The league of extraordinary ceos

November 2018
www.insightssuccess.com
Imparting Wisdom
Successful Personality Traits
to Learn from Elon Musk
Ruggero Gramatica:
Transforming Information into Knowledge
Ruggero Gramatica
CEO
Yewno, Inc.
The League of
CEOs
The League of
The Art of Leading
Attributes of a Good Leader

Omnichannel Agent
and Customer
Engagement Solutions
Simplify and personalize the customer experience,
empower agents and achieve business success
with one workspace for all channel interactions,
application integrations, and CX reporting.

An Ode
to the
Pathbreakers
ere’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square
Hholes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for
the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only
thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And
while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people, who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” –
Rob Siltanen
This amazing piece of creative was written by Rob for Apple’s “Think Different” ad campaign. The motive
of this campaign was to honor the uniqueness of people who think differently, the ones who aren’t a part of
the herd. Personally, when I read the lines, I picture the Former CEO, Steve Jobs. The man who convinced
a whole generation to believe that buying an apple product will change their life.
However, this isn’t about Apple and its CEOs, this is about the crazy ones, the individuals who don’t just
get the job done with grace, but actually push the industry beyond the edge of excellence. But how do they
attain that? What is it that they do so differently that others fail to think about? I mean, leading an
enterprise is a process that has been tried and tested for years and is quite standard around the globe, right?
Wrong.
According to a statistics report of 2015, only 30% of the top100 CEOs in US had a post-graduation degree
in business administration; 33% of the S&P 500 CEOs were from engineering background; 28% of fortune
100 CEOs had an expertise in finance and not in business administration. These facts clearly convey that
“

there is no standard criterion of appointing a CEO, and managerial DNA is not the only quality that
the world is looking for. Which takes us back to the previous question, what makes a CEO
extraordinary? There are so many answers to this question. The most significant one is passion.
The most common line you will find in the stories of successful CEOs is how passionate they were
towards their work and their goals. Their passion drove the companies and the employees to write
their success stories. However, passion goes in vain without direction. And direction comes from
vision. Having a strong vision helps in identifying the problems and make quick decisions to resolve
the same.
Speaking of quick decisions, the recent trends suggest that the increasing dominance of technology in
the market has ignited anxiety among the CEOs in USA. Apparently the factor of uncertainty has
grown thick in the market becoming a potential challenge for leaders. This leads to the demand of
foresight and real time decision making from the CEOs.
Be it countering an issue, identifying a new opportunity or handling a high risk situation, how one
reacts to these situations is very significant in the business today. And an efficient reaction to these
complicated situations is what comprehends the role of a modern CEO making them stand out from
the rest. Making them extraordinary!
And to honor the contribution of these individuals, Insights Success has featured “The League of
Extraordinary CEOs”.
Featuring as our Cover Story is Yewno, an enterprise that transforms high quality, institutional level
structured and unstructured content into a dynamically evolving knowledge graph that quantifies
complex relationships among financial, economic and socio-political concepts.
Also, make sure to flip through articles, written by our in-house editorial team as well as CXO
standpoints of notable industry personalities to have a brief taste of the sector.
Let’s start reading!
Abhishaj Sajeev

Expert's Advice
Key Aspects of being
a successful CEO
Leadership Viewpoint
Healthcare Technologies:
Driving Successful Innovation
Maestros Insights
Inculcating Employee
Leadership
Christopher Grey:
Devising Transformational
Tech Strategies
10
18
36
54

Ali Al-Khalifa:
Reforming the
Art of
Leadership
Eldee Tang:
Providing Leadership
for Digital Ecosystem in
the Mobile World
David Mansilla:
The Task Master
of IT Solutions
Fred Cooper:
Personifying Effective
Leadership
The Art of Leading
Attributes of a
Good Leader
Imparting Wisdom
Successful Personality
Traits to
Learn from Elon Musk
Editor’s Pick
The Glass Ceiling Effect:
Another Perspective on
Women and Leadership
22
44
58
20
26
28
32

Ineke Kooista:
Creating Opportunities
for Young Generation
Meade Lewis:
Pioneer of Resource
Leakage Solutions
Kristen Carroll:
Nurturing Top-tier Talent
and Empowering
Organizations
Tom Fedro:
Implementing
Transformational
Leadership and Delivering
Success in Complex
Technology Markets
Gil Eyal:
The Maestro of
Influencer Marketing
Darren Roos:
Passionate About Making
a Difference Through
Exemplary Leadership
34
40
42
48
50
56

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Transforming Information into Knowledge
Ruggero
Gramatica:
Ruggero
Gramatica:
Cover Story
‘‘‘‘Yewno transforms
Information into Knowledge.

Ruggero Gramatica
CEO
Yewno
aguLe eeh oT f
inard yro Ca Er Otx sE

In an interview with Insights Success, the CEO, of
Yewno, Inc., Ruggero Gramatica, shares his key
insights on how artificial intelligence is
transforming the relationship between information and
knowledge, and what that means for a multitude of
industries.
Below are highlights from the interview conducted
between Mr. Gramatica and Insights Success:
Give a brief overview of your background and role in
Yewno.
I have over 20 years of experience in startups and
company turnaround. Bringing strategic leadership as
well as technological and operational expertise to bear, I
have contributed to the growth and expansion of 5
successful start-ups both in the United States and across
Europe. I’ve operated successfully in both blue chip and
early stage environments. I bring to these roles a strong
technology background, financial and quantitative
analysis skills, strategic thinking, operational expertise,
and commercial and business acumen.
In addition to a PhD in Applied Mathematics from
King’s College London, I hold an MBA from the
University of Chicago Booth School Of Business, an
Engineering degree from the Politecnico di Milano
University and a Certificate in Quantitative Finance.
How does today’s economy affect your business?
Over the last 50 years, a variety of industries have
heavily relied on the Information Economy. This
encompasses everything having to do with organically
producing and making information available, or with
accessing structured information. Around 2005 there
was a revamp of the Artificial Intelligence paradigm
where new frameworks were devised, thanks to the
breakthrough of cloud parallel computing and storage.
Machine Learning techniques and deep neural networks
became practical tools to model complex data, and we
officially entered into the Knowledge Economy era.
Information, albeit a fundamental building block, is no
longer sufficient. Knowledge - seen as actionable,
intelligent, and correlated information - has become an
important element of most business practices.
At Yewno, we transform Information into Knowledge by
processing hundreds of millions of unstructured sources,
from scholarly to financial, economic, political, and
social data. We construct an ever-growing Knowledge
Graph of correlated information where relationships are
interpreted, tracked in real time, and processed to serve
an intelligent framework.
“Yewno: Knowledge
at your fingertips”

How necessary is it to align business with technology
and what are its outcomes?
We are now living in a world where technology is a
fundamental component of our everyday life. As
companies seek better operations efficiencies, market
penetration, and/or consolidation, being aligned
technologically often represents gaining an edge. There
is always a need for this.
What were the past experiences, achievements or
lessons that shaped your journey?
Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I have thrived
on the ability to accurately determine the driving
variables of a business or industry. I pride myself on
catching the mobile business revolution in the very early
days, as I did with the broadband explosion, and now
with Artificial Intelligence. Nothing came for free. It
required years of observation and hard study to become
competent and like anyone, I had to go through much
trial and error to hone this skill.
According to you, what is the importance of the
ability to develop comprehensive strategies in the role
of CEO?
In order to succeed, you must pay obsessive, maniacal
attention to the driving factors of whatever business you
are in, or want to pursue. The ability lies in mapping and
constantly observing what variables are changing, thus
determining opportunities and risks. Listening to others
and learning from other success stories (and failures) is
also important. Finally, pay attention to the similarities
between different types businesses and industries - they
are stronger than one might think.
What were some of the primary challenges and
roadblocks that you faced during the initial phase of
your journey?
Every business has some type of barriers to entry. The
key to overcoming those barriers is to confront them
head-on rather than ignoring them or hoping that you
won’t encounter them.
With Artificial Intelligence, the biggest barrier is defining
the industry, and which part of the industry we belong to.
AI has become a buzz word, a much-too-big, all-
encompassing umbrella term for anything from machine
learning to neural networks, robotics, and even medical
devices like prosthetics. Because AI is such a general
term, and many of its specific capabilities aren’t well
known, the connotation can be vaguely scary or
negative. Examples include fears of black-boxes, or
machines taking over, or concerns of machines replacing
our jobs.
Effectively communicating what Yewno is, and the
specific value we provide - helping people to wade
through the mind-boggling mass of information available
to them, and to extract only what is most valuable - has
been paramount to our continued success.
Where does Yewno sees itself in the near future and
what are its future goals?
We are proudly building a great company, thanks to our
excellent team who have fully embraced our mission.
We are successfully building a framework where
dispersed and fragmented information is formed into
knowledge in a dynamic way. The goal is to provide this
service to private individuals and business alike, across
industries, who will benefit from this new paradigm, and
to build a legacy for generations of smarter services and
lifelong learners.
Provide one line that best describes your vision and
approach to business?
Be a visionary and develop a compelling business idea
that follows your vision. Find the right partner to work
with you, and try not to compromise in the choice of the
people working with/for you. Recognize when you
make a mistake, and act quickly to correct it. Finally, if
you truly believe in your vision, never give up!
“Yewno takes research
in directions never
thought possible”

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CORPORATE OFFICE

Management BriefCompany Name
ARIIX
ariix.com
Fred Cooper
CEO
ARIIX is an international opportunity company that creates
superior, exclusively branded products marketed through
independent representatives.
ASTAD
astad.qa
astad.qa
CEO
ASTAD delivers the highest standard consultancy in and across
project and construction management, engineering, design
and sustainability.
HYPR Brands
hyprbrands.com
Gil Eyal
CEO
HYPR is the World’s largest and smartest Influencer search and
discovery directory that provides real-time analytics for social
Influencers across major social platforms.
IFS
ifsworld.com
Darren Roos
CEO
IFS develops and delivers enterprise software for customers
around the world for companies that manufacture and distribute
goods, maintain assets and manage service-focused operations.
The LMC Group provides fractional management and executive
services to companies nationwide and in various industries. The
LMC Group includes LMCPays.
We set out to develop an advanced solution to solve the common
on-going problems in this vital industry.
Noble Vici Group, Inc. is a company on the cutting edge of
technology, through in-house developments and external
acquisitions the company is building an ecosystem of IoT, Big
Data, Blockchain and E-commerce.
Paragon offers disaster recovery and backup software solutions
along with highly specialized embedded file system driver
technologies.
YoungCapital helps the younger generation get to work to pave
the way for making their dreams hard reality.
ISU Corp
isucorp.ca
David Mansilla
Founder & CEO
ISU Corp is a high tech company specializing in enterprise
software development and consulting.
The LMC Group
lmc.group
Kristen Carroll
Founder & CEO
mIQroTech
mIQroTech.com
Meade H. Lewis
Founder & CEO
Noble Vici Group, Inc.
noblevici.com
Eldee Tang
Founder & CEO
Paragon Software Group
Corporation
paragon-software.com
Tom Fedro
CEO
YoungCapital
youngcapital.nl
Ineke Kooista
CEO
Leaguehe oT f
inaryrdo Ca Er Otx sE

The world is changing rapidly, so is healthcare
technology. In today’s accelerated technological
environment, changes are occurring at a blistering
pace. In the last fifteen years, we have progressed from
phone books, to computers, to handheld devices. Although
not as visible to the naked eye, healthcare has actually
progressed at an even higher velocity than many of the
technologies we are familiar with. Doctors have moved
from loose paper based charting, to structured computer
documentation that allows for standardized reporting and
benchmarking, all the way to system assisted medicine.
This transition from paper to digital has opened the doors
for technological advancement within healthcare at a pace
that has never been seen before.
These advances in healthcare technology are having a
profound effect on the entire healthcare ecosystem. They
are allowing for cross-functional integration and
collaboration amongst disparate healthcare professionals
and systems. Consider this- if you received a prescription
ten years ago, it was likely on a piece of paper. Today, it is
transmitted electronically through a clearinghouse to the
local pharmacy. This simple change alone accounts for an
almost unlimited branching of technological opportunities
such as drug interaction comparison, medication adherence,
utilization tracking and ways to overcome the opioid crisis.
Now, multiply this times 10,000 and you begin to see the
speed at which healthcare technology is driving innovation.
Advancements in Healthcare technology are further
accelerated and driven by companies such as CompuGroup
Medical. CompuGroup Medical is the leading company
solely focused on e-health with more than one million users
worldwide. It is currently in the final stages of development
of the foremost cutting-edge electronic medical record,
practice management, patient engagement, and
provider/patient toolset platform in the industry – the
MediOne platform. These types of technological
advancements will continue to facilitate a better exchange
of patient data, as well as drive additional utilization
through intuitive adoption amongst both provider and
patient communities. Innovation such as this will continue
to deliver a surge of better patient outcomes while
Benedikt Brueckle
Chief Executive Officer
CompuGroup Medical US
Healthcare
Technologies
Driving Successful Innovation
18 November 2018|

improving operational and financial efficiency within the
healthcare sector. This will, in turn, allow providers to
deliver better care across the continuum of the
patient/provider universe.
Healthcare technology businesses, just like any other
business, are based upon need, service, creativity and
ultimately customer satisfaction. Competition is strong, so
what is your company’s differentiator, what makes you
unique? This is the question you ask yourself as a company
in this competitive technology market. For businesses, you
need to move with the times and the technology. The
business culture is fast paced and with a creative edge.
When developing and testing a technological breakthrough,
companies must ask themselves whether or not they
actually innovate, and whether or not that innovation is at
the expense of the user experience:
= Do you just plan to reinvent the wheel ?
= What will distinguish you from the competition ?
= Will the product need a tutorial and extensive training ?
= Is it intuitive enough ?
= How will the User Experience be ?
However, the most important question is if the product will
actually enable the customer:
l Will the customer be able to achieve their goals of
digitalization ?
Businesses will survive and keep up with these healthcare
advancements in technology by expanding on the
points below:
Ÿ Envision: Make sure you have a clear vision of what the
supposed outcome will be. Have a clear WHY for what
you’re doing. Don’t just do it for the sake of doing it or
“winging it”.
Ÿ Plan: This is your roadmap, your guide to how the
business will function and what your end goal will be.
Make sure to account for changes as well, as they will
inevitably happen.
Ÿ Implement: It’s all about how you implement your
plan. This requires obtaining the proper personnel. You
cannot have a lackluster, lackadaisical freeloader
waiting for things to drop in his or her lap. They need
the tenacity, the forward thinking, and the drive.
Processes need to be put in place as guidelines for your
departments to work collaboratively with an end goal in
mind.
Ÿ Grow: Healthcare technology is a growing business.
Physicians are eager to increase their efficiency and
lower administrative burdens to be able to spend more
of their time with the actual patient. Patients want
excellent care, with the least amount of cost and the best
return. Move with the times- market trends, competitive
analysis, trade shows, and focus groups are just some
ways your business can grow. You should be the sponge
of knowledge and you should have a creative and
aggressive marketing campaign. Communicate what
your business can do effectively, efficiently and
creatively.
Ÿ Lead and Challenge: Your business should be at the
forefront of the technologies. You want to be the leader
not the follower. You want to be able to push the trend
and create the market saturation. Invent and create. Be
the one that comes up with the idea and implement.
Make sure your business is unique in what
it is offering.
Benedikt Brueckle is the CEO of CompuGroup
Medical US. He is the top performing
management executive in e-Health and digital
healthcare with expertise in building and
optimizing organizational processes,
measurement systems, and infrastructure to
maximize business results. He also has
expertise in running software operations
throughout Europe, including restructuring,
opening new markets, and expanding market
share. Benedikt focuses on developing strategic
plans into workable solutions, and
benchmarking performance against key
operational targets and goals. In addition,
Benedikt oversees mergers and acquisitions in
various countries with due diligence by
negotiating contracts and post-acquisition
integrations. His success is proven through his
initiatives that exceed operational performance
targets and yield measurable outcomes.
CompuGroup Medical's CEO is a strategic leader,
driven to grow and expand business organically
and inorganically, explore new markets, and
About the Author
19|November 2018

By avidly exhibiting the determination to redefine the
project management ecosystem, possession of
reformative, liberal and compassionate leadership
qualities, and efficient management capabilities, Ali Al-
Khalifa has been recognized as one of the most profound
and influential personalities in the League of Extraordinary
CEOs.
Ali Al-Khalifa is a prominent executive at the forefront of
the project management business in the Middle East. He has
an evident track record, being the CEO at ASTAD, where
he has led the delivery of complex mega-projects with
international partners across a broad range of sectors. He
has developed ASTAD’s dynamic and visionary approach to
corporate management, which has resulted in the company
becoming one of the largest project management
consultancies in the region.
Ali studied mechanical engineering in the United States,
followed by an MBA, before embarking on a career
spanning almost two decades working in Dubai, Singapore,
Malaysia and China. In 2017 he ranked number one in
Construction Week Magazine’s annual Power 100 list.
Establishing Benchmarks
Founded in 2008, ASTAD provides consultancy in project
and asset management, encompassing the design and
construction of building and infrastructure projects. It
manages all details every step of the way from project
conception, through to the completion and ongoing
management.
ASTAD’s teams work across a myriad of sectors from
universities and world cup stadiums, to transportation
systems and even entire cities. No matter the size or
complexity of a project, the organization aims to ensure that
it is delivered on time and within budget.
“We always aim to deliver projects to the highest quality,
while maintaining the overall efficiency from initiation to
completion. This approach ensures a stable operation, and
Ali Al-Khalifa
Reforming the Art of Leadership
20 November 2018|
Ali Al-Khalifa
CEO
ASTAD

strikes the perfect balance between time and quality,” states
Ali.
ASTAD establishes priorities and coordinates activities
with all stakeholders to ensure that projects are delivered
safely and to the highest international standards, working
closely with its clients along the way, turning their vision
into reality.
Possessing Distinctive Proficiency
In Qatar, ASTAD’s local expertise gives it the competitive
edge. It is well versed with the processes, systems, culture
and traditions, being a Qatari company. Over the years this
has helped the organization successfully delivery mega
projects in Qatar, and these mega projects in its portfolio
have prepared it for any type of project in a large spectrum
of sectors.
ASTAD was one of the first local project management
consultancies in Qatar and thus did not have a great deal of
local competition. However, many international firms were
and are in Qatar, with years of international experience
behind them, so the company knew that it had to establish a
highly skilled team from all parts of the world, and it
accomplished the same. The organization’s international
team coupled with its local expertise pushed it through and
clients began recognizing its attention to detail and quality,
throughout the development of projects and programs.
ASTAD currently has more than 800 employees from 62
nationalities and also has extensive experience in sectors
such as sports, transportation, residential, education,
hospitality, infrastructure, culture, and commercial. The
company has delivered over 250 projects and holds over a
decade of experience within this industry locally and
internationally.
ASTAD holds a proportionate blend of skills and a deep
understanding of Qatar’s construction industry in terms of
what the authorities need, what might be acceptable, and
what will not work in Qatar. It fully understands contractors
and collaborates with them accordingly.
“Oil is a major source of income for Qatar, and the citizens
seek to invest this resource in the most efficient way
possible to guarantee the future generations’wellbeing,”
Ali expresses. Pertaining to this, he advises that all parties
Empower people to lead.
‘‘
in a construction project need to fully understand how a
project fits into the future of the country, adding value and
reducing risks.
Envisioning a Global Ascension
ASTAD recently completed a five-year business strategy
and identified strategic partnerships as the way forward
with operations abroad. It has signed an agreement with a
theme park consultancy firm in the US and has done the
same with several real estate and construction stakeholders
in Korea, Oman, Kuwait, Tunisia, France, Turkey, and the
UK as well as in Russia, which will allow it to penetrate
new markets.
As ASTAD grows internationally, it wants to strengthen its
collaboration with the existing market operators that share
the same values. It is investing a lot of time in research and
market analysis before collaborating with firms worldwide.
The company currently has offices and projects in Oman,
Kuwait, UK, Albania, Sudan, Somalia and Burkina Faso. It
helps suitable and carefully selected international partners
enter the Qatari market, which has led it to work with
leading firms that have worked with the likes of Disney on
projects in Qatar.
To date, ASTAD has acquired several major projects in
more than 6 countries which will keep it engaged in the
upcoming year. It has been the organization’s goal to enter
the transportation sector over the last few years and
currently, ASTAD is involved with all rail-related projects
in Qatar.
ASTAD aims to work in rail projects in Azerbaijan,
Turkmenistan, and across the Silk Road. Additionally, it
looks forward to accomplishing more projects in the
aviation sector. It sees aviation as a strategic sector for its
business and, pertaining to this, Africa is a region with huge
potential, while keeping in mind that infrastructure will
remain its core business. Regionally, Oman and Qatar also
present great business opportunities to ASTAD’s
progress graph.
21|November 2018
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f

Leadership is about using the
power of a position to
empower a group of people
in order to attain a common goal. A
leader’s task is to implement the
plans that usually look good on
paper, through a delegated team, in a
specific time with an ongoing
motion. She/he may use the
traditional method or may think out
of the box. It depends on the leader
as how to do it; the ultimate motive
is to get the job done. Although, each
and every individual has a different
approach on leadership, some might
say it is about setting examples,
some might say it is about sharing
the authority; what matters is, taking
the right decision when it is most
needed.
Leadership varies from one
organization to another. An
organization is a dynamic body and
The Transformational Leader
A transformational leader inspires
the team through effective
communication and an intellectual
environment. However, these
individuals require more detail
oriented managers to successfully
implement their strategies.
Transformational Leadership is
considered among the most effective
employees of the organization. One
of the examples of this type of
leadership is when a leader is
assigned on a higher level for
effective environment.
The Transactional leader
The transactional leadership, as the
name suggests, enables the leader to
incentivize the team corresponding
to their performance. The team gets
rewarded when it attains the goals
and the Leader has the power to
review the results and act
creates new probabilities every now
and then. And with new
probabilities, come new challenges.
Although, it is impossible to
overcome every challenge, the
business environment has adopted
certain leadership styles for the
efficiency of business:
The Participative Leader
Participative Leadership is the
process of sharing authority with the
work force in order to get optimum
efficiency. The team, after getting
access to certain powers, works
responsibly to accomplish the goals
set by its leader. The shared
leadership also helps in case of any
requirement of change, as the
employees adapt quickly in such
environment. Incidentally, this style
of leadership fits best in a scenario
when there is a limitation of time.
Good
The Art of Leading
Attributes
of a
22 November 2018|

accordingly when the team fails to
do the same. The goals and the
strategy to attain them are decided
by the leader and the team itself.
The Situational leader
Situational leadership is a theory that
the best leader will adapt to the
required leadership style according
to need of the hour. A Situational
leader may adopt democratic style
while discussion business with
senior executive, but may switch to
transactional at the time of team
review. However every individual
has a natural style of leadership and
it may be difficult to switch roles at a
certain point of time.
Qualities of a good leader
There is an old proverb that says,
“Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed
Him for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish,
and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.”
So is the case with leadership. One
of the basic qualities of a Leader is
to pass on the leadership skills.
Following are some of the qualities
of a good leader:
Ÿ Communication Skills
Communication is the basic
requirement for efficiency in a
business. As the level of hierarchy
elevates, the requirement of
communication grows. Especially,
when it comes to leadership, there is
no scope for lack of communication.
A Leader who fails to develop this
skill is looked up as incompetent,
because it is his job to send the
message loud and clear. Although, it
is also important to listen as it is an
integral part of communication.
Ÿ Decision making
There is risk in decision to making.
Great leaders take great decisions
when the stake is high and it is the
success of those decisions that make
them great. To add up, a good leader
takes right decision at the right time.
In conclusion, a good leader can be
defined by the dynamics of his style
in leadership, the values that he
brings to the organization, the
methods he uses to make the best of
the resources, and the kind of
decision he makes in the given
situations. At the end it is about the
attitude of an individual to bring the
change for good.
Ÿ Integrity
C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing
the right thing, even when no one is
watching.” Be it giving credit to one
of the team members or be it
admitting a mistake, a leader wears
integrity as a badge of honor. They
do what is right, no matter what.
Empowerment
As mentioned earlier, Leadership is
about using the power of one’s
position to empower a group of
people in order to attain a common
goal. A good leader shares his
authority with the team in order to
get the job done. By doing this, he
shows confidence in the team and
obliged by the gesture, the team
works with full enthusiasm to
accomplish the goal.
23|November 2018

It takes immense knowledge and courage to set up
an IT solutions firm. It is very demanding to keep
up with the rapid changes that occur in the field of
technology, let alone leading the industry with that
scenario. David Mansilla is the founder and CEO of
ISU Corp and manages to lead the industry with its.
outstanding custom software solutions.
David’s role is to set the vision for the company and lead
its clients and teams to a successful end-goal. David
Mansilla fell in love with computer programming since
the days of Apple’s primitive Macintosh II. Like for
many, David knew that the capabilities of this
technological development would be important in the
future. Ever since then, it became a deep passion; it’s
that same passion that drives his software company to
thrive. David Mansilla’s leadership guides his company
to new heights, and he ensures that a client’s needs are
met from inception through to the conclusion of a
project.
All Encompassing Solutions
As a software development company, ISU stays on the
cutting edge of the newest technologies, which, in turn,
keeps its clients up to date as well. It gives the clients the
advantage of staying ahead of the game and continuing
on a path of profit growth. The company’s solutions
range to suit the needs of several different industries.
Based on its aforementioned client needs, ISU is
currently working on incorporating cryptocurrencies and
artificial intelligence in its work. It is also working with
Salesforce integration and development.
What makes a Leader
According to David, there is a big difference between
being a manager, and being a leader. He believes that
there are three differentiating factors and those are: 1.
Setting a vision, 2. Inspiring employees to work toward
that goal, and 3. Handling the net performance for the
company. Every CEO should be able to provide this to
David Mansilla:
The Task Master of IT Solutions
David Mansilla
Founder and CEO
ISU Corp.
26 November 2018|

their businesses if they are to see growth. They must
know the next step and communicate to others how to
get there.
Next is a focus on culture. “Having the ability to inspire
employees means caring for the workplace culture and
maintaining an environment where everyone can be at
their best. And lastly, they must be able to oversee the
increase in sales and net profits and make sure the sales
and marketing department is focused on going after the
right client ” asserts David.,
Happy employee equals Happy Client
David believes that the one thing he has learned
throughout his years of experience is that happy
employees lead to happy clients. In the beginning, he
was hyper-focused on finding his first client. “We went in
100%. The passion was good! However, we would soon
discover that with larger clients, we needed larger
teams,” said David. He also needed to prioritize
employees. According to him, company culture truly sets
the tone for how a business is going to grow. As a result
of learning this vital lesson, he has gained bigger clients
and earned industry recognition for the company’s
process and culture. Most recently, ISU Corp was
honored with the Canadian Business Excellence Award
for Private Businesses, thanks to its balance of employee
and client happiness.
Overcoming Adversities with Experience
One of the biggest challenges that David faced was
finding the right clients and the right employees.
According to him, with the growth of a company, it’s
difficult to maintain the right employees that match up
with the demands of its clients. With every spurt of
advancement ISU Corp made, his team would find itself
running out of capacity and in need of quickly finding
Custom Software solutions above the rest.
‘‘
new developers in order to take on larger clients. Finally,
they found what works for them in staying ahead of this
problem. “We have people in over nine countries, and
although it’s still a difficult thing to handle, our
experience helps us uphold a stable and established
business,” says David.
Technology is the Future
David believes that ISU Corp will keep growing. The
company recently had its annual company retreat, and
over 30 of its employees came out. The more people that
he brings into the ISU Corp family, the more companies
he will have the privilege to work for and help grow. On
that note, David along with its team plans on continuing
on the leading edge of technology and moving forward
with their plans for AI and cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency is the Key
David’s advice for budding entrepreneurs would be to
start looking into cryptocurrency and blockchain. He
believes that with any sudden boom of promising
developments, people will fear it’s just a fad or a bubble
and stay away from it. However, Blockchain is here to
stay, and it’s important to keep an ear open to the next
opportunities that are to come.
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
27|November 2018

he perception of leadership differs from
Tenterprise to enterprise. Some organizations still
believe in the “Leaders are born and not made”
theory. Regardless of whether leaders are made or born,
performance is the key aspect of leadership. Looking at
the dynamics in business today, what defines a leader
most is how he embraces continuous learning to make
better decisions. Noble Vici Group Inc. has one such
leader as its Founder and CEO and his name is Eldee
Tang.
Eldee came from humble beginnings and built his
experiences through his infallible and undeterred
principles. At the age of 30, he successfully built his
company and grew its presence in Asia. He believes that
a company’s strength is derived from the management’s
trust in its people, while the people form the strength
collectively. He attributes a company’s success to the
excellent contribution of its employees and the concerted
effort of all stakeholders.
Inculcating Values
Eldee started Noble Vici Group Inc. with a vision to
build an ecosystem of IoT, Big Data, Blockchain and E-
commerce to form a digital revolution that provides
users with the tools to live and interact in the modern
mobile world. He strongly believes in his employees and
imbues the values of the company that are courage,
entrepreneurship, excellence and affirmation, which are
important to react to the rapidly changing digital world.
Eldee drives corporate social responsibilities behavior in
all his employees as he believes that every individual
function in relation to the larger communities. Corporate
social responsibilities give meaning to what they do. He
also believes that as a CEO, it is important for him to
listen attentively to his stakeholders, affiliates, business
partners and users. “Relationship building is key
importance in today’s diverse and dynamic digital
world.” He adds.
Building Brand Equity
V-More, one of the leading e-commerce platform in the
shopping space, is the brainchild of Eldee. V-more has
more than 5,000 merchants, more than 10,000 quality
products, 89% returning customers and 300,000 active
Eldee Tang:
Providing Leadership for Digital
Ecosystem in the Mobile World
Eldee Tang
Founder & CEO
Noble Vici Group, Inc.
28 November 2018|

global users. V-More rewards merchants and customers
through its affiliate incentivized marketing program.
According to Eldee, building brand equity is important
and sending out the message to his stakeholders,
affiliates and users is priority for him. He believes “It is
important that they understand what we do and we work
closely with different focus groups.” Eldee and his team,
listen, understand each group’s behaviors, and strategize
based on each focus group preferences. They study
consumer trends closely and listen to their needs. Eldee
understands that Noble Vici Group Inc. has the
technology tools and automated marketing processes to
reach out to its target audiences.
Milestones Attained
When Eldee decided to embark on his entrepreneurial
journey, he experienced a fair share of success and
setbacks. According to him, success is a fulfilment and
recognition of his works, challenges are push factors to
drive him ahead and further. His achievements mark a
milestone in his pursuit of excellence but the most
important is growth presence in the region.
Some of his greatest achievements include; Knights of
Malta, in 2017 when he was knighted by Sovereign
Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Academic Excellence
Award, United States of America in 2016, Global
Outstanding Young Chinese Award, China Hong Kong in
2016, and Most Promising Entrepreneur Award from
Asia Pacific Entrepreneur Award (APEA) in 2010 . Eldee
is not a stranger to hard work and success, he believes
that the outcome of setbacks comes with prudence,
persistence and excellence.
Challenging Trends
According to Eldee, it has been a discovery journey for
him as he had to convince his affiliates, employees and
stakeholders to believe in his business model. One of his
I would like to seek higher reach through
the spirit of courage, entrepreneurship,
excellence and affirmation.
biggest challenges was reacting swiftly to the ever
changing consumer trends and putting the right talents
together to respond to these trends to bring the business
to the next level.
Future Aspirations
According to Eldee, Noble Vici Group Inc. will focus on
V-More making a bigger footprint in Asia. The business
model of the company is technologically driven to
disrupt the marketplace. He aims to be the leading
e-commerce player, giving users enhanced shopping
experience with easy and simple to use tools and more
benefits from the affiliate incentivized reward program
for his affiliates and merchants.
Divulging Wisdom
Winning and losing are like yin and yang. One cannot
exist without the other; they are both essential to have to
give a complete experience in an entrepreneur’s life.
Eldee shares his rule of 4 Ps as an advice to aspiring
entrepreneurs. He inspires them to be passionate in what
they do and do what they do best. He encourages them to
persevere in the face of failures and roadblocks. He
recommends to seek out synergistic partnerships so that
both the partner and the company can bring the business
beyond what a single individual can achieve. Most
importantly, he advises to apply prudence in every
aspect of the business.
‘‘
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
29|November 2018

In an interview with Insights Success, ARIIX CEO
Fred Cooper, Ph.D. shares his key insights regarding
his role at ARIIX and solutions provided by the
company and leadership.
Below are highlights from the interview:
Give a brief overview of your background and your role
in ARIIX.
I got involved in the direct selling industry because of my
statistical background in compensation plans. I was hired
by another direct selling company as a consultant, which
eventually presented a full-time offer, and I worked my way
up to the position of president at that company. After 15
dedicated years, I disagreed with some of their policies and
practices, so I started my own company and became their
competition.
Even though I am, ultimately the reason ARIIX was
created, it exists today because of the dedication and
influence of all seven partners. I currently hold the title of
CEO and oversee the creation of policies and procedures
that are fair, reasonable and that anyone can execute. I want
to make sure that on some level everyone is replaceable,
even myself. That is how you create a legacy company that
will continue without you.
How do you diversify your solutions to appeal to your
target audience?
We get input from a variety of individuals, cultures, and
demographics, which leads to our clients dictating what our
representatives are going to sell or the type of business
they’re going to create. We support cultural diversity on a
grand scale. Limiting how you conduct business in regard
to cultural inclusion is not a wise business decision. At
ARIIX we’ve chosen to include global perspectives in the
form of councils from every market and across skill sets,
such as athletes, doctors, professors, etc. When we create a
product or a service, all of our markets, worldwide, are
already invested. By doing this, we gain a diverse view,
Fred Cooper:
Personifying Effective Leadership
Fred Cooper
CEO
ARIIX, LLC.
32 November 2018|

which gives us a vantage point to come up with solutions
directly to our target audiences.
Describe some of the vital attributes that every CEO
should possess.
A successful CEO should be a people person. Someone
with charisma, who is motivational, inspiring and leads by
example. If people don’t want to work for you, you’re not a
good CEO.
What were the past experiences, achievements or lessons
that shaped your journey?
You may think that everyone respects you, likes you and
thinks that you’re brilliant, but quite often all the accolades
and everything that you think is “you,” are not. A title is
merely a title. I’ve learned from watching others how
necessary it is to keep yourself grounded and not get “too
big for your britches.” So many people surrounding CEOs
are only telling them what they think they want to hear —
they’re saying all the “right” things and treating the CEO in
a totally different manner than they would the moment the
title is gone.
I like to surround myself with people who will tell it like it
is. I listen to my enemies — sometimes their criticism is
accurate. I don’t always introduce myself as a CEO. I like
to introduce myself to people who have no clue who I am.
For other CEOs who want to practice this, if you find
yourself having to tell others, “Well, I’m the CEO” in order
to get the reaction you’re looking for, odds are you have
people around you over amplifying your qualifications and
you need to ground yourself. Every CEO should figure out
what they stand for and then start developing their business
acumen in that direction. Your character, your reputation,
and your presence should speak for themselves if you’re
being authentic.
What were some of the primary challenges and
roadblocks you faced during the initial phase of your
journey?
When we entered the market, we faced criticism from
competitors and past employers. Competitors will always
try to tear you down, but you have to continue moving
forward with new approaches and angles to make yourself
stand out from the competition. Don’t get involved in their
Don’t spend time generating excuses —
whatever it is, just get it done.
‘‘
petty schemes; it’s never worth it. Focus on finding
competent people to work with. That’s where the value is,
because at first no one wants to work for a start-up, and you
have to bring the right people in so that your business ideas
can flourish.
Where does ARIIX see itself in the near future and what
are its future goals?
In the near future, we want to become better at our three
core competencies, which are taking orders, shipping
products and paying commissions. We want it to become
even simpler and easier to deploy those three things. Then
we want to do the exact thing on a grander scale in more
countries.
approach to business.
Don’t spend time generating excuses — whatever it is, just
get it done.
What is your advice for emerging entrepreneurs?
You have overestimated sales, you have underestimated
costs, and you can’t imagine how much work you’re about
to embark on. Don’t get discouraged. No matter what you
do, it’s going to be stressful and you’re not always going to
get the support you think you need. This is the time in your
life as an entrepreneur when you’re just going to have to
hold yourself up and do whatever needs to be done. If
you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll find a way to get it done, and
if you’re not an entrepreneur, you’ll find an excuse for why
it couldn’t be done.
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
33|November 2018

G
il Eyal is the CEO and Founder of HYPR
Brands, a company which offers marketers in-
depth audience analytics for over 10 million
influencers across major social channels. He has
revolutionized the way many of the World’s biggest
agencies and brands are running influencer marketing by
focusing on the same data, analytics and audience
demographic information relevant to any other form of
marketing. Under Gil’s direction, HYPR boasts a client
base of over 100 Fortune 500 brands, as well as the biggest
advertising and PR agencies in the world, including LVMH,
Whitewave, Mediacom, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and
Revlon.
As the pioneer in the influencer space, Gil also served as the
COO of early player photo-sharing app Mobli Media, and
has worked with influencers ranging from Leonardo
DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Pitbull, Lance Armstrong, Lil
Wayne and Serena Williams to Nash Grier, Bart Baker and
Cameron Dallas. He is an accomplished public speaker, and
has delivered keynotes at notable influencer marketing
conferences, including Influencer Marketing Days in New
York and Influencer Marketing Hub in London.
Digiday Top Boss Award in the technology industry, as one
of 10 Israelis impacting the New York Tech Scene, as well
as one of 40 must follow digital media influencers. He is
also a two time winner of the MarCom Awards for
Excellence in Marketing and Communications (Platinum
Level and Honorable Mention). he has done MBA from the
Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern
University, as well as a Bachelor of Laws from Bar-Ilan
University in Israel.
Resolution as a Service
Gil believes that the key is to focus on problem solving and
identifying pain points. According to him, any product
Gil Eyal:The Maestro of Influencer Marketing
Gil Eyal
Founder & CEO
HYPR Brands
34 November 2018|

offering needs to be a solution to a real issue that a client is
facing. If one can identify a challenge that is enough of a
problem to enough people, it’s easy to differentiate. Giving
an example of his company, he asserts, “HYPR does not
focus on the challenge of connecting with influencers.
That’s a real challenge to a lot of people, but we don’t think
it’s a big challenge. It’s one that can be addressed in
multiple ways.”
Gil focuses on automating the process of identifying
influencers – letting a computer look through a large pool
quickly and make smart decisions. That’s a real pain point
because clients don’t want to miss influencers that the
company should be considering, but they also can’t look at
every influencer and process how well they should do
compared to thousands of others without a sophisticated
tool.
Embracing Ambiguity
According to Gil, there are many components that define
leadership but one that isn’t often spoken about is a high
tolerance for ambiguity. He believes that Strong CEO’s
make decisions knowing they are lacking information and
that some of their decisions will be wrong. They need to
stand behind these decisions and continue to inspire
confidence with their employees, investors, management
team and shareholders. “A good CEO is able to avoid the
natural inclination to analyze to the point of paralysis even
though they don’t have all the answers.” He asserts.
Assigning Fulfilling Jobs
Gil spent the first decade of his professional career doing a
job in which he was not interested in. and it was very hard
for him to find motivation in that kind of an environment.
When he started building his own businesses, I know I
wanted to create environments that get people excited to
work. He believes, employees who are motivated, have a
genuine interest in what they do and feel comfortable in
their work environment, produce better. “The last thing you
want is an employee who is doing enough to keep their
job.” He states.
Solve a burning problem for someone.
‘‘
According to him, one should create an environment where
people genuinely feel like they belong and one must do that
by making the organization flat, encouraging questions and
working together to deal with mistakes and challenges. One
way to do that is allowing people to easily transition if
they’re not doing something they’re excited about. The
rewards are tremendous. Motivation always trumps resume
for me.
Adversities of a unique Idea
Gil believes that startup founders should embrace the idea
that people will look at them funny and whisper behind
their backs. According to him, one’s idea should sound odd
to people. If it’s obvious, everyone can see it. If one’s ahead
of one’s time, a lot of people just won’t get it. The other
challenge he talks about is fund raising. “Raising money as
an entrepreneur is a very humbling endeavor. You meet
many very smart people who don’t necessarily understand
your vision or your industry the way that you do. You
always have to ask yourself if you’re crazy or if the market
just can’t see it yet.” He asserts.
Automation Is Future
According to Gil, Influencer Marketing can play a major
role in the future of marketing so long that it becomes data
driven and automated. He feels that the demand today
cannot be answered because processes are completely
manual and require a tremendous investment of time and
effort without producing quantifiable results. This will
change over time and HYPR wants to be one of the drivers
for this to happen.
Imparting Wisdom
Gil asserts that the fleshy, trending markets aren’t the ones
that necessarily produce the best returns. Hence he advises
the young players to look for a problem no one wants to or
knows how to solve, no matter how lethargic a job it is.
That’s where the money is.
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
35|November 2018

mean how they communicate with staff and clients,
determining how to troubleshoot situations, and coming up
with the best methods for logistics. We give them general
procedures to follow, and guide them through this process
so they know they have the freedom to work as best suits
them but also have a team to assist them when needed. We
trust them to get the job done with the tools we give them.
People become better at finding solutions and have more
self confidence when they know they aren’t being
micromanaged. Since the event and marketing world is not
9-5 we have remote Fridays, flexible scheduling as needed,
and some employees who work remotely altogether. We
have shown that this freedom leads to better productivity
instead of people slacking off. This has led to a high level of
success for us as a company.
We also leave room for employees to contribute to roles
outside of their normal job duties and explore their passions
inside and out of work. This is how we learned we had
some amazing graphic designers on the team, and now have
better business card and social media ad designs and
company decks, than from anyone we’ve ever outsourced!
We gave them the basic guidelines and creative freedom,
and were floored with the results. Being in the event staffing
As a CEO, being a good leader is essential to keeping
employees happy and motivated. After all, a
company cannot run without good leaders at the
top. But instilling leadership in your employees is the key
to growing a successful company. As CEO I know I’m not
omniscient and I rely on my team for ideas.
Encouraging employee leadership may seem obvious but it
isn’t. Many managers and C-level executives want to
control what’s being done because they feel they know
what’s best, strictly enforcing a chain of command. They
don’t realize this not only makes employees feel
undervalued and unmotivated, but it also stunts innovation.
You never know who may have a good idea! Here at All
Aces Promotional Staffing, we not only encourage everyone
to have a voice but empower them to come up with best
systems and new ideas. Everyone has assisted with the
growth of our company and everyone knows how important
their roles and voice are. It makes them WANT to
contribute and instills company loyalty.
One way we do this is by giving full ownership of the
position to each employee and encouraging them to make
decisions. We’re in the event staffing business so this could
Lauren Raimondi, the Owner of All Aces Promotional Stafng, Inc. is an
unparalleled leader with 16 years of extensive experience in promotional
marketing, event stafng, and logistics. She avidly believes that passion,
creativity, efciency and a network of the best promotional talent are a key
to creating successful events and client relationships. She is procient at
reading people and situations, a trait she acquired through playing poker,
and that is how All Aces got its name.
Inculcating Employee
Leadership
About the Author
36 November 2018|

and experiential marketing industry can be stressful at
times and very dynamic, so we implemented company
breathing and meditation 2-3 days per week with our
Client Relations Manager to help reduce the stress
and keep everyone focused. Nurturing creativity
outside of their normal positions had led to new
ideas within their current positions that have
improved eﬃciencies and client relations all
around.
“Having a shared goal is required in being a
strong, family-oriented team, and at All Aces
that shared goal is a combination of personal
and professional endeavors. Lauren is great
at empowering people to take a deeper look
into their skills and gifts, and cultivates
them. She realized that I’d thrive and be
more passionate as the team’s Client
Relations Manager than my previous role,
and recommended the switch in positions.
Knowing I was also intent on launching
my yoga career, she also encouraged
me to start teaching breathwork and
meditation to the team, increasing
my conﬁdence as a yoga teacher
and bringing me closer to the rest
of the team. It’s not what I’m
doing for work, but who I’m
doing the work with, and I
choose to work with people who
want to empower one another in
all areas of life!” says employee
Rebecca Schlosser.
By empowering our employees,
trusting them to make decisions,
and encouraging creativity,
we’ve developed a highly
collaborative culture where
people encourage each other
to do well and succeed.
People come to work
motivated instead of
looking at the clock for
the day to end. As we
continue to scale we
will look for even more
ways for our team to
contribute and become
leaders in their
own roles.
Lauren Raimondi
Owner
All Aces Promotional
Stafng, Inc.
37|November 2018

S
uccessful organizations are shaped by the visionary
leadership of the CEO. Great executives do this by
building strong businesses that analyze and
effectively execute. Darren Roos is one such influential
CEO. He has accelerated the growth of IFS and reaffirmed
its leading position as a producer of nimble and responsive
enterprise software business solutions for customers around
the world.
A Proven Track Record
Darren was appointed to the role of CEO of IFS in April
2018. Since then, he has been leading his talented team in
further scaling the company’s global business and
extending IFS’s leadership position in Field Service
Management (FSM), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM),
and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
As an industry veteran with a nearly 20-year track record in
the international software industry, his ability to deliver
results has earned him a reputation as a customer advocate,
industry thought leader and cloud expert. Outside of IFS, he
also currently maintains a Non-Executive Director position
at Micro Focus International.
Prior to joining IFS, he was the President of SAP’s Global
ERP Cloud Business, where he had end-to-end
responsibility for all product and go-to-market functions.
He oversaw an organization of over 5,000 staff in that
position. During his tenure at SAP, he also held other
leadership roles, including General Manager of Northern
Europe and Chief Operating Officer of EMEA. Before his
time with that global firm, he was the President of EMEA,
APJ, LATAM at Software AG and a member of its Group
Executive Board.
Leveraging Latest Innovations
IFS is focused on providing world-class solutions to five
core industries: manufacturing, energy, utilities and
resources, services, aerospace and defense, and engineering,
construction and infrastructure. This focus is a differentiator
for it in a market where most of its competition provides
more generic solutions. It increases the appeal of these
solutions in two ways: firstly, by offering meaningful choice
and flexibility to its customers around how they license, pay
and deploy its software. Secondly, it leverages the latest
innovations around AI, IoT and next generation UX to
enhance the usability and value its customers derive from
its solutions.
Darren Roos:
Passionate About Making a
Difference Through Exemplary Leadership
Darren Roos
Chief Executive Officer
IFS
40 November 2018|

Enabling Appropriate Direction
Darren believes that his primary role is to ensure the entire
organization has a clear view of where it is headed and how
it will get there. According to Darren, a CEO needs to be
decisive and a strong communicator. He believes that
ultimately the success of any organization comes down to
the efficacy of the strategy and the quality of execution.
Darren believes in creating an environment where everyone
can contribute according to their capacity. He believes his
ability to build a diverse team -- whether that be based on
age, gender or ethnicity -- and then getting the most out of
them is a key attribute. He also values employees who have
a positive attitude, strong work ethic and are authentic.
No Substitute for Hard Work
Darren has a fundamental belief that there is no right way to
do the wrong thing or no wrong way to do the right thing.
He adds that people also may not be able to control how
bright or creative they are, but they can control how hard
they work. It is the most consistent determinant of success.
A good moral compass is further required for long-term
loyalty and he treats trust as a currency. He believes that if
one puts in the work then they will consistently win.
He points to other great leaders, including Jeff Bezos, Indra
Nooyi, Elon Musk and Michael Jordan, as proof that hard
work pays off.
The Power of Choice
Darren was not a very career-oriented individual in the first
few years of entering the enterprise software industry. He
confesses that he was rather lazy, unfocused and lacked
resilience. One day, he decided he could continue coasting
or begin putting in the work. He chose the work and the
decision energized him.
In less time than he wasted waiting for his career to really
begin, he has achieved success and progressed to the top
leadership position at a large global business.
Always remain focused on what customers
want, what they need and ensure you deliver.
Mastering One’s Craft
Darren suggests that instead of thinking about the next
promotion, one should focus on mastering their craft,
proving themselves in their current role and then
overperforming. He says that instead of being in a hurry to
only do what’s ’new and shiny,’ one should focus on being
great at their immediate tasks. He emphasizes building a
career instead of constantly looking for new things.
Remain Focused
Darren stresses that obstacles and challenges are inevitable,
but you should choose to be resilient in tough times and
remain focused. Also, do not be afraid to ask for help from
more experienced team members.
Sensible Alternative for Clients
Darren believes IFS has a once-in-a-generation opportunity
to transform the ERP market in its core industries. He
comprehends that with the heightened pace of digital
disruption today, customers require solutions that are easier
to use, quicker to deploy and cost less than the competition
is offering. IFS represents that sensible alternative for tens
of thousands of clients around the world. As it has proven
in 2018, it can and will continue to significantly outgrow
the market.
‘‘
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
41|November 2018

In an interview with Insights Success, Ineke Kooistra,
CEO of YoungCapital, shares insights on various
attributes to become a successful leader. She discusses
about her experiences in the recruitment industry and the
challenges and lessons that came out of it. Also, she broadly
discusses the company’s core competencies and its
establishment in the market.
Below are the highlights of the interview conducted
between Ineke and Insights Success:
Can you give a brief overview of your background and
your role within YoungCapital?
I’ve been working in the recruitment and secondment
branche for 25 years now. Both in the general and
specialised staffing sections. Additionally, I also set up and
expanded various specialisations within the IT staffing
market.
My role as CEO of YoungCapital is to get people moving,
motivate them and coach them. I also safeguard the
strategic decisions we make together as a company.
Obviously, everyone makes their own decisions in their
own line of expertise. But, when it’s necessary, I’ll have the
final say.
How do you diversify your solutions that appeal to your
target audience?
We are a recruitment agency that focuses on young talent.
Eighteen years ago, we started online, while all the other
recruitment agencies required their candidates to walk into
their offices. We still have this pioneering role online.
That’s probably why every day more than 2,000 new
candidates subscribe to our site, and our turnover has gone
up 60%.
You immediately feel our energy and our entrepreneurship
the moment you walk through our door. We do everything
in our power to keep our people happy & healthy, and make
them stick around as long as possible. What makes me
happy is that, when they go, they leave with a positive
feeling and know that our door is always open.
should possess.
Curiosity and being attentive to your own people. Make
sure that you always seek out an honest and open
conversation, and take your time to really listen to each
other. Give your employees the freedom they deserve, and
always make them feel like they’re worth it. I try and
incorporate what’s best for everybody into all my decisions.
Ineke Kooistra:
Creating Opportunities for Young Generation
Ineke Kooistra
CEO
YoungCapital
42 November 2018|

Whether it’s the client, YoungCapital employees or the
company as a whole. Never do anything for personal gain.
Always look ahead and consider all your options, while at
the same time making weekly and monthly reports.
One big challenge that we’re currently dealing with is the
fact that we’re growing incredibly fast. It has a huge impact
on basically all our operational processes. Our IT systems
need to change, and we have to be careful that we don’t
become this cumbersome organisation. And that, in turn,
has an impact on our people. Some of them are more
adaptable than others.
Our growth also puts an immense pressure on management.
That’s why I make sure I eat healthy, exercise enough and
drink less alcohol. I need to stay fit. And I make sure that I
keep having fun with the people around me; to keep
enjoying it all. If you’re mentally strong, you can handle the
good and the bad.
Where does YoungCapital sees itself in the near future
and what are its future goals?
We want to become the best talent developer in the
Netherlands. Focusing on recruitment, secondment and
education. After that, we want to achieve the same result all
over Europe. Ambitious? Not when you look at our
numbers. It took us just one year to become the third
biggest party in the Netherlands in terms of growth.
approach to business?
“The future of work can be structured in different ways.” It
all depends on the economic tide. From a permanent to a
temporary or agency contract: everything is possible. We
also see that new approaches to working are created every
day. Traineeships that teach young people techniques that
their current educators don’t offer yet. Or hyperflex
platforms for short-term jobs and mass vacancies in times
of scarcity.
Because, if we’re completely honest with ourselves, we
know that not every employee within a company can be
offered a permanent contract. It would be unwise from an
employers’ perspective. So we should focus on creating
new ways of structuring the way we work.
No company will grow if they don’t
genuinely care about their people.
‘‘
What is your advice for the emerging entrepreneurs?
Pay back all of your loans as soon as possible. Don’t live
beyond your means with money that doesn’t belong to you,
and that could possibly cost you your company. And don’t
start a company with the intention of selling it big the first
chance you get. No, start a company that you believe will
truly make a valuable contribution to society.
About the company
The idea behind YoungCapital surfaced in 2000, when the
founders of the company were looking for a part-time job.
They quickly noticed that there was no platform yet for
their needs and target group, so they created it themselves.
What started as a simple website grew into an innovative
temporary employment agency that would change the
Dutch recruitment landscape for good.
And they’re growing. Fast. Currently YoungCapital is
active in 11 countries and have an online database with
almost 6 million candidates. But they’re also rapidly
expanding as a company, with 1.300 employees that work
in 60 different locations. In 2018, they had a turnover of
around 500 million, which is expected to grow to 1 billion
in the next four years.
YoungCapital believes that young people are more
important than ever because of the rapid digitisation. They
encourage innovation: provide new ways of
communicating, collaborating and solving problems. They
just approach it a little differently. With their fresh vision
and endless energy, they can conquer the world. As digital
natives, they have new ideas about working. They are
ambitious, creative, flexible and connected. This encourages
innovation in organisations and helps to break taboos that
are in the way of growth.
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
43|November 2018

Editor’s Pick
44 November 2018|

TheGlassCeilingEffect:TheGlassCeilingEffect:
Another Perspective on
Women and Leadership
The glass ceiling is a barrier so subtle that it is
transparent; yet so strong that it prevents women
from moving up the corporate hierarchy”
---Ann
Morrison, American Author
The term “Glass ceiling” can be defined as an
unacknowledged upper limit in corporations and other
organizations, above which it is difficult or even impossible
for women to reach out to the highest ranks.“Glass ceiling”
is a popular metaphor widely used for the hard-to-see
informal barriers that prevents women from getting
promoted or achieving further opportunities in leadership
positions. The metaphor of “glass ceiling” has also been
used to describe the limits and obstacles faced by racial
minority groups.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s 1991 definition of glass
ceiling is “those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or
organizational bias that prevents qualified individuals from
advancing upward in their organization into management-
level positions.” (Report on the Glass Ceiling Initiative.)
Famous American actress cum author Ann Morrison defines
the concept of the Glass Ceiling as:
“The glass ceiling is not simply a barrier for an individual,
based on the person’s inability to handle a higher-level job.
Rather, the glass ceiling applies to women as a group who
are kept from advancing higher because they are women.”
The Elements behind the Glass Ceiling:
It is pretty obvious that women are facing a lot of hurdles to
break through the glass ceiling and reach to the highest
leadership position throughout the ages. Preventing both
women and organizations from reaching their full potential,
the invisible “Glass Ceiling” denies us all of the maximal
benefits of gender diversity in leadership. Some of the most
common barriers are highlighted below:
Job isolation:
Women are offered the same kinds of job roles like staff,
public relations or occasionally finance specialties that
rarely lead to the more powerful management positions.
Over time, women are eventually excluded from jobs in the
mainstream of business, the route taken by CEOs and
presidents.
Old-boy Network:
There are many instances when men gets the managerial
powers in an organization who manages greater numbers of
people, enjoys more freedom of hiring and firing, and
controls the company’s assets directly while women are
deprived of such authorities and powers.
“
45|November 2018

It is the “Old-boys” of the organization that makes all the policy; where the women are kept virtually absent.
Sex Discrimination:
In a recent survey, working women were asked about the greatest obstacle they had to overcome to achieve
success; “simply being a woman” was the most frequent response. In another survey by the Wall Street Journal,
women leaders quoted their most serious obstacle in their business careers to be “male chauvinism, attitudes
toward a female boss, slow advancement for women, and the simple fact of being a woman.” These instances
are enough to prove the prevalence of sex discrimination in the workplace.
Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment remains one of the biggest barriers for women in managerial roles. A corporate environment
that tolerates sexual harassment intimidates and demoralizes women executives. Even after the adoption and
enforcement of numerous laws against sexual harassment, women do not feel sufficiently encouraged and
empowered to speak out for fear of compromising their work.
Benefits of Women in Leadership:
Studies found that inclusion of women in business leadership has significantly improved such factors as firm
value, financial performance, economic growth, innovation and social responsiveness and philanthropy.
The additional benefits of women in corporate leadership include stricter monitoring and supervision and fewer
legal infractions such as fraud and embezzlement. A better balance among women in leadership positions can
create a more diverse team of leaders with different perspectives and a greater ability to contribute new ideas
and thus enhancing the profitability. The transformational leadership style often used by women tends to be a
good option for contemporary organizations, as it encourages employee morale, motivation and performance.
Overcoming the Barriers: Strategies
Women’s progress up the corporate ladder is still limited by the “glass ceiling” despite the myriad of
Government policies and programs which have been introduced to ensure that their talents and skills are
recognized and accepted.
Women can help themselves to overcome this career hurdle by:
Ø Acquiring appropriate business skills and know how;
Ø Taking up line-management positions rather than management service roles;
Ø Gaining the necessary experience through “apprenticeship” and “acting positions”;
Ø Seeking career counseling;
Ø Volunteering for leadership and executive positions;
Ø And lastly, acquiring the ability to measure their operating effectiveness in the workplace.
An awareness of the emergence of new barriers to their progress is also worth considering. The current
socio-economic situation is creating different “glass ceilings” in the form of the downsizing of organizations,
new differentiated and self-directed career paths, the advent of the contractual worker, and the care of aged
parents.
Conclusion:
th
Since the latter half of the 20 century, women have made great paces in increasing their representation in the
work force. However, a considerable gap remains in achievement of leadership positions across different fields.
Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem stated it best: “Clearly no one knows what leadership has gone undiscovered
in women.” It is far past time we strive to find out and finally shatter the glass ceiling.
46 November 2018|

Harnessing the right talent is an absolute for any
organization to leave its mark in the fiercely
competitive current market. Organizations around
the world are in search of adept professionals who can
comprehend the critical needs of the industry and empower
organizations through their notable contributions. The jewel
in the crown of LMC Group, its Founder and CEO
Kristen Carroll, has enabled numerous organizations to
achieve their visions by nurturing and providing business
guidance. In an interview with Insights Success she shares
her comprehensive approach towards the business and some
instances that have shaped her rise.
Below are the highlights of the interview between Insights
Success and Kristen.
Ÿ Give a brief overview of your background and your
role in LMC Group.
I never envisioned a traditional career for myself, reporting
to the same office to do similar work each day, so
entrepreneurship is a natural fit for me. However, while
most entrepreneurs do not have the foundation of a
traditional corporate background, I was fortunate to work in
some large global organizations before breaking out on my
own.
My background is in talent acquisition and management,
primarily in the healthcare industry. Early in my career I
spent several years as the Director of Talent Management
and Workforce Planning in a large healthcare system in
Boston before launching my own human resources and
business consulting firm. In 2014, I assembled a team of
experts and founded The LMC Group to provide
management services to organizations of all different sizes
and scopes, helping to select and manage top-tier talent,
developing and executing their strategic vision, and
ensuring their financial and operational health.
In the initial phase of The LMC Group, I acted as our
principal consultant, but as our team grew, I was quickly
able to shift to the CEO role. I still provide some consulting
services, but far more of my time is spent as our chief
visionary and strategy officer. My goal from the beginning
was to nurture and equip our talented team members to take
over leadership in their areas. Essentially, by assimilating
our great team, I was able to backfill myself.
Ÿ How do you diversify your solutions that appeal to
your target audience?
Our solutions are predicated on the fact that every client has
a unique set of goals, strengths, and challenges. I don’t
Kristen Carroll:
Nurturing Top-tier Talent and
Empowering Organizations
Kristen Carroll
Founder & CEO
The LMC Group
48 November 2018|

believe in selling a generic set of pre-fab services to clients
who differ in size, financial position, and market, among
other differentiators.
We intend to leave our clients far better off than we find
them, and the only way to do this is to get to know their
culture, priorities, and values before we make
recommendations. We find that by starting with no
preconceived notions we can tailor our approach precisely
to ensure great outcomes with much higher levels of buy-in
from our clients.
Ÿ Describe some of the vital attributes that every CEO
should possess.
Compassion, integrity, empathy, resilience, self-awareness,
and efficiency.
Ÿ What were the past experiences, achievements or
lessons that shaped your journey?
Early in my career, I had the absolute gift of working for
Helen Drinan, now the president of Simmons College in
Boston, MA. She had just left her position as the president
of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
and was serving as the CHRO for a large hospital system.
Helen was the most charitable and affirming leader I have
ever known: a brilliant altruist and mentor. She assembled
the strongest team of senior HR leaders I have ever seen
and orchestrated a collaborative, cross-training environment
where we all left our respective roles with significantly
more than we arrived with and offering significantly more
to the organization we operated within. She embodied the
core of the very best HR has to offer, in her flawless
understanding of an organization’s business needs and her
ability to leverage employees as the catalyst for an
organization’s growth. I still strive to be a leader on par
with Helen Drinan.
While large organizations may be successful and long-
standing, that doesn’t mean they always know the best ways
of doing things. That was a great realization for me to have
early in my career, empowering me to challenge the norms
and status quo as I worked with different clients and
industries later on. Since I was able to save tens of millions
of dollars for a billion-dollar organization early in my
career, I knew I could help any company find better ways to
do things through my consultancy work.
Absolutely anything is possible, yet just
because you can doesn't mean you should.
Ÿ What were some of the primal challenges and
your journey?
As a non-traditional thinker, I go into each situation seeking
the whys and hows of every decision and process. While
this iconoclasm may have gotten me in a bit of trouble
when I was starting out in my career, it has served me well
in the ensuing 20 years as I find innovative solutions for our
clients.
I’ve also grown in self-awareness throughout my career. I
know my strengths, and I surround myself with a team
whose talents and insights complement me and compensate
for my shortcomings. I always recommend that CEOs hire
employees who are smarter than they are!
Ÿ Where does LMC Group see itself in the near future
and what are its future goals.
We plan to broaden our approach as we provide high-level
resources at multiple access points. We want to level the
playing field for small- and medium-sized business to
compete with the industry leaders.
One access point we are implementing now is the
automation of some of our resources. We will always take a
customized approach, but through automation we can make
our knowledge available to smaller companies that aren’t
currently able to invest in a deeper engagement.
Ÿ What is your advice for the emerging
entrepreneurs?
Don’t spend too much time or money up front in the
planning stage. Be as lean as you can and force your
organization to pay for itself. Money is an object; don’t
saddle yourself with grandiose plans and huge budgets.
Leanness should be a core principle at all phases to remain
financially healthy.
Don’t do anything that causes you to lose sleep at night.
Financial decisions, ethical considerations, and the people
you align yourself with are the most likely factors to rob
you of your peace. Be sure you can live with the choices
you make.
‘‘
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
49|November 2018

In an interview with Insights Success, Meade Lewis,
CEO and Founder of MiQrotech, shares insights on
various attributes to become a successful leader. He
also shares his experiences on his journey as an
entrepreneur and the challenges and lessons that came out
of it. Also, he broadly discusses the company’s core
competencies and its establishment in the market.
Below are the highlights of the interview conducted
between Meade and Insights Success:
How do you diversify your solutions that appeal to your
target audience?
The first step to reaching our target audience is to be able to
listen. Listening to your customer is critical to be able to
implement the solutions they need and, more importantly,
solutions they will pay for. With energy being an old
industry, being able to communicate in a confident manner
and marketing through more convention means is a priority.
Finally, innovation is the key to what separates any firm
from their competition; at MiQrotech, innovation is in our
blood.
To summarize my business strategy, I would simply use
three words: Innovation, tactics, and execution. Innovation
is critical for inventing the product, upgrading the product,
and continuously staying twelve steps ahead of competitors.
Tactics are necessary for planning the order of operations
for each and every challenge that emerges. Finally and most
importantly, execution is required for getting things done.
Without innovation, the company provides nothing unique.
Without tactics, there is no strategy and the firm will fail
when faced with opposition. Without execution, all of your
plans stay as exactly that, plans that are lost in imagination.
should possess.
A Chief Executive Officer holds dozens of roles but, by far,
the most important is the role of leader. Morale, talent
acquisition, and product all revolve around the CEO’s
ability to lead and the ability to love their employees. By
providing your staff with a powerful mission greater than
any one individual, by providing these colleagues with a
challenge so that they are continuously learning, and by
providing those coworkers with a friend to truly listen to
Meade Lewis:
Pioneer of Resource Leakage
Solutions
Meade Lewis
CEO & Founder
MiQrotech
50 November 2018|

them, and you will find a team that will never stop beating
the odds.
Steel is forged in flames and, similarly, world changers are
forged through hardship and pressure. Through great
hardship comes the ability to overcome. While going
through hardship, I relied on the leaders around me to help
me conquer those obstacles. With their love, support, and
challenge, I grew and I excelled. Now, with my Eagle Scout
Award, my Good Samaritan Award, my countless awards in
business as evidence, I know that none of these things
would be possible without the leaders I worked with in the
past.
What were some of the primal challenges and
your journey?
The primary obstacle I have had to overcome in my career
is agism. I am young. Helping to direct people who are
double, even triple, my age has been difficult at times.
However, respect is earned and, with that in mind, I had to
prove my worth to these individuals. By working longer,
harder, and more passionately than anyone else in the room,
you will quickly earn the respect and admiration of those
that you are working with. Respect doesn’t recognize age.
Where does mIQroTech sees itself in the near future and
what are its future goals?
The mIQroTech mission is summarized in a single phrase:
“Change energy, change the world”. Using Internet of
Things (IoT) technology, merged with Artificial Intelligence
(AI), we are predicting oil and gas pipeline leaks before
they happen with a projected 96% accuracy. Currently, we
are developing a smaller, more powerful sensor array as
Our mission is the accurate detection of oil and gas risks
using advanced integrated technology so that customers
save money, avoid downtime, and protect the
environment from spills
well as continuously upgrading our AI analytics. Within the
next five years, we plan to have drone systems, drilling
analytic tools, and tools to make offshore platforms safer.
By leading the oil and gas innovation charge, we want to
fundamentally change the way that energy is gathered and
transferred by greatly reducing the risks involved.
What is your advice for the emerging entrepreneurs?
If I were to give advice to anyone interested in
entrepreneurship, it would be to be able to adapt and learn
incredibly fast. You are confronted with so much
information on a daily basis, dozens of challenges,
hundreds of emails, thousands of terms, that learning
becomes a massive part of your job. I would also
recommend that in the very early stages of planning, that
the entrepreneur learns their market. Know the value of the
Total Addressable Market (TAM), know your competition,
know why you are better, and know why you will capture a
significant section of the market. Most of all, keep moving
forward.
About the Leader
Prior to MiQrotech, Meade was the Chief Information
Technology Officer (CITO) of multiple oil and gas firms
where he focused on research and development. Co-
founding his own analytics company by the age of 22, he
consulted for various government entities before his
successful exit. An Eagle Scout with 15 years of coding and
innovation experience, Meade Lewis readily accepts the
label of “nerd”. Now, Lewis has created the company
credited for changing the pipeline monitoring industry as a
whole.
‘‘
‘‘
aguee Le oTh f
51|November 2018

In my limited experience of
being a CEO of my company for
almost three years, and having worked very
closely with the CEO of a television network where I was GM
Public Relations and Publications for 11 years, I have realized that
there are certain qualities that are a must for a CEO to succeed, no
matter what line of profession they are in. To begin with, I feel
that it is very important to regularly interact with your colleagues
as it instills confidence in them and the interaction invariably
yields valuable results. If the organization is big, then weekly
meetings with heads is imperative, while in smaller organizations
like mine, with around twelve employees, I find daily meetings
with the entire team is a healthy exercise. An open-door policy,
where you are willing to hear suggestions, complaints and updates
without any red-tapism, and with an open mind, also serves well.
I also find that a CEO, who is hands-on, and not afraid to get their
feet wet, inspires confidence in not just the team, but in the clients
and other stakeholders as well. I make it a point to be physically
present at every event no matter how big or small, and am there to
CEO
About the Author
Shanaz Ramzi is the CEO and
Founder of Starlinks. Before starting
Starlinks, she has worked as the
Editor of various publications for
HUM Network. She also holds brief
experience as the Editor in
platforms including G.L.A.M. ,
Masala TV Food Mag, and HUMSAY,
a bimonthly magazine on media.
Shanaz is also an Author of the
book, Food Prints, a reference book
on the cuisine of the country.
Shanaz graduated from the
University of Karachi as Bachelor of
Arts in Journalism.
a successful
Shanaz Ramzi
CEO & Founder
Starlinks
54 November 2018|

plug in wherever required, or do fire-fighting and take
instant decisions when needed. Another very important
aspect in order to run a company successfully is being
organized, prepared and meticulous, and demanding the
same from your colleagues. If your home-work is done
thoroughly and you have every little nitty-gritty worked out
in detail on paper, half you battle is won. There may of
course, still be the odd, unexpected situation arising that
will require you to trouble-shoot but if you can adapt well
to any situation without panicking, you will emerge
victorious.
The way you conduct yourself at work from the start of
your career and the reputation you acquire because of your
working ethics and style will remain with you throughout
your career. Often, it is your reputation that precedes you
and if you are heading a service sector, clients will flock to
you on the basis of your earlier reputation even if you are
just starting up and have nothing to show in your portfolio
as a CEO. When I launched STARLINKS, a PR and event
management company in November of 2015, I had two
retainer clients by the 5th of that month, who had heard
from the grapevine that I had resigned from my job and was
now launching my own company.
I hadn’t even officially announced my company till then!
And I have to say that it has only been through word of
mouth that we have had clients to date, for they have all
sought our services themselves and we have not had the
need so far, to actively pursue any client. This was the
singular reason that a client as huge as LuckyOne mall,
believed to be the largest mall in South Asia, approached us
for a pitch for their launch event, even though we were
hardly a few months into the business at that point, and
there were far more established and senior companies in the
running.
I think LuckyOne Mall is a great example to illustrate the
importance of my second and third points as well for in
spite of formidable competition we finally nailed the
project, because of these two aspects. I know for a fact that
my personal interest and presence throughout the project
made a lot of difference to the management of the mall and
instilled confidence in them. What’s more, our presentation
was so detailed and meticulously prepared that we had
thought of everything under the sun and beyond and
included it in it. I am sure that gave us the edge we were
looking for.
And finally, I feel a successful CEO must be as quick to
offer praise and appreciate their team as they are to criticize
them. A demotivated team that feels no matter what they do,
their work will never translate into appreciation, either
verbal or through increments/bonuses, will never be loyal to
the company or work happily.
Company profile
STARLINKS was started with a vision to redefine the role
of PR in Pakistan. It proudly claims to be pioneers in
bridging the gap between PR & corporate social
responsibility. It constantly endeavors to assist their clients
in engaging and strengthening their relationships with their
stakeholders and society as a whole.
In the less than three years of its existence, the company has
fast risen to become not only one of Pakistan’s leading
event management and PR companies, but one of the top
PR companies in the world. In the first year it bagged the
most coveted and prestigious project of launching the
biggest mall of South Asia, LuckyOne mall, and a year later
had won the bronze Stevie award for Best Start-up of the
Year in the business service industries. In its third year it
has won two awards – Gold SVUS for Best Female CEO of
the World and Silver SVUS for Best PR Agency
Achievement of the year.
STARLINKS’ prides itself in managing any and all kinds of
events with expertise, be they corporate, private,
conferences and seminars, opening ceremonies, product
launches, cultural festivals, award ceremonies, fashion
shows, lifestyle exhibitions or film premieres. The events
PR has not just been confined to programmes held in
Pakistan but have been successfully carried out so far in
Ontario and England as well. With numerous events under
their belt, the team comprises young, enthusiastic
individuals. In spite of their diverse backgrounds, all
envisage one goal: to strive for excellence.
Future expectations
When STARLINKS was launched, its management was in
no doubt that it would one day become the leading PR
company of Pakistan, but no one thought the success would
be so meteoric. The five-year plan was already achieved in
the first year, and that achievement has been exhilarating as
well as humbling and challenging. For with such
unprecedented success come a lot of expectations and
responsibilities. In order to expand the business the team
now plans to widen its portfolio, and has already started
offering digital services, while celebrity client management
is also on the cards.
55|November 2018

In an interview with Insights Success, the CEO and
President of ParagonIrvine, California-based,
Software Group Corp. (PSGC), Tom Fedro, shares
his key insights for go-to-market success, international
software licensing strategy, and most importantly,
leadership.
Below are highlights from the interview conducted between
Tom and Insights Success:
How do you diversify your solutions to appeal to your
different target audiences?
Paragon targets two well-defined audiences with its product
portfolio. Our flagship backup and disaster recovery
solutions, which include Paragon Protect & Restore (PPR)
and Paragon Hard Disk Manager (HDM), are targeted at
small to midsize businesses (SMBs) and sold through
resellers. These proven software offerings protect small
business workstations, servers and virtual machines – along
with entire IT infrastructures – and continue to earn
industry awards for their effectiveness and value.
The second target audience for Paragon is large consumer
electronics manufacturers – OEMs that make tablets,
phones, routers, media players, Network Attached Storage
(NAS) boxes, action cameras and other devices. These
manufacturers use Paragon’s embedded file system drivers
to gain valuable data management and cross-platform
communications capabilities, and Paragon plays an
important role in ensuring a frictionless experience for their
customers around the world. Our software sits between the
manufacturer’s platform and an associated storage device,
serving as the “Rosetta Stone” that performs all the
“translation” between the two devices to allow them to
communicate. Whether it’s a MAC laptop, an iOS phone, a
Windows tablet or something else, Paragon ensures that,
regardless of operating system or file system,
communication with the storage device is flawless and first
rate.
Recognizing that in today’s competitive environment it
takes more than technology for a company to be successful,
I have also worked to diversify Paragon’s paths to market
Tom Fedro:Implementing Transformational Leadership
and Delivering Success in Complex
Technology Markets
Tom Fedro
CEO & President
Paragon Software Group Corp.
56 November 2018|

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