The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch 2021 features the journey, challenges and the various experiences businesswomen had to face

1. Maureen
Gallagher
0
1
Most Successful
Businesswomen
to Watch, 2021
The
Fearless Leadership
Celebrating Women
Leadership For Success
of All Stakeholders
Unity in Diversity
Building a Diverse and
Inclusive Workplace
VOL 12 I ISSUE 01 I 2021

4. Boil Up Some
Grits
ight from doing any simple task to an arduous one, all you
Rneed is grit. You have to set your mind towards achieving
any task, plan for it, and make strategies to turn impossible
to possible. Today, we are living in an era full of opportunities with
tech and innovation. If there has to be any time to leave your
footprint on the world, it is today. Understanding this opportunity
to make it big, businesswomen are making an impact all over the
world with their grit and commitment through their work.
Businesswomen today have molded themselves to become the
influencers for everyone with their achievements in all the fields.
The numbers speak it all, as today, we see more and more
businesswomen taking up the charge in the business arena.
This is just the beginning of what we call the era of businesswomen
because their leadership style is far more than just achieving
numbers. Their spirit to tackle critical challenges in pressure
situations stands as an outstanding feature of their leadership.
Their approach is always leading from the front and always being
one step ahead for the team and the company. Much of their work
is focused on helping people around them grow, which gives huge
confidence to the team members. Their internal communication
with the team members stands as the firm base of their success
because it is the team effort that helps you achieve the goal of the
company.
What stays at the heart of their leadership is thinking and planning
continuously about the next step and being ready with
alternatives. They have set the benchmark of their leadership style
by accomplishing different feats in all sectors. Giving back to the
community is something they are always involved in. With their
EDITOR’S NOTE

5. dedication towards the things they do, today they are in the limelight of the business world and can be
rightly said to be the overachievers of the industry today.
In order to admire and acknowledge the contributions of businesswomen, we have come up with the
edition – The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2021. This edition features the journey,
challenges, and various experiences businesswomen had in their lifetime.
At the Cover of this edition is the story of Maureen Gallagher, who works as the Agency President at
AssuredPartners. In this edition, you will get to read inspiring stories of many such businesswomen.
Lastly, while flipping the pages, you will come across CxO standpoints written by the industry experts and
the resourceful articles drafted by our in-house editorial team.
Have a Gritty Read!
Sourabh More
10Most Successful
Businesswomen
to Watch, 2021
The

6. Cover Story
Maureen
Gallagher
08
A Well-Rounded
Leader Inspiring
Industry
Professionals
Articles
Unity in
Diversity
18
Building a Diverse and
Inclusive Workplace
Fearless
Leadership
26
Celebrating
Women Leadership
For Success of All
Stakeholders

7. Leader’s Viewpoint
34
Establishment of
Rights in Corporate Law
Bridget Jones
22
Driving a Visionary Change
to Recreate a Better World
Kathy Bloomgarden
28
Helping Businesses Uncover
their Stories in a Compelling
Way
Sophie Milliken
36
Helping Graduates and Recruiters
Make the Right Choice
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S

8. CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Sourabh More
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Kartik Balapurkar
Associate Designer Shubham Dali
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives John, Sagar, Dharmendra
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
December, 2021
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9. Brief
Company Name
Rachel Ostroff
Manager, Corporate
Communications
Sophie Milliken
MD at SRS
Recruitment &
Employability Experts
Erin Stafford
Managing Director
Likeleli Khotle
Technical Advisor
DBRS Morningstar is a full-service global credit ratings
business with approximately 700 employees around the world.
The Wonderful Company is dedicated to harvesting health
around the world through its iconic consumer brands.
SRS Recruitment and Employability Experts, an award-
winning, expert provider of employability assessment services
in the UK.
GIZ has over 50 years of experience in economic development,
employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace
and security.
Bridget Jones
COO
Chisel makes software that changes ecosystems.
Chisel
chiseltechlab.com
DBRS
dbrs.com
GIZ
giz.de
Angie Kim
Vice President,
Operations
Loblaw Companies Limited is Canada’s food and pharmacy
leader.
Loblaw Companies Limited
loblaw.ca
Liz Connelly
Director of Coaching
and Development
Maxwell Enki Limited was born out of the passion of
developing people beyond their expectations and to enhance
their development for ongoing professional development.
Maxwell Enki Limited
maxwellenki.com
SRS Recruitment and
Employability Experts
smart-resourcing-
solutions.com
Katia Bouazza
Vice Chair
HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial
services organisations.
HSBC
us.hsbc.com
The Wonderful Company
wonderful.com
Kathy Bloomgarden
CEO
Ruder Finn is focused on helping companies and leaders
reinvent and inspire positive change
Ruder Finn
ruderfinn.com
Maureen Gallagher
Agency President
AssuredPartners is one of the fastest growing insurance brokers
in the U.S.
AssuredPartners
assuredpartners.com
Featuring Person

10. Maureen Gallagher
Agency President,
National Workers
Compensation and
Real Estate Practice Leader
AssuredPartners

11. A Well-Rounded Leader Inspiring Industry Professionals
Our is on
FOCUS
RELATIONSHIPS to
forge ROCK-SOLID
PARTNERSHIPS.
“
“
COVER STORY

12. W
e all know that change is constant, and it is
always wiser to adapt to the changing times.
Often, it is difficult to break the mold that
has been implied for decades.
Women, who work in the insurance industry, have
repeatedly tried to break that mold. They have been
attempting to strengthen their roots and show their
potential to become a successful leader. Today, more
and more women are breaking the glass ceiling with
their ambition and desire to lead. One such leader is
Maureen Gallagher, who has played various roles and
has achieved new heights.
As the Agency President at AssuredPartners, Maureen
specializes in insurance placement, risk management
consulting, and expert opinions. She has over 40 years
of experience and has successfully delivered on every
opportunity she was presented with.
Alongside being a leader, Maureen is also an avid long-
distance runner, cyclist, swimmer, certified
exercise/spinning instructor. She is a USA Cycling, Road
Runners Club of American, and USA Triathlon coach.
She has also qualified several times for the Sprint and
Olympic distance USA Triathlon National
Championships. She has completed 70.3 Ironman and
was named one of the "50 Fittest CEOs" by Crain's
Detroit Business.
We, at CIO Look, caught up with Maureen to unveil her
entrepreneurial journey and how she is leading by
example.
A Steppingstone Drive
Maureen has often characterized her career as an
accidental career. She never mapped it out, but as the
opportunities presented themselves, she made sure to
seize them. She started in insurance when the
industry's agents and leadership were male dominated.
Maureen was a trailblazer in most positions she earned.
While diversity is embraced by most companies today,
she had a difficult journey getting companies to give
women leadership opportunities.
A Viewpoint of Impactful Leadership
Maureen is a firm believer in adopting a serve-first
model when it comes to leadership. In her opinion,
servant leadership focuses on the needs of others
before considering their own. She believes in
empowering and uplifting those who work with her.
Maureen is always looking for ways to enhance the
development of her staff in ways that can unlock
potential, creativity, and a sense of purpose that aligns
with the AssuredPartners' mission. She also employs
this attitude with its clients. She doesn't believe in the
old sales adage of ABC, 'always be closing'; instead, she
believes in ABH, 'always be helping.’
A Healthy Workplace
Maureen knows a positive work environment is
supported by a vital purpose and core values followed
by good communication, opportunities for
growth/promotion, respecting and trusting your
employees, and finally - kindness.

15. Maureen and her team are here to serve. Client service
is at the heart of what they are all about. They protect
billions in assets and take that responsibility seriously.
The dedication of the team's commitment to being of
service is central to the company's growth and success.
Aligned Work-Culture with Innovative Technologies
It isn't a surprise that technology has pushed the
insurance industry to become more flexible with
changing times. Maureen developed services and
implemented resources for her clients, which resulted
in success for the risk management team.
Most of the AssuredPartners strategies come from a
client's need and finding a solution for the same. The
learning experience from such instances is
incorporated into its services. Today, AssuredPartners
has robust services and the ability to provide solutions
to a wide variety of issues.
Maureen says that technology and analytics have
become vital tools to assist clients. She started
AssuredPartners' internal science hub-IMPACT
ANALYTICS®, which combines traditional insurance
A happy
CULTURE
correlates more
highly with
SUCCESS than
an every-man-
for-himself
CULTURE.
“
“
Back in 2005, Maureen read an article of an interview
with Piera Ferrucci, an Italian psychotherapist, and the
author of The Power of Kindness. Ever since, the
concept of kindness and its profound impact on human
happiness and - perhaps more surprisingly - effective
leadership has intrigued her. For her, Ferrucci was first
to frame the notion that kindness is not a luxury but a
necessity to personal happiness and inspired
leadership, especially in an era when many people no
longer feel connected.
People are inspired by kindness. They respond
positively to being treated well. A happy culture
correlates more highly with success than an every-man-
for-himself culture. People are at the heart of every
company's success, and people tend to like kindness.
Facing Challenges Through Industry Expertise
Navigating the demanding marketplace and managing
client expectations remain Maureen's largest
challenges. She overcomes these challenges with her
simple client philosophy.

16. know-how with deep technological expertise to deliver
competitive advantages to support and execute
strategic objectives. IMPACT ANALYTICS® assists its
clients analyze the effects of certain decisions or
events, evaluate a given scenario's performance, and
improve or make changes based on what the data
reveals.
Maureen made all the hires for IMPACT ANALYTICS®,
trained the staff, and manage the people and
deliverables. IMPACT ANALYTICS® has been a game-
changer for her clients navigating this challenging
marketplace.
Rising to the Challenge of Pandemic
When asked about the impact of the current pandemic,
Maureen said the biggest change personally is she let
her hair go grey. As far as the insurance industry,
Maureen stated that it has been a game-changer – a
watershed moment. The pandemic heightened cyber
risks and has been a catalyst for a significant increase in
digitization. The uncertain future has forced
AssuredPartners to rethink how it interacts with
consumers, businesses, and employees.
Risk managers, concerned with all kinds of risk before
COVID-19 now realize they must also manage the
impact of pandemic risk. Getting it wrong is not an
option. Though some insurance products for pandemics
exist, they are not affordable for most businesses
struggling with multi-year double-digit increases on
other lines of coverage they traditionally purchase. The
entire fall-out from the pandemic is yet unknown, but
everyone must learn from the past and rethink this risk
and solutions moving forward.
Uplifting the Community
AssuredPartners' AP Cares support actives that
enhance and serve communities in which it lives and
works. The organization gives back, supporting the
community, and allowing its employees to share in this
effort. To do this, it offers the employees volunteer time
off days.
Maureen gives back to the community by participating
in endurance events and raising money for charities.
Most of the endurance events she participated in were
tied to a charity fundraiser, making it more meaningful.
Over the last five years, she has raised over $250K for
various charities.

17. Looking Above and Beyond
Over the years, Maureen has played various roles of an
insurance underwriter, broker, claims consultant,
expert witness, keynote speaker, historian, and teacher.
She has worn multiple hats and has delivered in every
one, but the future still holds more.
Maureen says, "I am in the twilight of my career, but when
I look out on the horizon, I don't see the finish line. I have
learned that not only do I like teaching, coaching, and
mentoring, but I am good at it. I want to use these gifts to
give back to the industry and the company that gave so
much to me. I believe in abundance. I believe in creating a
bigger pie, not fighting for a bigger slice of the pie. I believe
there are no secrets in insurance – it's about who executes
most effectively.”
Maureen is always happy to share her thoughts,
knowledge, and ideas. She has been rewarded with her
colleague's trust, gratitude, respect, and ever more
abundance. Through her mentorship over the years, she
has been able to influence many careers and help
individuals perform at the highest levels of the
insurance industry. She sees the balance of her career
being dedicated to inspiring young insurance
professionals to excel in the insurance industry with
integrity, skill, and honor.
Bequeathing Aspiring Entrepreneurs
On her advice to budding entrepreneurs, Maureen says,
"While the insurance industry often gets a bad rap, the
work we do is essential to society. It safeguards the interests
of people and businesses from uncertainty by providing
certainty of payment at a given contingency. Our economy
and everyday lives are facilitated because we have
insurance.”
She further adds, "As insurance professionals, we share a
purpose by all of us who wish to leave the world better than
we found it by helping our clients to save lives, prevent
injuries and illnesses, and avoid financial hardship. Anyone
will be a successful insurance professional if they blend
competence with kindness, integrity and hard work.”
In addition, it is important to be optimistic and have a
will to succeed regardless of whatever is thrown your
way. Being as optimistic as possible will not only help
you see it out to the end but also give strength to those
around you.
We're not just in
the insurance
business. We're
in the business
of CEMENTING
POWERFUL,
LASTING
RELATIONSHIPS
built on TRUST
earned from
working OPENLY
and HONESTLY
with our
CLIENTS as a
PARTNER.
“
“
COVER STORY

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20. 18
| December 2021 |
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21. variety of opinions and ideas lead to better
Ainnovations and more increased creativity.
Diversity should always be celebrated as it is very
significant in promoting a variety of new thoughts and
inventions. There should not be any discrimination
against anyone in the workplace, and everyone should
be respected and cherished for a higher purpose of
achieving organizational goals.
Organizations that have a culture of celebrating
diversity and promoting overall inclusiveness are able
to flourish in their businesses with more creativity and
more innovative ideas coming from everyone. The
culture of celebrating diversity is paramount to the
success of all organizations. There is no better sight
than seeing everyone united together for the purpose
of achieving the goals of organizations. Therefore,
building a diverse and inclusive workplace is vital for
the success of all organizations. When everyone feels
included and they are cherished in the organization,
people feel like contributing better for the cause of the
organization. Inclusiveness and diversity are important
for avoiding any form of unnecessary discrimination
against anyone.
Having ‘Unity in Variety’ is the best approach
workplaces should have to ensure cooperative working
even if there is a lot of variety. There can be variations
in the organization on the basis of gender, caste, creed,
religion, or race, but all these apparent differences are
of less importance. Ensuring unity in the organization in
spite of all variety is the right approach for the good
cause of the organization. Promoting the culture in the
organization to celebrate,
Education is the most important resource that can be
used to make a positive cultural change in the
organization to promote diversity and inclusion. The
leaders of the organization should educate everyone in
the organization to uphold the culture of diversity and
inclusiveness. Promoting values such as equality, unity,
and fraternity also helps in building a diverse and
inclusive workplace.
Celebrating differences of opinions and coming to the
right conclusion that is in the best interest of the
organization and all its stakeholders with an inclusive
approach increases the cultural value of the
organization in the industry. Leaders of the
organizations should promote the culture of
celebrating achievements of each other and should
inspire, encourage, empower all the people in the
organization for doing their best.
The inclusive and broad-minded approach in the
leaders leads to diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Leaders should see the bigger picture. They should
make sure that the teams are united with keeping the
organizational goals in the center. Moreover, diversity
leads to better decision-making, as different people
bring different perspectives to the tables.
The culture of diversity and inclusiveness leads to a
stronger workforce, increasing organizational outputs.
Leaders should take into account the thoughts,
feedback, and opinions into consideration and make the
best decisions that will drive successful organizational
results. Building a diverse and inclusive work culture
using various ways is a win-win situation for all the
stakeholders related to the organization. This culture in
workplaces can lead to heightened organizational
success and broader growth. Using inclusive ‘we and
our’ language in the organization instead of ‘I and mine’
language can also lead to more inclusive workplaces.
Lastly, recognizing and rewarding on the basis of
performance instead of externals can also lead to
building more diverse and inclusive workplaces.
Building diverse and inclusive workplaces by putting
aside all the differences like race, gender, religious
background, age, nationality, and such apparent
differences is highly beneficial for all organizations
from all angles. The business leaders who are
accountable to practice inclusive leadership will lead to
more diverse and inclusive workplaces and, in turn, will
lead to better organizational results overall.
Building a Diverse and
Inclusive Workplace
Building a Diverse and
Inclusive Workplace
19
| December 2021 |
www.ciolook.com
Unity in Diversity

24. Bridget Jones
Jones
Driving a Visionary Change to Recreate a Better World
T
he person who has visionary ideas can lay a strong foundation for a
necessary change that can alter the course of workings and
understandings. Driven with the zeal to make people, places, and
products better, Bridget Jones launched her venture, Chisel.
With exceptional abilities combined with focus, engagement, curiosity, and
insights, Bridget leads Chisel as the Chief Operating Officer to develop and
deliver software to small and mid-sized businesses, local governments, and
individuals.
22
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25. CIO LOOK came across Bridget in its voyage to find
"The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch," which
led to conversation to find out how she leads Chisel to
assist people seeking change.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Chisel. What
challenges you had to overcome to reach where you
are today?
I am a queer black woman invested in democratizing
ownership in corporations since 2016. The summer
before starting law school at Nova Southeastern, a
private university in Davie, FL, I could feel the tension
of civil unrest amongst educators, journalists, and social
justice advocates.
At the time, police brutality amongst black people was
at an all-time high, and I decided to play my part by
supporting key players such as; nonprofits, banks, and
media personnel foster healthier relationships as a
means to bring about more peace. I helped organize a
team of 60 professional black community members to
perform tasks that provided for the general welfare of
this marginalized group. We called ourselves The LIFE
group- short for Living In Freedom Everyday. The group
was successful in getting 50,000 community members
to sign petitions in 8 days. We shifted over 1 million
dollars into banks that committed to offering lower
interest rates for homeownership in less than two
weeks, and over 15 nonprofit organizations publicly
supported our mission to bring about community
peace. We even had the support of the University of
California and the Steve Harvey Show for helping to
shine a light on the illegal shooting of Charles Kinsey, a
home health aide that was shot in Miami-Dade County
while saving the life of an autistic patient who'd
wandered into a roadway.
I was able to make this impact through both project
management, community organizing, technology, and
capital. It didn't take very long as a first-year law
student for me to realize that I care a great deal about
social impact in the lives of marginalized people and
that in order for me to duplicate that impact that I'd
need to study the very tenants that made this work
possible. I eventually left law school to study software
development, business planning, ecosystem building,
and capital raising. This is how I first began Chisel
Technologies.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
Chisel Technologies is a startup invested in helping
social impact companies led by POC, Women, and
LGBTQ+ founders make an impact in their communities
through technology. We do this through software
development, product and project management, and
DevOps.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
Think Tanks niche through your expertise in the
market.
In 2021, Chisel Technologies has been privileged to
work with Research and Development and Technology
firms that support technology implementation and
efficiencies, such as CATO Institute, SHRM, Black Lives
Matter, Black Tech Week, universities, and foundations
with varying missions all deeply committed to providing
for the general welfare of underserved communities.
We've supported these think tanks in UX/UI research,
design and development, planning, and technical
feasibility studies.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
Chisel Technologies operates under four main tenants;
Transparency, Ownership, Empathy, and Innovation. I
think we do a great job at keeping our process as
transparent as possible. We work with clients to ensure
they fully understand the necessary steps to go from
We innovate in
spaces where we
make the greatest
social impact.
‘‘
‘‘
23
| December 2021 |
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26. concept to contract. There are obviously parts of our
work that we keep internal, but overall I think
customers know exactly what to expect within a couple
of meetings. Also, I think we have a culture of
transparency within the organization. If someone needs
to miss a meeting, there's always at least one person on
the team who's able to let us know what's going on to
pivot properly. We fill in gaps and take care of one
another. That level of honesty and transparency in a
company is rare.
Chisel takes ownership of our work and process. We
take a lot of responsibility when trying to complete
projects, which allows us to be a growing brand. Even
when we work to create digital media for clients, we
own that process and do a pretty good job of allowing
the client to be as hands-free as possible. I think
empathy is one of our strongest values. I feel the nature
of our small team and who we are as individuals shape
the organization's empathy.
We are people first, with lives and things that come up.
We give that same grace to our clients. We treat them
like colleagues, not just as clients. That familiarity, in my
opinion, is what keeps clients on our side. They know
that other organizations won't give them the same
graces that we do. The very nature of Chisel is
innovation. It's not just the technology we create that's
innovative; it's the structure of Chisel itself in how we
consider every team member part of our company will
also be part of our bottom lines.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
We're connected to a broader community of award-
winning technologists leading the nation in innovative
solutions. As soon as we learn of new technology that
offers more efficient and cost-effective processes for
our clients, we don't hesitate to implement those
solutions to build stronger products and services.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for Chisel?
I envision becoming a more well-known thought leader
in the world of financial inclusion and resilience for
corporations of multiple sizes. I think in the future,
Chisel will become a hub for attracting more social
impact companies led by minority founders that want
to build wealth, scale, and build efficiency while
growing both their labor force and company runway.
What would be your advice to budding women
entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the business
sector?
Learn as much as you can. Make sure you have a strong
personal and professional support system and never be
afraid to try new ideas.
To learn more, Chisel hosts monthly Brunch & Learn events
every third Sunday from 2p - 5p where we talk about capital
formation, project management and wealth building. Check
us out at WeWork 660 North Capitol St NW, Washington DC.
Bridget Jones
Chief Operating
Officer
Chisel
24
| December 2021 |
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28. W
omen are powerful drivers of change, and
the world is witnessing the most inclusive
benefits of diversity and gender neutrality in
leadership and overall decision-making. The adequate
representation of women leaders is beneficial for all
fields. Women are capable of delivering value to
institutions or businesses through their effective
leadership. Celebrating the leadership of women in any
field is vital for the most inclusive success of the
respective fields. The contribution from women leaders
is remarkable, and therefore celebrating women's
leadership and encouraging them to be part of decision-
making is a welcome step in the right direction.
Today, women leaders are proving themselves that they
are capable of leading in any field. They are setting an
inspirational example by their most valuable, to-the-
26
| December 2021 |
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Fearless Leadership

29. point, and most effective leadership. Women as leaders
and as important decision-makers at different levels are
essential for ensuring gender justice, diversity and
inclusion, and furthering economic development and
growth of individuals and businesses.
The viewpoints of women are beneficial for the success
of businesses. With their intuitional and logical sense,
they are able to come up with strategic advices that are
helpful for the success and growth of the businesses
considering the long-term point of view. Women
leaders are courageous as well as considerate. Courage
in them helps them take even tough decisions that are
helpful in the interest of the businesses. The approach
of consideration and empathy in them help them to
take into account everyone and mind the interest of all
stakeholders.
Women leaders are powerful at doing justice to their
roles, routines, relationships, and responsibilities. They
are experts at playing both families as well as
professional roles most judiciously. They are proficient
and are not complacent. They don’t make room for
regrets. They never become a victim of false
propaganda. They are very sharp and clever in their
approach and know-how to get the job done. No matter
how big the task is, they divide it into small jobs and
complete those tasks in due course of time. They don’t
give in to negative thoughts. They stay away from
distractions and focus on being resolute in their
purpose. Women leaders hold the capacity to outsmart
all challenges and crossover them. The companies that
celebrate the culture of gender diversity and inclusion
of women in leadership positions are most likely to
outperform the national average.
Women leaders are able to utilize all their assets for
driving the profitability and growth of their businesses
and all the stakeholders involved in their businesses.
Women leaders are great crisis managers, and they
know how to respond wisely to challenges or provoking
situations than reacting instantly. Women leaders
prioritize taking thoughtful, clever, and deliberate
decisions instead of acting haphazardly or irrationally.
They adopt a logical, rational, emotionally intelligent,
and clever approach to ensure their businesses'
success.
Women leaders in businesses inculcate the traits of
innovativeness, technical abilities, sharp business
acumen, cleverness, firmness, assertiveness, courage,
thoughtfulness, and delivering more than needed. The
value that women leaders add to the businesses and in
every field needs to be celebrated and appreciated.
Women leadership in every field should be encouraged
and promoted to ensure the greater success of all the
involved stakeholders. Such kind of leadership is vital
from a women empowerment point of view. In this way,
the world can be a better place with more women in
leadership roles. Let us all celebrate the women's
leadership by appreciating their valuable contribution!!
Celebrating
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
for of All
SUCCESS
STAKEHOLDERS
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30. Kathy Bloomgarden
CEO
Ruder Finn
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31. Kathy
Bloomgarden
Helping Businesses Uncover their Stories in a Compelling Way
W
omen are making great strides in leadership
roles and taking their businesses to new
heights. They are bringing much-needed
innovation to the workplace through their creativity,
problem-solving abilities, and inclusive approach. One
such woman is Kathy Bloomgarden, the CEO of Ruder
Finn, one of the world's largest independent global
communications and creative agencies.
Kathy holds decades of experience steering the
communication needs of Fortune 500 companies,
startups, and nonprofit organizations. Using
communication as a tool, she is building bridges, solving
important global problems, and driving innovation.
We at CIO Look got into conversation with Kathy to
learn more about her journey and how she is staying
ahead of the curve.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Ruder Finn. What
challenges you had to overcome to reach where you
are today?
I began working at Ruder Finn in the Research
department (a small, back-office part of the agency at
the time). My love for data and statistics is what landed
me at the company, but I like to believe that it was just
the beginning of discovering a greater passion –
problem-solving. I became passionate about the idea of
helping clients tackle their most pressing reputational
and leadership challenges, of brainstorming creative
solutions that generate impact beyond just numbers.
That was really a life-changing realization that it wasn’t
solving linear equations that excited me most; it was
being able to view an intangible problem from multiple
vantage points and acknowledge that there isn’t just
one definitive pathway to a resolution. I’m very grateful
to be surrounded by colleagues that hold the same
entrepreneurial attitude, and I think that it’s our
collective pioneering mentality, and determination to
address obstacles with a multi-perspective approach
that elevated Ruder Finn to be one of the world’s
largest independent global public relations agencies,
and which helped build our portfolio of clients to
include distinguished Fortune 500 companies such as
Sanofi, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, GE, Cisco, Nokia and
more.
I think that most leaders would agree that some of the
biggest challenges we face are following your intuition,
even when the odds are stacked against you, and the
fear of failure shadows your every move. I received my
masters in Chinese Studies and my doctorate degree in
Political Science, topics that seem esoteric to most of
my friends and family, who supported me sincerely but
cautiously, nevertheless. In choosing to pursue what I
loved, I inadvertently ended up preparing to push
myself and Ruder Finn to new frontiers. My admiration
for Chinese culture, paired with my interest in the
business landscape, led me to propose an opportunity
that seemed fairly unconventional at the time: to
expand our global footprint into China.
Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
At Ruder Finn, we carry the mantra of looking toward
“What’s Next” both for our clients and for ourselves,
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32. which means always remaining one step ahead of
industry trends and leading with a data-driven, digital-
first, early-adopter mindset. We aim to move at a pace
that matches and gets ahead of our constantly changing
environment, which most recently, has involved
advancing transformative science and technology
breakthroughs – from powerful AI and cloud platforms
to sustainable energy options to life-saving vaccines
and therapeutics for COVID-19, to discoveries that aim
to cure cancer. Our offices and practices, while
specialized, cross-pollinate to bring diverse, global
perspectives across several areas of expertise most
essential to clients’ reputations today, including
stakeholder capitalism, executive thought leadership,
multichannel marketing, brand storytelling, and
internal communication.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
Public Relations & Communications niche through
your expertise in the market.
Most exciting I think has been the rapid transformation
of technology in enabling us to reach consumers more
strategically than ever before. As an agency, we pride
ourselves in being data-driven, which means adopting
and investing in tools that help our clients to resonate
more deeply with their audiences. Speaking again to
our vaccine work as an example, we’ve been able to
harness the power of technology to tap into the
concerns and hesitancies of consumers, minimize their
uncertainties, and in turn, inspire positive behavioral
change. It is really remarkable, the impact that
communications can have in partnership with the
organizations driving public health and safety,
especially when you consider that almost 70% of the
U.S. population has received at least one dose of the
COVID vaccine, which is up about 15% since this past
June.
What, according to you, could be the next big change
in Public Relations & Communications industry? How
is your company preparing to be a part of that change?
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33. The next big change in public relations – and it’s already
taking place – is the return of trust in business leaders
who have swiftly stepped up through unprecedented
times to speak out on important issues, take charge of
the safety of their workers, and to innovate,
collaborate, and problem-solve to help create a better
tomorrow. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, for example,
asked other leaders to join him in delaying any layoffs at
the heart of the pandemic, saying “This is the moment
where the business has to be the greatest platform for
change.”
I believe the best leaders have what we at Ruder Finn
call “TDK,” a new style of connected leadership, a
combination of Transparency, Dialogue, and
Knowledge-Sharing. This stems from the Ruder Finn
FutureThink Index, a study launched to measure
American optimism toward the future of technology,
healthcare, and careers, and to show how business
leaders who are well versed in TDK play a deciding role
in shaping “FutureThink” attitudes.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run
and what are your future goals for Ruder Finn?
The pandemic also showed us that the world is
connected, not just virtually, which we now almost take
for granted, but very much physically – look at how fast
COVID-19 spread around the world! Borders are less
relevant, and it’s not just a virus that can spread quickly,
as we have learned that inaccuracies can be diluted into
false certainty even faster, and that is why we must be
vigilant against misinformation. Another recent launch
of Ruder Finn is a digital offering called Truth Vector,
which seeks to help companies and brands counter
misinformation propagated by a heavily fractured and
sometimes intentionally sophisticated array of
fallacious sources. Machine learning and AI are
employed to uncover and isolate harmful information
before it gains traction. Once identified, a series of
'Truth Vectors' can neutralize false information and
diffuse viral conversations with fact-based narratives
and brand-supportive content. Truth vector was put to
the test when a client was a target of a growing faction
conspiracy. It allowed us to quickly assess the situation
and its emerging narrative within hours, develop
appropriate messaging, and ultimately mitigate the
threat before it caused damage to their business. We
can integrate these services as part of the blueprint of
our PR plans for even more clients, especially as the
demand for predictive analytics and monitoring
accelerates.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the Public Relations &
Communications sector?
One of my cherished life lessons comes from a favorite
quote of my father’s, by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do
not go where the path may lead, go instead where there
is no path and leave a trail.” Embrace uncertainty with
curiosity and an open mind. And similarly, act on that
curiosity by showing up every day and remaining fully
present. Nothing great is ever accomplished without
raising your hand and rolling up your sleeves, and the
communications sector is no different than any other in
the sense that there is a constant need to renew,
rebuild and reinvent.
Believe in yourself, take the risk,
and you might find yourself
turning around to find a new
trail unraveled that did not exist
before.
‘‘ ‘‘
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36. C
orporate law involves the establish-
ment of laws that rule the way corpora-
tions are incorporated and how those
operate. Crucial to any operation, the estab-
lishment of rights is based on corporate
rights generally present in the country’s
constitutions, specifically, in corporate law
or laws ruling companies & legal entities
doing business. Corporations deal with
their own legal existence with their own
responsibilities and rights; among those
rights, there are two main perspectives,
the rights of the corporation itself and
the rights of those who conform to
such legal entity. Corporations are
usually ruled by the board of directors,
who work for the interest of the
shareholders, the investors.
Throughout the years, corporate law
has come to be remarkably devel-
oped; in as much as today, corpora-
tions have nearly every right,
including freedom of speech,
property, independence, equal
protection, due process before public
institutions, amongst others. This has
come to happen differently in accor-
dance with the distinct legal systems
across the world.
For the legal systems under common law,
these rights have been established and
acquired case by case in a quicker manner
when the need for these has emerged.
To mention one of the most important
cases for the establishment of corporate
rights within a system of common law,
we can recall the Supreme Court Case
Bank of the United States v. Deveaux. In
this case, the tax was intended to be
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Cecilia Falconi Pérez
Managing Partner
Falconi Puig Abogados

37. Establishment of
Rights in Corporate Law
imposed over the Bank under the grounds that under
article 3 of the US constitution, corporations were
intended to be citizens as well. The bank, cataloged as a
private corporation, decided to go against the state of
Georgia in Court. Chief Justice John Mashall estab-
lished that corporations shall not be understood as
citizens and that, on the contrary, they should be
understood as separate entities with separate rights,
hence, giving one of the first and strongest notions of
independent corporate law and corporate rights.
In contrast, in civil law legal systems, corporate rights
have come to be established differently and so, slowly.
For corporate rights to be established in a civil law
system, the corporate’s needs had to be accumulated
until the amounts were such that the legislative
branches of different countries had enough demand to
have to create legal bodies that establish corporate
rights for these to be finally enforceable. That´s how
the first company laws and commerce codes came to
exist. In these systems, a mechanism for legal develop-
ment often comes from the influence of other countries
with the same system and their developed legal bodies.
For example, the basis of corporate law in Latin Amer-
ica comes from the French Commerce Code of 1807,
which is one of the first commerce codes to recognize
corporate bodies as separate entities. From this code
on, corporate law has since evolved differently
throughout each country, according to their corporate
needs and legislative procedures.
Furthermore from how these rights have been estab-
lished throughout different legal systems, it’s important
to mention that more concretely, corporate rights have
to do with the areas of banking & finance, dealing with
tax issues, mergers and acquisitions, where tangible
and intangible assets play a big role. Besides dispute
resolution, dealing with amicable processes to solve a
situation, even going to court, capital markets, eco-
nomic perspective indispensable for the operation, as
well as white-collar crime, insolvency, and restructur-
ing; formalities and protocols are to be well kept.
Other rights, those of whom conform to the corpora-
tion, include personal liability protection, business
continuity, access to capital. Personal liability protec-
tion is important, and it has to do with protecting
investors from actions and debts that a business might
have; legislations defer as to the owner’s responsibility
of illegal or wrongful conducts of the corporation.
Currently, it’s fair to state that periods of change are to
be immediately considered. Spotting potential issues so
that decision-making is possible with strong analysis
tools is determinative; in present times, corporations
deal with new consumer behaviors that tend to protect
society and the environment.
Corporations are sometimes seen as a sole profit
generator; however, society is strongly focusing on
influencing towards the implementation of social and
environmental corporate responsibilities, strong
grounds for diversity and inclusion, both increasing the
return towards society providing a positive social
benefit. These are most likely the tendencies that will
be established during the next few years as corporate
law advances and develops.
About the Leader
Cecilia Falconi Pérez is the Managing
Partner at Falconi Puig Abogados. Cecilia
began her practice in intellectual property
law with particular emphasis on copyright
and trademarks, and other signs used in
commerce. She advises clients on strategic
protection, and enforcement of their IP
rights, and among her clients are
multinationals and local clients with large
portfolios of intangible assets as well as
small and medium-sized companies. Cecilia is
an expert on copyright issues, and she has
experience in advising on the infringement of
moral and moral rights.
Leader’s Viewpoint
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38. Helping Graduates and Recruiters Make the Right Choice
Sophie Milliken
B
y assessing over 35,000 university students and
helping employers screen over 100,000
candidates for their graduate and
apprenticeship roles, Sophie Milliken’s SRS
Recruitment and Employability Experts has made its
way to be known as the leading provider of student
assessment centres and candidate screening.
Sophie Milliken is a determined and innovative
businesswoman in the graduate recruitment landscape.
She confidently asserts, “100% of clients we have worked
with would recommend SRS to other organisations.”
Inspired by her intricate knowledge of the industry and
level of experience, we at CIO LooK got into
conversation with Sophie Milliken to learn more about
her journey and her contribution to the enhancement
of the HR space.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at SRS. What
challenges you had to overcome to reach where you
are today?
I started my career at John Lewis on their graduate
trainee scheme. This gave me a great grounding in
business and led me into the world of HR. I spent some
time in learning and development roles before taking
on my favorite role, looking after graduate recruitment.
In this role, I expanded the number of graduate and
placement schemes and saw the brand move up the
Times Top 100 Graduate Employers chart, securing a
top 10 position.
In 2013, I left John Lewis and set up what is now SRS
Recruitment and Employability Experts with a business
partner. In 2017, I became MD and started the scale-up
journey, growing the team and client base. A merger in
late 2019 saw SRS become part of the Careerpass
Network.
I would say the biggest challenge I faced during this
time was going through my divorce only six months into
the business. Overnight, I became a single parent to my
then two-year-old and survived on a start-up income. I
took a pragmatic approach and worked even harder to
make the business work, which paid off!
Tell us something more about your company, its
mission, and its vision.
SRS is a graduate recruitment and employability
consultancy. We work with both graduate and
apprenticeship employers and universities. We design
and implement all recruitment and training materials
needed by corporate clients and work with institutions
to embed employability and careers training into their
curriculum.
Our mission is to guide, educate and assess to help
individuals and organisations make the right choices
and realise their full potential.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
Human Resources niche through your expertise in the
market.
The niche that we specialise in is graduate recruitment,
and within that, we have a micro niche with much of the
work we deliver being related to assessment centres.
We are proud to be the
leading supplier of student
assessment services
in the UK.
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39. Sophie Milliken
Managing Director
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40. For employers, we design and run assessment centres,
and for universities, we have become very well known
for running large-scale assessment centre simulations.
These assessment centre simulations are either in
person at football stadiums throughout the UK or
online via our assessment centre platform,
assess.digital. No other supplier delivers assessment
centre simulations on the large-scale that we do. The
events have a huge impact on the confidence and
employability skills of students and graduates, helping
them to secure placements and graduate roles.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
When the pandemic hit, we had to adapt our services to
be able to provide a fully virtual offer. We created our
assessment centre platform, assess.digital, which
enabled us to run all of our large-scale assessment
centres virtually. The software has some great features
and is now being used by employers.
If given a chance, what change would you like to bring
in the Outsourced application industry?
I’d like to see more human touches come back into the
process. Employers receive so many applications that
they have had to automate as much of the process as
they can to be able to get through all the candidates. It
can often be the case that employers don’t have any
human contact with candidates until the final interview
or even when they join the business. I’d like to see
employers take opportunities to personalise the
recruitment process wherever possible so that
candidates get a better insight into the culture they are
joining.
What, according to you, could be the next big change
in assessment centres? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
I think the biggest change to assessment centres in
years has happened with the move to virtual delivery.
Having to adapt to this change and create our own
software has enabled us to be a key player in this
change. I think the next change might be that employers
will want to assess larger numbers when running virtual
assessment centres. Due to the large-scale events we
run for universities, we are well-positioned to offer this
to employers, and also our software works well at scale.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run
and what are your future goals for SRS?
In the long run, I think I have another business or two in
me so I’m already considering my next move. I’m a big
fan of personal development and am hoping to start a
PhD in 2022 within the field of female
entrepreneurship.
In terms of SRS, I hope it continues to offer an
outstanding service that prioritises the needs of every
client.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the HR sector?
The HR sector is a crowded space. If anyone is looking
to set up a business within HR, my advice would be to
consider a micro niche. By specialising in one thing, you
can be the best and become known for this. It makes it
easier to stand out. I would also advise any
entrepreneur to build a strong support network and to
think about their brand as well as that of the business –
opportunities come to people when they have a strong
personal brand.
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