of 112 consecutive dividends. “I am honored to succeed Pat as CEO of The Andersons,” said Krueger. “The Andersons continues to excel by leveraging its deep expertise in the agricultural supply chain, strong customer relationships, and consistent delivery of strong results for all our stakeholders. Leading a company with such a rich culture and foundational principles is truly a privilege. I am eager to explore new opportunities to further strengthen the legacy and leadership that have driven the company’s growth for over 77 years.” Bill Krueger joined The Andersons in 2019 as part of its acquisition of Lansing Trade Group, where he served as president and CEO for nearly 14 years. Prior to serving as The Andersons COO, Krueger was president of the company’s trade and processing business. He began his career as a grain merchant, where he honed his expertise in the commodity industry, with a strong focus on business development, energy markets, risk management, and corporate finance. Krueger earned his Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Master of Business Administration in finance from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management. He currently serves on the executive committee of the National Grain & Feed Association (NGFA) board of directors, as well as on the board of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. The Andersons, Inc. Names Bill Krueger as CEO Effective October 1, Pat Bowe Will Remain Chairman Chief Executive Jonathan Gear to Step Down as CEO and Member of the Board Clarivate Plc, a leading global provider of transformative intelligence, announced that the Board has appointed Matti Shem Tov, former CEO of ProQuest, as the Company’s next CEO, effective August 9, 2024. Mr. Shem Tov will also join the Company’s Board of Directors. Jonathan Gear, Chief Executive Officer, will step down as CEO and as a member of the Board at that time, and will transition into a nonexecutive role until November 1, 2024. “The Board and Jonathan have mutually agreed that now is the right time for new leadership who can help take Clarivate to the next phase of its value creation journey,” said Andy Snyder, Chairman of the Clarivate Board. “I want to thank Jonathan for his many contributions to the Company. Under his leadership, Clarivate restructured into three end-market segments, which reinvigorated Clarivate’s product innovation investments and commitment to its customers, added terrific talent to the leadership bench, and helped strengthen the Company’s balance sheet. As a result, Clarivate is now well positioned to utilize the distinct expertise within each of our business segments to deliver exceptional and tailored solutions to our customers globally. With this foundation and the investments we are making in product innovation, we are confident in our ability to drive organic growth.” Mr. Snyder continued, “I am also pleased to welcome Matti back to Clarivate, where he will leverage his deep expertise in innovating and delivering new products to market to help launch Clarivate in its new phase of accelerated organic growth. Given Matti’s decades of leadership experience, the Board and I are confident that he is well suited to partner with our exceptional management team to lead Clarivate.” “I am pleased to join Clarivate as its next CEO,” said Mr. Shem Tov. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Clarivate’s businesses and its mission of advancing innovation through research and knowledge sharing to solve the world’s most complex challenges. I am looking forward to working closely with our committed global colleagues and loyal customers to accelerate growth, increase product innovation and drive value creation for all our stakeholders.” “It has been a privilege to lead this dedicated and passionate team, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Mr. Gear said. “The Company has made strong progress managing and integrating its portfolio of businesses while supporting the needs of customers and partners. After thorough discussions with the Board, it’s clear that this is the right time to make this transition. I am confident that Clarivate has a strong future ahead and I look forward to supporting the Company in my upcoming non-executive role.” Mr. Shem Tov’s appointment follows a process led by the Board of Directors and supported by Heidrick & Struggles, a leading global executive search firm. Separately, Clarivate today reported results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. Clarivate will host a conference call and webcast today at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review the results for the second quarter and discuss the announced leadership changes.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 6 ounded in 2021, Discovery Partners has built a solid reputation for delivering quality services tailored to its client’s goals, long-term vision, and company culture. Through creating longterm, trusting partnerships with its clients, Discovery Partners has developed a wealth of experience that spans across industries. With this knowledge, the company has honed its ability to identify and tackle the most prevalent hurdles clients often face. This extensive involvement has enabled Discovery Partners to develop its own strategical method that addresses such challenges head on – the Fractional Engineering Operating Model. “This model is not just a product of successes; it’s born from learning and evolving through missteps and obstacles encountered in the field. It’s in our DNA,” explains Sagar. “We sit down with our clients, deciphering the precise information that truly matters for their project while enabling future success through a tailored approach. Gone are the uncertainties and guesswork; together, we sculpt a clear path to imagine and build innovative technology solutions for the modern world.” Sagar Parikh has spent most of his 27-year career in the technology space, initially starting as a help desk team member. As his expertise grew, Sagar climbed the ranks to lead development and R&D teams at Fortune 500 companies. Over the course of his illustrious career, Sagar has worked at Starz, developing their video download and streaming platforms; and ADT, leading the development team that integrated ADT with Google following an initial $450 million investment to replace Nest’s shuddered home security platform. “As I progressed in my career,” says Sagar, “I brought the solution oriented problem solving and communication skills I learned from the frontlines as a help desk representative. This has been a key to my approach. one of my strengths is to look at stubborn problems in a different light with a determination that they can be solved, even in resource-constrained environments.” Sagar’s broad experience has allowed him to develop an effective leadership style that invokes inspiration within his team. He places an unwavering trust in his employees, allowing space for failure – within reason – so that they can grow and in turn, the company will flourish. Trust is a key component of Discovery Partners’ internal culture; the company trusts its team to deliver high quality Discovering How Trust Leads to Success Discovery Partners is a specialist organisation that provides boutique technology services across the full product life cycle to its clients. Striving to drive meaningful change for today’s business challenges, Discovery Partners provides software development, staffing, and support that optimises the performance of its client’s business. We take a look at Discovery Partners’ rise to success below, spearheaded by industry innovator Sagar Parikh, who has been featured in the prestigious Most Influential CEO Awards 2024. services, its leadership team around the world to maintain a high level of communication, and the notion that good ideas can come from anyone. As a CEO, Sagar notes that it is important to know when it is appropriate to step back and when to be hyper-involved for the company’s sake. “The areas you may need to pay the closest attention to may only sometimes be what drives your passions, such as investors, boards, and keeping your largest customers satisfied,” he says. “This is true for me as an engineer who built a career focused on technology, products, and innovation, and not finance, business, and customer management.” Under Sagar’s capable leadership, Discovery Partners is currently entering a new phase of growth, in which Sagar’s role is shifting. The company is now at in a position where Sagar will be stepping back from managing customers and services and into a more strategic role looking at opportunities for scale. This would include truly listening to customer needs and seeking out gaps in the market, such as the opportunity to help other companies with specialised growth strategies. “One of the questions I am grappling with is how we leverage what we have done and what we have learned to help other companies and CEOs,” Sagar tells us. “Many of the management books focus on large companies or assume a cookie-cutter approach that values efficiency or people – rarely both. Solutions are often overengineered for small companies; there needs to be a new path that balances the needs of small businesses while being hyper-aware of their unique constraints.” Moving forward, it appears that Discovery Partners is approaching an exciting period of change as it continues to expand and enhance its offerings. We have no doubts about the company’s success when driven by Sagar Parikh, a technological savant whose stellar leadership has earned him the title of the Most Influential CEO 2024 in Boutique Technology Services – Colorado. F Contact: Sagar Parikh Company: Discovery Partners Web Address: www.discoverypartners.io PARTNERS DISCOVERY
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 7 Generative AI Transforming Data into Valuable Insights Start-up Mr. Turing is an AI research and solutions provider serving as an industry leader when it comes to providing customisable, accessible, and secure artificial intelligence. The company’s mission is ultimately to empower clients to unlock the true value of their knowledge, and it does this by affording them customised solutions pioneered by its own R&D team, bespoke AI models, and a suite of ready-foruse products. We learn more about the company’s CEO, Marcelo Noronha, who has been named the Most Influential CEO 2024 - Global (Workplace Knowledge Management). Boasting more than 500,000 users across the likes of the education, finance, and media sectors, as well as more than 70,000 files of a variety of formats in its system, lean start-up organisation Mr. Turing has pioneered two cutting-edge applications, Workstation and Alan Meet, corporate knowledge management and powerful virtual agents that are changing the game. Workstation succeeds by helping users to process, manage, and gain invaluable insights from unstructured information assets in just one click, whether they are videos, emails, messages, or other such documents. Alan Meet, on the other hand, is a purpose-built AI agent that facilitates both organisation and planning for users in communication settings. When a user participates in any type of meeting, phone call, or video conversation, Alan Meet listens to and understands the content of these talks in real time, bringing up relevant insights into the topics that are being discussed. The technology also creates tasks automatically and can be integrated seamlessly with existing applications, ensuring no deadlines or agreements are missed and allowing the user to better manage their time and resources. The perfect combination of human expertise and artificial intelligence that Mr. Turing has struck across its powerful hybrid approach can be attributed largely to CEO Marcelo Noronha, whose responsibilities in this Brazil-based generative AI business span everything from administration and sales to legal and sourcing partnerships. Across his duties, Marcelo is excellent at prioritising, leading to him bringing a CSO (chief strategy officer) and a sales executive into the fold to help the company reach new heights. Prioritisation is just one of the skills that Marcelo has mastered over an almost 40-year career, a journey that has taken him from a decade-long data processing role in one of Brazil’s largest banks, Bradesco, to sales manager positions within sizeable organisations. During this time, Marcelo also found the time to complete a second degree, study English for a year in Australia, and achieve a second MBA in business management. However, it was meeting and then joining his current partners, who were building Mr. Turing at the time, that perhaps stands as Marcelo’s greatest achievement. Having secured the CEO position, Marcelo brings with him to the table a proactive leadership approach that encompasses the ideas and perspectives of everyone, championing the power of collaboration. Although Marcelo’s leadership style has somewhat changed over the years, he still carries the same two pieces of advice with him at all times: continue to develop your leadership skills and align your team with the company’s vision. Marcelo’s successes in these two areas has resulted in a company culture that rests on the cornerstones of innovation and adaptation, with close ties also having been formed with leading local research universities. Working in the ever-changing world of artificial intelligence is not always easy however, and Marcelo recognises that challenges are bound to crop up from time to time. One current example is that companies are still not adopting AI as widely as they would like to across their operations, and the increased interest in artificial intelligence means that new innovations are having to be fostered almost constantly to keep up with demand. Nevertheless, a number of excellent opportunities have risen as a result, most notably being Mr. Turing’s recent incorporation into Canada. Moving with his wife and two children and starting from scratch in a new country was a personal challenge for Marcelo, and trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance remains tough given the long hours he has to work. However, Marcelo enjoys his role and is focused on the legacy he is leaving behind. As Mr. Turing doubles down efforts on its corporate virtual agent, Alan Meet, it will help companies to measurably boost their performance, and this will be a big part of that legacy for its award-winning CEO, Marcelo Noronha. Contact: Marcelo Noronha Company: Mr. Turing Web Address: https://mrturing.ai/ Jul24520
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 8 Founded in 2023, Idea Harbor is a specialist firm leveraging its extensive experience, modern tools, and engineering excellence to allow its clients’ businesses to thrive. Ultimately, Idea Harbor aims to help its clients achieve business agility by removing the barriers holding them back and boosting their bottom line. The company focuses on cloud, data, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and platform engineering opportunities. Idea Harbor works across all sectors, but has developed a broad expertise in complex, heavily regulated industries such as financial services, telecom, and healthcare. Idea Harbor is a consulting firm that strives to deliver real business value to its clients by addressing their business’s complex challenges and ensuring impactful outcomes. The company is overseen by executive leader Dirk Wood, CoFounder and CEO of Idea Harbor. Here, we take a closer look at the ways in which Dirk has led Idea Harbor to success, following his feature in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2024. First, Idea Harbor will identify the obstacles faced by its client’s enterprise, before aligning itself with their entrepreneurial goals. Once the issues are resolved, Idea Harbor will then focus on upskilling its client’s team, leaving them with the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain the beneficial changes. Idea Harbor was founded by three experienced and passionate individuals: Alexander Kalinovsky, Paul Karsten, and Dirk Wood. Dirk and his Co-Founders established Idea Harbor to channel their industry expertise into meaningful business transformations and outcomes for their clients. Dirk has an extensive industry experience, with a global strategic, operations, and tactical background. He believes in taking a peoplefirst approach in Idea Harbor’s operations, an approach that makes creating change fun and rewarding for the team. Boasting a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Science in Information Technology from the University of Denver, Dirk has put in the necessary work to build a reputation for excellence. He is renowned for empowering high-performing professionals through people strategies, all whilst upholding his various responsibilities as an executive, board member, consultant, and advisor. Dirk kickstarted his career in 2005 as a co-founding member of BT’s Web21C SDK, a cuttingedge product that paved the way in exposing telco service APIs to internal and third-party developers. In 2008, Dirk took on the role of CIO and positioned BT as an innovator in the SaaS market. He drove the vision that built world-class development teams and software platforms, further enabling long-tail innovation and the capture of significant new revenue. For over a decade, Dirk has worked with numerous high profile companies, including BT, Lloyds Banking Group, and Level 3 Communications. He has overseen teams of employees whilst driving innovation, optimising business, and delivering robust solutions that attest to the level of expertise Dirk has built over the course of his career. With his extensive industry experience, Dirk has developed an effective leadership style that enables him to draw the best work from his employees. Dirk opts for a people-first leadership style that focuses on cultural optimisation and enhancements. In Dirk achieved record-breaking low attrition rates and business success when holding positions as a board member, executive, consultant, and advisor for a number of the large organisations he served. Dirk has achieved great success throughout his career, including digitally transforming the global banking platform for Lloyds Banking Group while servicing over 1.7 billion users annually. What is more, he has also scaled a start-up business from zero to over 160 employees, expanding to nine locations and earning $200 million in revenue from virtually nothing. As evidenced by his illustrious track record, Dirk Wood knows exactly how to lead a team. Highly collaborative, this professional leverages his extensive experience and creative vision to effectively drive results and guide his team to excellence. As a thought leader and natural problem solver, Dirk has displayed a remarkable business acumen complemented by his clientcentric approach. The Most Influential CEO Awards are held to highlight and celebrate CEOs who demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities, positively influencing their organisations, and paving the way for those to follow. For his dedication to driving innovation and prioritising people above all else, CEO Monthly are delighted to award Dirk Wood with the title of the Most Influential CEO within IT Consulting 2024 – Denver. Contact Details Contact: Dirk Wood Company: Idea Harbor Web Address: https://www. ideaharbor.io/ The CEO Putting People First
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 9 Efficacy and Excellency in Every Endeavour Established in 1875, Melton Building Society is one of the oldest Building Societies in the UK. Over its century of operations, the Building Cociety has built a prestigious reputation for placing its colleagues and customers at the heart of its business. With over 40,000 customers, Melton Building Society promises to help people buy their own homes and make the most of their savings. The Building Society offers mortgages, savings, and works with a partner to offer broader financial advice. It has five local branches based in Melton, Grantham, Oakhma, Stamford, and Bourne. Melton Building Society has made a steadfast commitment to improving the lives of others, from its colleagues, customers and members and its community. Being an independent, mutual society means it does not pay dividends to shareholders, instead sharing its success with its members through higher interest rates for savers, lower rates for borrowers, and continually enhancing its services. Additionally, Melton Building Society also funnels its success back into the communities it serves, through supporting local charities both financially and voluntarily, lending its time, experience, and knowledge in support. Simon Taylor joined Melton Building Society in 2020 as the company’s CEO, following a celebrated career in the financial sector spanning more than three decades. Simon has held a number of senior positions at Lloyds and Barclays, including Regional Director at Lloyds Banking Group before joining the Building Society Sector. Previous to his position at Melton Building Society, Simon was the Interim Chief Commercial Officer at the Saffron Building Society, following eight years in the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Nottingham Building Society. An industry expert, Simon holds an MBA from the University of Bradford and is an alumnus in Advanced Strategic Management from Kellogg North-Western Business School in Chicago. What is more, he is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. As the CEO of Melton Building Society, Simon is responsible for ensuring that the building society operates effectively, continuing to meet the needs of its customers and members. From developing and implementing innovative strategies, fostering a positive and inclusive culture amongst his team, and supporting the growth of all colleagues, Simon is dedicated to bringing meaningful change to the company. Simon brings with him a people-forward approach to Melton Building Society, opting to bring the best out of his colleaguesto boost their performance. He believes that the key is empowering his team to make decisions, take ownership of their work, and generate innovative ideas in a supportive environment. Such an approach garners heightened levels of pride, leading to improved performance and engagement as the team cares more for the work they produce. This leadership style has clearly proven successful, as Simon has been recognised as the Most Influential Mortgage and Saving Products CEO for the second year in a row. Simon has continued to maintain the energy and momentum in his leadership that led to his initial recognition, inspiring his colleagues to follow suit in their work. Since his appointment as CEO of Melton Building Society, Simon has displayed a fantastic sense of leadership, understanding exactly how to fill the role to the benefit of the Building Society. He has led Melton Building Society through significant transformations, showing resilience and tenacity in maintaining the team’s focus. Not only that, but Simon is also sure to celebrate the team’s successes, understanding that this is a crucial aspect of effective leadership. Fostering a strong culture, in which his team members feel valued, and their successes acknowledged, Simon ensures that Melton Building Society continues to maintain its excellent standards when navigating a period of high change. A diligent, authentic leader, Simon has effectively leveraged his extensive industry experience to lead Melton Building Society to success. During his time as CEO of the building society, Simon has demonstrated a clear understanding of leadership through continual growth and encouragement. Moving forward, the future appears to be prosperous for both Simon and the Building Society. We look forward to witnessing the future of Melton Building Society, as Simon continues to steer his team to greatness. Contact: Rachel Kolebuk Company: Melton Building Society Web Address: www.themelton.co.uk/ Jul24675 Located in Melton Mowbray, Melton Building Society is a Building Society, specialising in providing mortgage lending and saving services to its customers. Committed to delivering excellence, the society is spearheaded by CEO Simon Taylor. As Simon features in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2024 for his second consecutive year, we take a closer look at the ways in which he steers Melton Building Society to success.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 10 Proud to have become an integral part of helping lawyers across the Philadelphia area unlock their full digital advertising potential, ADSQUIRE is a carefully crafted collective that, equipped with a detailed understanding of what a successful online marketing strategy should look like, has managed to champion its art. Leveraging creativity and critical thinking, the firm focuses on compiling approaches that revolve around the details. In essence, ADQUIRE is a paragon of digital literacy, with its ability to seamlessly navigate its landscape enabling the continuous development of strategies designed to elevate any lawyer’s Google Ad rankings. At the heart of it all is none other than ADSQUIRE’s outstanding CEO, Anthony Higman. Beginning his career in 2008, Anthony has become a familiar face among Philadelphia’s legal scene, with many lawyers having already benefitted from his immense expertise. Following his graduation from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Anthony developed an affinity for the world of law upon working for one of the nation’s largest plaintiffs law firms, and it’s this newfound passion that would go on to inspire him even to this day. Though he worked his way up through various roles, Anthony struck gold when he became a critical part of the firm’s advertising campaigns. Upon onboarding such immense responsibility, it quickly became clear that there were various programs that could be improved, and Anthony was determined to implement new pieces into the already fascinating puzzle of lawyer advertising. Specifically, Anthony found himself enamoured with the structure of PCC advertising, and his input eventually encouraged rapid growth into new verticals that would go on to reshape the firm forever. Following the success of his strategies, Anthony would go on to pivot toward running paid advertising campaigns, and it’s at this point that the ever-adored ADSQUIRE was born. Since cultivating ADSQUIRE, Anthony has unearthed the potential of hundreds of law firms across the nation, with his in-house level PPC management greatly amplifying their presence within such a competitive space. The world of digital advertising is ever-changing, and SEO has become an essential part of any company’s strategy. The same can be said for lawyers, who heavily depend on comprehensive SEO strategies to differentiate themselves from the big names Digital Advertising Designed for Lawyers For as long as advertising has existed, evolutions in its nuances have partnered it. There’s no straightforward way to promote your vision, and this has become increasingly apparent to those in the law sphere who are finding themselves up against the popularity surge of digital marketing. Now, it’s integral for collectives to dedicate their resources to amplifying their SEO efforts, increasing visibility on a more competitive front, and remain aligned with any changes along the way. Thankfully, Anthony Higman – CEO of ADSQUIRE and CEO Monthly’s pick for the Most Influential CEO 2024 - Philadelphia (Advertising for Lawyers) title – is on-hand to help. Possessing extensive experience, Anthony has changed the marketing game, and we explore how below. on the market. Anthony makes this possible – by adopting a proactive approach, he’s able to help lawyers reach their goals, while simultaneously ensuring they retain their strong sense of identity. CEO Monthly spends its days avidly searching for leaders who are going the extra mile to assist clients, and Anthony Higman is no exception. Leveraging his expertise for the sake of securing the success of others, he’s become a pivotal figure in Philadelphia’s digital advertising scene, with many lawyers turning to him for assistance. Able to not only support these very clients, but also boost their presence, Anthony brings crucial experience to the CEO role that will no doubt continue to benefit lawyers throughout the nation. As such, we believe no lawyer-specific advertising CEO is more deserving of the title of Most Influential CEO 2024 - Philadelphia (Advertising for Lawyers) than Anthony Higman. S Contact: Anthony Higman Company: ADSQUIRE Web Address: https://adsquire.com/
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 11 Breaking Down Educational Barriers for Ireland’s Youth The future relies on today’s youth, and that includes the under-resourced among them. Only with the right tools, support, and a nurturing environment can children realise their potential and take their place in that future with passion and confidence. basis.point understands that. Its mission is to empower children across Ireland with access to the education they need to build the foundation for bright futures. Here, we explore its inspirational work to celebrate CEO Edel O’Malley’s win of Education Initiative CEO of the Year 2023 – ROI. Since 2014, basis.point has partnered with educators to fund pivotal learning programmes aimed at helping Ireland’s disadvantaged children. To date, it has supported over 60,000 children to enter, remain in, and truly benefit from varying levels of education. Its focus is on allowing them opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have been available and inspiring passion for education, as well as nurturing soft skills such as self esteem and confidence that set children up for life. Under the strategic vision of CEO Edel O’Malley, basis.point’s award-winning work has lifted a huge portion of Ireland’s younger generation beyond their financial and social limitations. Some examples of basis.point’s supported programmes are the National College of Ireland’s Early Learning Initiative, a numeracy programme delivered by Irish educational charity Kinia, and BITC Ireland’s mentorship programmes. These initiatives support children through the earliest years of their education, boost numeracy skills, and help realise the potential in students in their later years of secondary school. Without the organisation, these exceptional opportunities would not be available to Ireland’s students, underlining its importance to education nationwide. “Our range of programmes focus not simply on the nuts and bolts of literacy and numeracy, but also on tackling the peripheral soft skills such as selfesteem, confidence, willingness to engage with authority, and resilience.” Edel’s motivation, in her own words, is a passion for “bringing together the people who want to make change happen.” Over 30 years of experience as a senior fundraiser and leader in some of Ireland’s most recognisable charities have prepared Edel well to steward basis.point through recent years, propelling its supported initiatives to new heights. In the company’s words, “education is the most powerful tool you can use to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their life goals and improve the quality of their lives.” Edel’s commendable dedication to this ideal has proven itself a guiding light for the organisation. Edel is a multifaceted industry professional who enjoys surrounding herself with passionate team members. As 2012’s awardee of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fundraising Institute of Ireland, she is well-regarded in the charity sphere as a professional dedicated to the betterment of her country by empowering its present and future communities. As Education Initiative CEO of the Year 2023, she is proud to give the organisation more key visibility. Having raised and committed €6.1 million to educational programmes, Edel and the team are keen to secure even more funding and spread the word of basis.point’s success among potential patrons and supporters. Individual and corporate patrons alike are welcomed to explore the organisation’s work and promote positive social change by becoming a pivotal part in its mission to empower Ireland’s youth. Under Edel O’Malley, basis. point is in the right hands and together with the Irish funds industry, continues its run of successful funding projects. Through strategic collaboration and the support of its many generous patrons and supporters, the organisation offers Ireland’s disadvantaged young people a chance to thrive. With every donation put towards a great cause, and every child supported, the country’s future looks a little brighter, and basis.point is proud to play its part. Contact: Joanne Shaw Company: basis.point Web Address: www.basispoint.ie Feb24005 Edel O’Malley with basis.point Board Directors pictured L-R Eoin Fitzgerald (BBH), Edel O’Malley, Clive Bellows (Northern Trust)
Trust, Flexibility and Respect are the Only Word Business Leaders Need
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 13 Jul23542 Matt Dykes, COO, Abzorb The workplace has changed over recent years more than it has done since the industrial revolution, so we are most definitely due an update. Remote and hybrid working is now the norm since the pandemic. Multi generations in the workplace have never been so diverse to manage and the younger generations such as Gen Z are constantly disparaged about being too ‘precious’ just because their needs and aspirations are different to others. And let’s not forget the biggest game changer of all in the workplace, the introduction of AI. This is a lot for business leaders to grapple with but understanding and managing this changing landscape is essential for business growth and attracting and retaining talent. These colossal changes do not warrant minor edits to your policies and strategy but call for a complete re-write. Remote, Hybrid and Flexible Working Many business leaders are enforcing ‘return to the office’ (RTO) mandates but despite companies trying to allure them into the office with various benefits they won’t be bribed because they are determined to keep remote and hybrid working. A recent study from BambooHR’s 2024 Return to Work report shows that 90% of employees want remote and hybrid work for flexibility and a better work/life balance with 51% of remote workers saying it helps them with family duties and 74% of respondents enjoy not commuting daily. Business leaders need to understand that a ‘one size fits all’ model does not work with today’s diverse workforce of multi generations with different needs. Leaders have struggled over the past few years with the shift of power moving from employers to employees and are trying to reclaim it. But by enforcing RTO and tracking employee’s office attendance and monitoring them too closely you are creating a micromanaged ‘Big Brother’ culture driving down trust, respect and taking away any autonomy and flexibility. Managing Multi Generations Today there are a multitude of generations in the workplace from baby boomers, Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z. As mentioned, the younger generation always seem to get bad press but what we must acknowledge is that this generation grew up with the digital age and in a different world so it’s no surprise they have different needs and aspirations. Instead of disparaging them maybe we should learn from them, even better learn from each other. Research from LiveCareer revealed that 87% agreed they could learn from each other while 78% thought it led to conflict. Millennials and particularly Gen Z have grown up in a world where mental health and well-being is freely talked about, and they wouldn’t hesitate to talk about it at work. Whereas a Baby Boomer would probably feel very awkward talking to their manager about mental health. Deloitte Digital reported that empathy was the second most important trait in a business leader while leaders placed it fifth. The Visier survey also revealed that 64% of Gen Z employees ranked good physical and mental health as a leading life ambition. Gen Z prioritise spending time with family and friends and good health over career aspirations. They want to work for companies with good ethics and values they believe in. They have seen what the workaholic lifestyle does to people and burn out is not attractive. They are more self-aware and can talk about feelings, ethics and values, and what matters and that’s a good thing. Incoming AI Employees fear AI taking their jobs in the workplace and it’s not surprising when the Institute of Public Policy Research recently announced that AI will threaten up to 8 million workers in the UK. However, if we harness the power of AI now and understand it then we can use it to relieve workers from admin and mundane jobs focusing them on more rewarding, interesting, and high value positions. Business leaders need to step up and understand how they are planning to use AI in their business and make employees feel at ease working with the technology instead of against it. The Re-Write The archaic attitude of ‘this is how we have always done it’, ‘who do they think they are?’, ‘we are in charge not the employees’ needs to change. Admittedly, this will mainly be from business leaders of older generations and maybe also from larger established businesses rather than start-ups who tend to be more receptive, innovative and agile. Business leaders will need to re-write the culture of their organisation ensuring it is transparent, meaning that you openly communicate your vision, mission, objectives, strategies and what you are working on, what works and what hasn’t. Empower employees by involving them in decisions, provide them with the opportunity to voice their opinions, suggest new products and services encouraging innovation and creativity, but at the same time ensuring that they know it’s OK to make mistakes and that we learn from our failures. Involve them in the introduction of AI asking them how their roles and everyday tasks could be improved and what they find dull about their job. Make it clear to them that they will not be replaced by AI, and you want to get to a place where they can work seamlessly with AI to improve their productivity and efficiencies and augment their roles. Then offer them training and development programmes to ensure they have up to date training and opportunities to develop their career if they want to. Devise a remote and hybrid working strategy ensuring employees can work flexibly and remotely if desired and come into the office when required. Ensure that they have the option to come into the office when they want to or for a purpose such as a meeting, or brainstorm, the choice is theirs. You are giving them the autonomy to get on with their work and make the decisions on how best they do it. Help create and cultivate social connections for all teams that are in office, remote or hybrid to increase effective collaboration and inclusion, and connect teams. Trust, flexibility and respect are the buzz words here, by demonstrating this to your employees they will be aware that you trust and respect their autonomy to get on with their job and get the work done. By doing this you will be rewarded with enthused and motivated employees who value their job and who they work for and remain working for you. Demonstrate that you care for your employees by being empathetic and understanding by holding regular ‘check in’ sessions to ensure that they are OK and if they have any issues they want to talk about. All Good Things All good things come to those who wait so be patient. This new way of managing the modern workplace takes time and we are all learning together, and it will continuously evolve, and you and your employees will adjust accordingly. It’s not a power struggle it is about gaining mutual respect and trust and working as a team to achieve your objectives. The payback will be that employee engagement will increase and you will garner their respect and trust which is two-way, you must earn it to receive it. This takes effort and time, but the benefits will be that you attract and retain talent, improve your reputation as the company people want to work for.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2024 14 Nearly 18,100 people search for “how to start a business” on Google UK each month. Of those who go on to set up a business, 35% will fail. This is usually due to too much competition existing in their industry. But it isn’t all doom and gloom. Many entrepreneurs start businesses and are successful. Names like Richard Branson, Levi Roots, Sarah Willingham, Lord Sugar and Steven Bartlett trip off This article is written by award winning global business coach, Peter Boolkah. Peter has over 20 years experience helping business owners scale up their business. He is also a business owner himself, having founded the SEO agency Visibility SEO. the tongue as founders who have built businesses and made a lot of money. However interestingly those meteoric rises to success all have a story behind them of hard work, strategy and resilience. As a business coach of over 20 years and a successful business owner, I have helped many founders build their companies and then exit them. One particular client started as a sole trader and we helped him grow his team to 110 staff and take his turnover from 1.5 million to 8 million. We then helped him sell and exit his company. This was over a period of 9 years. Building and selling a business takes time which is why American author Steven Covey, famous for his book ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ was so right with habit number 2 – ‘Start with the end in mind’. This can directly relate to starting and operating a successful business. As an Entrepreneur, you are likely to be an expert in your product or service. However, often entrepreneurs and business owners are not as good at stepping back and looking at how to optimise the value of their business. They get caught up in making money in the short term and forget that a strategic approach to their business will give it the best chance of success. For example, when you start a business you often need funding. For that, you get a business plan together. That business plan takes into account the business idea, the people you will need to help you, what money you will make and how much money you will need to facilitate it all. To do this you need to envisage what you want your business to look like in the future. Define what your end goal is. What would your business look like if you were to sell it at the height of its success and how do you build it to look like that? What do you want to achieve with your business? The most valuable and attractive businesses for sale are ones that are on a clear upward financial growth trajectory. You need to be able to demonstrate that within your business structure. Consider your target market, revenue streams, operational strategy, and financial projections. Who will you need in terms of team members, partners and investors to help grow your business and what is your timescale? Setting up efficient systems, assembling a skilled team, and creating strong processes to support your long-term vision will help with that strategy of upward growth. A strong infrastructure is key, as is planning for unexpected events and working out how your business would withstand them. For example, over the last four years business owners have had to deal with a global pandemic, Brexit and a war in Europe which have all come together to cause a substantial cost of living crisis. When planning and starting your business you need to make sure it can withstand an unexpected event. You must always have a plan of what to do if the economy is rocked and your business is affected in some way. Design your business in a way that allows for scalability and growth. Make sure that the operations part of your business is adaptable and able to accommodate an increase in demand. However, you must always make sure that you have a clear plan for cash flow and how to reinvest into the business to grow it. Your business must support evolving market trends. The business landscape is constantly evolving. Embrace change and be willing to pivot your strategies to stay relevant and competitive. As part of this make sure you regularly assess the progress of your business against your longterm goals. You should adjust strategies, make necessary changes, and ensure that your decisions align with the end goals of growth you set out in the original plan. Getting a business ready for sale takes years. Usually, an exit strategy takes around 7 years from planning to sale completion. This is why regardless of whether you intend to sell your business or not this is an interesting and helpful exercise to do when embarking on setting up a business. An exit strategy helps to maximise the value of your business. Work out how to optimise the value of your business over some time to get the best price if you come to sell or you need more investment to grow. When we talk about starting a business with the end in mind, simply it is about setting a clear vision and building your business with a strategy to achieve that vision. Make sure your business is properly positioned and there are no weak spots to be taken advantage of. Make sure you create something sustainable, that will thrive and help you realise your ambitions as a business owner. Start Your Business With The End In Mind
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