1. PRESTIDGE
MAY 2022
THE
WOMEN
ENTREPRENEURS
1
Successful
TO WATCH IN 2022
MOST
Briar Prestidge
CEO & Founder
BRIAR
Jane Stevensen Woman
Behind JS Global Advisory
Resolving Environmental
Issues
Kamales Lardi
Moving Businesses into the
Digital Age wih Brainchild
Endeavour Lardi & Partner
Consul�ng
Dr Sharon Jones
A Passionate Techpreneur
& Award - Winning Educator
pearheading dot.
Cousul�ng & Do�e Rose
Founda�on Successfullt
www.cxoincmagazine.com
CXOInc
Magazine

4. COVER
STORY
0
1
STANDPOINT
CXO
30
30
Launching a
meaningful brand

5. 18 22 26
32 36 40
Farah Hawilo
Trust Capital TC - Enriching
Lives, creating Reliability!
18
Jane Stevensen
Women Behind JS Global
Advisory Resolving
Environmental Issues
22
Kamales Lardi
Moving Business into
the Digital Age with Brainchild
Endeavour Lardi Partner Consulting
26
Karin Volo
Leading A Novel Training
Firm, Evoloshen Academy
Bringing Joy to the Workplace
32
Dr Sharon Jones
A Passionate Techpreneur
Award-Winning Educator
Spearheading dot. Consulting Dottie
Rose Foundation Successfully
36
Wies Van’t Slot
An Award-winning Bussiness Woman,
Mother, An Outcast Visionary
Entrepreneur Heading 365Werk in
Pursuit Of Excellence
40

6. Editor In Cheif Prashant C.
Managing Editor Ehsan Jami
Publishing Control Team Alexis, Michael
Visualiser Mary Chars
Art and Design Head Stephan Wood
Art and Pictures Editor Abhijit Kandalkar
Business Development Manager Caitlin McGregor
Marketing Manager Chirs Philip
Business Development Executive Maria, Wilson, Martina, Alex, Kelvin
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Assistant Technical Head Alina Sege
Digital Marketing Manager Jennifer Parker
Assistant Digital Marketing Manager David King
Research Analyst Earl Lewis
Circulation Manager Scoot Taylor
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Magazine

8. Editorial
Desk
The 10 Most
Successful Women
Entrepreneurs to
Watch in 2022
W
ith the constant development in the
start-up ecosystem, more and more
women are chasing the entrepreneurial
dream and succeeding in their ventures. Women
Leadership in today's world has been on a rising
graphs in the recent years. In this day and age, we
can proudly say that In this day and age, we can
proudly say that women leadership is not an
obscure concept any longest. Women are in the
news every day, ruling all segments of industry and
all facts of life. Successful women leaders and
subject matter expects who have created a very
strong knowledge who have created a very strong
knowledge pool are helping innovators to shape
ideas into reality.
With a set of strengths and professional code of
conduct are actively seeking women for leadership
roles and female entrepreneurs are starting business
at a faster rate than any other time in the past.
Several organizations too are enabling women to
grow and flourish in both their profe3ssional and
personal priorities. Their expertise and thought
leadership success. In a country like India where
most of the women aren't encouraged to think big,
there are some who have soared higher than one
would expect from a constrictive setup.
These wonder women are inspiring other ladies to
venture on the path of start-up through the stories of
their personal struggles and challenges. Our current
edition speaks and challenges. Our current edition
speaks of such inspiring stories of women entrepre-
neurs who are disabling the think- leader-think-
male norm and touching the sky. The number of
female founder shining in our country will only
rise, and we could not be prouder of our women.
Flip the pages and Happy reading...!!!
CXO Inc Magazine
editors@CXOINCMAGAZINE.COM

10. Future-Focused
ENTREPRENEUR
Briar Prestidge
is Creating Impactful Personal Brands
for CEOs with her Venture,
Prestidge Group
Briar Prest
Briar Prest
10 May 2022

11. tidge
WOMEN
1
Successful
TO WATCH IN 2022
MOST
ENTREPRENEURS
THE
C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y
Briar Prestidge
CEO FOUNDER
tidge
11 May 2022

12. I
n a rapidly transforming virtual world, Briar
Prestidge is carving the path for success as the
founder of one of the world’s first personal
branding agencies for executives. Born in New Zealand
and now based between New York and Dubai, the CEO
of personal branding agency Prestidge Group and
designer of luxury suit collection, BRIAR PRESTIDGE
– The Label, and is an inspiring business leader who
has navigated through her career with a deep-rooted
passion to explore new opportunities and surmount
challenges fiercely.
A qualified digital marketer and communications
professional, and Neuro-linguistics Business
Practitioner, Briar works predominately in the
technology, government, and investor space, and her
international career spans across Dubai, New York,
Saudi Arabia, London, and Australia. In 2019. Briar
was named Top 100 Most Influential People in the
United Arab Emirates, and she has been featured in
many publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, and
The National.
The Beginning of a Business Leader
Briar grew up in a small town in Canterbury, New
Zealand. Her amazing journey began when, after
graduating, Briar moved to New York City. When
describing it, I couldn’t help but think it sounded like
one of those classic, exciting NYC stories: Briar moved
with a single suitcase, no plans, not a lot of money, and
without knowing anyone, and she got a job as a
waitress in Manhattan. Following this, Briar started her
career in real estate where she worked for a couple of
years, prior to moving to London. It was here that she
started digital marketing and building websites on the
side, in addition to working in recruitment. She noticed
the rise of beauty and fashion bloggers, and she
thought, surely CEOs of businesses are going to see the
value of building their personal brands on social media?
So, she started Prestidge Group, a personal branding,
PR, and content production agency working with
high-profile CEOs, HNWI, and investors.
What started off as a small “side hustle” business on the
dining room table, grew quickly. Today, Prestidge Group
has its headquarters in Dubai and New York, and they
also operate with partners across London and Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, and cater to their clients all over the globe.
Prestidge Group, an Innovative Approach to CEO
Branding
Prestidge Group is a personal branding, public relations,
and content production agency working with CEOs,
HNWIs, tech experts, thought leaders, and celebrities.
As one of the world’s leading personal branding
agencies, Prestidge Group manages the brands of a range
of thought leaders, from CEOs and HNWI, to rally car
drivers, to experts in crypto. Their approach to public
relations and personal branding is a 360-degree approach
– they pitch their leaders for media coverage and
interview segments, awards, and keynote opportunities,
then they create content, including podcasts and
ghostwriting articles, and manage the leader’s personal
social media channels, building a following and creating
a community.
When asked about personal branding, Briar said,
“People often have a misconception that personal
branding is purely creating content on social media, but
often the content they post actually “waters down” their
brand.
At Prestidge Group, we are big believers in
leveraging traditional media coverage and keynotes
amongst your content plan – because when
someone sees a video of you on LinkedIn speaking
at an international conference or reads a thought
leadership article in a magazine, it’s PR. This
provides 3rd party credibility and positions you
above the noise on social media since you’ve been
invited to share your opinion.
Building a person’s brand is very different from
building a company brand – not only do you have
to understand the person’s dynamic way of thinking
and how they express their opinion, but you also
have to consider the audience that you are trying to
reach and how the algorithms work on social
media.
Briar has always loved corporate fashion and in 2019,
she designed a power suit collection for women, made
from premium fine wool and cashmere sourced from
Europe. BRIAR PRESTIDGE – The Label launched in
November 2020 in Dubai and New York, and they have
been dressing up women all over the globe. Briar said,
“It’s a great feeling to see someone wearing your design,
especially when it’s on a news channel, on stage at a
conference or even on the red carpet – there is really no
feeling quite like it.”
12 May 2022

13. 13 May 2022

14. 14 May 2022

15. I’m so proud of how Prestidge Group has evolved over
the years, our talented team, and the innovative work
that we deliver for incredibly interesting and
high-profile people. No two days are the same.”
Overcoming the Covid-19
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Prestidge Group grew
their portfolio and expanded their offices to New York.
In our interview, Briar shared, “During lockdowns,
people were spending more time on social media than
ever before and during the crisis, companies started to
understand the power of CEO communications online as
a way to build trust and speak to their community. When
I started Prestidge Group six years ago, I have to say it
was a bit before its time - only the more innovative
executives could understand what we were doing, and
why they should be creating content on social media.
In the beginning, I had to really educate our prospects
on why they would use an integrated PR and digital
approach to building their reputation and establishing
themselves as experts. But these days, people
understand the value and they come to us. Companies
are even writing CEO personal branding into their
marketing budgets.”
Major Difficulties Their Solutions
Briar is a big advocate for women in business, and she
often speaks to publications and at conferences on this
topic. Only 2.8% of funding went to women-led startups
in 2019, and in 2020 this dropped to 2.3%, the latest
figures on Crunchbase show Only about 12% of
decision-makers at VCs are female, and most firms still
don’t even have a single female partner. According to
Boston Consulting, when women-founded businesses
receive funding, they are more likely to be successful and
deliver higher revenue, more than twice as much as the
dollar invested.
The representation of women on boards continues to
increase but still remains low globally at 12% with only
4% chairing boards, according to Deloitte. “Diversity
matters,” said Briar, “Many studies show that having
women on your board is good for your company’s
bottom-line as your board will better mirror your client
and customer bases - the voices of the board represent
the real world.”
Daily Routine
While discussing her daily routine, Briar said, “Leading a
healthy lifestyle is really important to me and I thrive
most when I have a routine and discipline in my life. I
wake up around 6.30 am if it’s a gym day, where I do
high-intensity interval training. I then get ready, grab a
coffee, and get stuck into my morning meetings or work.
As I run two companies, my days are quite busy and at
times I finish calls quite late, depending on the time zone
I’m working from. My role is very strategic as we
execute our global expansion plans, so I have a lot of
meetings with prospective clients or partnership opportu-
nities all over the globe, and of course work alongside the
rest of our team advising on our client communications
or chatting to my friends in the media. On the other side
of things, for our suit label BRIAR PRESTIDGE, I visit
our manufacturers once a week or so. We are currently
working on more suits and corporate dresses, so at the
moment I’m working closely alongside our brand manag-
er and fashion designer, overseeing the designs and
manufacturing of our next collection.
A Piece of Advice for Entrepreneurs
Briar said, “Take the first step. Often, in life, it’s the first
step that is the hardest. Have a dream that you want to
fulfill? Sit down and make a plan of action as to how you
can achieve it – what will you need to learn or execute,
who will you need to know, and what kind of person will
you need to become to get there?
As said by Bill Gates, “People overestimate what they
can achieve in one year, but underestimate what they can
achieve in 10 years.” Even if every day you just spend 30
minutes doing something, whether it’s reading, learning,
or working on a side hustle, this will have a compound-
ing effect over time. As cliché as it may sound, your life
is yours to create, and with some hard work, guts, and
persistence, you can do anything. Go after it and get it.”
PRESTIDGE GROUP
15 May 2022

18. Trust Capital TC
Enriching lives, crea�ng Reliability!
B
usinesses come and go, what stays is the
presence, the impact, and the name of the
enterprise. Business is more about creating
a relationship between the company and the
customers than selling something to someone.
A company is always on the search and hunt for
the next big innovation, which could carve their
name in the hall of fame, but, what about the
existing products/services they offer?
There are a lot of companies offering similar
products/services but only a few prevail and take
the top spot. What makes the customers follow
these names only, and overlook any other, despite
discounts, extra benefits, etc.?
The answer is Trust and Reliability.
Farah Hawilo is one of the leading and eccentric
businesswomen of 2021. She is not only an
effervescent leader but also a great persona,
inspiring budding entrepreneurs and exiting
businessmen/businesswomen.
Farah is the Executive Director of Trust Capital
18 May 2022

19. TC. Trust Capital TC provides a secure, reliable, and
transparent environment to trade CFDs on Forex, Metals,
Commodities, Indices, and Cryptocurrencies.
Offering direct access to the financial markets with the
benefits of competitive pricing, tight spreads, low
commission, and negative balance protection.
Since Brokers do not share a good image in the market,
Farah and her company aim to eradicate that by
providing services that are unmatched, top-notch, and
completely transparent. Trust Capital TC revolutionizes
the traditional image and perception of Brokers.
Farah, and her will to create something extraordinary
and change the face of trading and the air around it,
makes her one of the most dynamic businesswomen to
watch in 2021.
“To achieve something that you've never achieved, you
have to do something that you've never done”
The Company, the Journey
Trust Capital TC started a revolution in the securities
market. Licensed in 2018, with a mission to provide an
environment where traders have transparency and
reliability. Their base of operations is set up in Cyprus,
with the representative office in Dubai UAE.
They offer a trading platform for clients to invest,
whether they are retail or professional clients. They
offer a lot of instrument support, such as Forex,
Metals, indices, energies, Commodities, and now
cryptocurrencies.
To cater to clients of all kinds and offer different
account types suited for all kinds of investors,
professional or starting out, Trust Capital TC offers
a one-stop solution.
Being a broker, a company faces many claims,
which are on the negative side. But Trust Capital
TC rises as the knight in shining armor for all those
cheated, mistreated, or conned by traditional
brokers. The defining characteristic feature of Trust
Capital TC is the education they offer, and that too
free of cost! They conduct webinars, seminars, and
provide online education. They also have a program
called the Forex Mentor, providing one-on-one
training.
Trust Capital TC and its team know trading into
Indices, Forex, etc. is a risky job. They offer
education so people and their clients can learn. They
impart education, not to get accounts, but to establish
trust and eradicate improper knowledge which stains
the occupation of trading as a whole. They are the
change, by being the change!
They also offer practice accounts, so people can
practice trading with virtual money. This does not
stop here as Trust Capital TC monitors the account
with them, and tries to give them some tips, etc. on
how to trade and how to get better, and much more.
One of the most challenging tasks for Trust Capital TC
and its team was to get their license. As they moved and
chose Cyprus as the base of operation, CySEC (Cyprus
Securities and Exchange Commission) had introduced
regulatory changes, implied stringent rules, and
regulations. As the leverages were reduced to 1:30 from
1:100, making it less risky for traders, brought in a lot of
compliance work, etc. to get a license.
Moreover, to get the license they had to plan and regulate
policies, in adherence to the regulations, keeping it
completely transparent at all times. With dedication, hard
work, and luck on their side, they were one of the last
companies to get a CySEC license!
After the license, next was the task of setting up the
company, but that was something they were already
prepared for, making it easy for them to establish their
firm.
What pushes Trust Capital TC to grow and
succeed?
A lot happened during the pandemic, and for Trust Capital
TC it was a make-or-break situation. There were many
changes going on in the markets and people’s mindsets
too. The shuffle in employment opportunities pushed
people to become more aware of what trading can offer,
especially as a second income source.
To tap this space, Trust Capital TC conducted online
webinars, a lot of them. Projected towards educating and
creating awareness about trading online, what it means to
invest online, and it is not as difficult as it seems. This not
only led to more clients, but traders who are educated,
aware, and understand trading, which Trust Capital TC
strives to achieve.
People of different fields also became more interested in
trading, because Trust Capital TC broke many myths
along its journey for its clients and students.
19 May 2022

20. You can only trade if you know finance’.
“This is not true; you can learn anything that you're
interested in. All it takes is time, effort, and education.
This is why we are here to help”. – Farah Hawilo,
Executive Director, Trust Capital TC
Trust Capital’s roots for its long-standing success
What makes Trust Capital TC successful and the first
choice of traders is its reputation with its clients. As
there are hundreds of brokers, spread across different
instruments, regulated, and not regulated, etc. The
unregulated ones, unfortunately, have made a bad
reputation. There are many cases where clients face
difficulty receiving their profits, customer service was
bad after they opened an account, and so on.
Trust Capital’s ethics is to have great customer service
and to make sure client is aware of every stage of their
account. Even after they closed the account, they make
sure they're doing okay. They keep a check and make
sure their clients receive anything they need, along with
the surety of debiting/crediting funds on time. They do
frequent follow-ups, making sure the client has received
profits, is up to date, etc.
Another factor making Trust Capital TC sought-after and
acclaimed is the transparency with cost. Their pricing is
everywhere, on the website, and on terms and conditions,
etc. They make sure the client doesn’t miss anything
because it is the money that they're investing. So, they
make sure to take care of that very much and be
transparent with the client!
Services offered by Trust Capital TC, and what
sets them apart
Trust Capital TC offers a variety of instruments to trade
in, right from Forex, Metals, Gold, Silver, Commodities,
Indices, and now offering Cryptocurrency. They offer
CFDs (Contract for Differences) on these instruments.
CFDs are more based on speculation, thus allowing one
to trade without purchasing an instrument. This means
one can trade with a higher quantity, with a lower
amount. CFDs on crypto are being offered by very few,
but with reliability and trust on Trust Capital TC, there is
no better option out there!
As mentioned earlier they provide education too. They
have created a mobile app that helps the client track their
trades, making their trading simple and easy, thus, saving
their on-screen time. Clients also get pop-up notifications
showing trade information, etc. They also receive other
benefits right from the calendar of news to calculators
that they might need, and much more.
to refer clients, they have a program for them. Also,
liquidity offering is also provided. If it's a corporate
account and they want to open an account, get liquidity,
etc. Trust Capital TC also provides that.
There are a lot of factors that set Trust Capital TC and
its services apart. They make sure that pricing is
competitive. They offer different account types with
different pricing and different commission. So, clients
can choose accounts, pricing, etc. to their needs.
They also provide as many payment methods as
possible. They have PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, credit card
debit card, and bank transfer, so no one feels restricted
with one payment method.
Also, the free education is a huge plus, because almost
all the Brokers have great offerings but only a few offer
education, and that too on a condition if you're a funded
client with them.
Trust Capital TC also offers immersive and proactive
customer service. It's 24 hours, 24x7, all days a week,
even when the markets are closed, making sure clients
receive regular updates about everything, are always in
the light!
New additions to Trust Capital’s service arsenal
They are in the works of offering equities, which would
make Trust Capital TC a one-stop-shop for the client.
Clients will be able to open a trading account with them
and trade Apple, Amazon, and other equities. The best
part being, one account with Trust Capital TC enables
you to trade a variety of instruments, right from crypto
to gold, crude oil, currency, and much more!
What makes it interesting as now equity CFDs will be
available to trade along with education, making Trust
Capital TC a complete solution for traders and
investors.
How Trust Capital TC goes ahead with changing
times and trends
Trust Capital TC offers various instruments to trade and
invest. They are integrating new instruments, such as
cryptocurrency, which is being offered by very few in
the market. Also, the regular additions and updates to the
mobile app, making the whole experience seamless.
Moreover, the team is always looking for changing
trends, new technology, etc. which can be integrated to
make sure their services are unrivaled and always the
best the industry has to offer!
The Leading Lady, Farah Hawilo
They also offer affiliated partnerships. If someone wants Farah started her education in finance, got her
20 May 2022

21. bachelor's degree in banking and Finance in
Lebanon. Right off the bat she started working and
initiated her journey to get some experience in the
Forex industry.
She started from customer support, to learn all the
ins and outs of the Forex world, right from client
account opening, back office, etc. She also pursued
and accumulated few certificates including risk and
investment compliance by Reuters, Bloomberg
terminal, etc. that fetched her more knowledge,
skills, helping her get up the ladder.
All this prepared her and provided her the
knowledge she needed to start her company.
Followed the start of Trust Capital TC, where she
was handling different roles and departments, such
as operations, HR department, Compliance
department, dealing with sales, etc.
Farah feels the highlight of her professional journey
is getting the CySEC license, owing to stringent
norms, compliance, regulations, etc., and nurturing
her company to become a successful and
respectable name in the market.
From there to open up a new office in Dubai,
dedicating herself to bring more awareness and
education amongst traders, eradicating the bad
image around Brokers, and expanding the business
is one of the major highlights of her career!
What Farah thinks are the responsibilities of an
entrepreneur
Number one is to be true to what you are doing. If you're
working on something and comparing yourself all the
time to similar businesses, you won't ever be ahead of
the competition. Your work should keep you more into a
tunnel vision, towards the goal, in the end, to have other
people look at you, copy you, and not the other way
around!
Be true to yourself, true to what you are doing, and at the
same time don't only look at it as a profit-making
making business. It will get there as long as you have
your ethics and the company. You have to make sure
about the way you treat your employees, make sure to
relay the message that the employees are not working for
you, they're working with you. To build a culture where
works towards the same goal.
“They say you have to do what you love but to be honest
to get to that goal you want; you have to go through
phases, where you are not enjoying the process so much.
I was doing compliance work, working in different
departments that were not my initial passion. But in the
end, this is what led me to the goal. You're going
through phases that you don't love and you don't enjoy
at that point. You have to get through them. And you will
reach your end goal!” Farah adds.
Team of Trust Capital TC
Every member of Trust Capital TC goes to work with
the goal of personal development, which is something
that they love in the company.
They don't go for a nine-to-five shift, they focus on their
personal development in the company, and how to best
provide their clients. Trust Capital TC and its
environment promotes learning and pushes its team to
pursue certifications, seminars, and education.
So, this approach helps the team grow and motivates
them to apply their knowledge and skills, bringing out
the best of Trust Capital TC!
This culture inspires the team to branch out, and do
even more than their job description. Inspiring a feeling
of oneness towards the company, providing clients with
110% dedication and focus, and innovating along the
way, make the team of Trust Capital TC exceptional and
one of the best there is!
Farah’s views on constant vigilance- as a need or
strategy
You cannot be naïve about what you're doing, the
company, etc. thus. You have to be aware, and keep up
with the changes. So, definitely, it's a need and a
strategy!
You need to see what's going on around you, need to see
what market is offering, so you can offer better.
“Whether it comes to marketing your products, you
always have to be listening”You have to be doing your
research, see the trends, etc. Then comes the part of
keeping up with the trends around practices, this is
where your strategy kicks in!
Always keep learning. No One Ever Knows enough.
Keep trying to develop yourself, make sure you're up to
date with whatever new is going on in the markets and
technology because times are changing very fast.
On a professional level, always read the news. Stay in
tune with what's happening, so you can keep up. “If you
get drowned in your work only and you're not aware of
what's going on the outside, you won't be able to reach the
daily tasks that you want to reach.” – Farah adds.
21 May 2022

22. Jane Stevensen
Woman Behind JS GLobal Advisory
Resolving Environmental Issues
F
inding the path to motivation and
purpose is uniquely carved by every
individual. Jane Stevensen, Founding
Director of JS Global Advisory, is
leading by example as an inspirational
woman leader with over 20 years of
experience advising businesses on
sustainability strategy and practice. She is an
expert in the creation of global engagement
programmes to achieve consensus and drive
visionary change.
22 May 2022

23. Understanding the need for robust solutions for fragile
ecosystems with enormous environmental challenges, Jane
established JS Global in 2018 after holding senior
executive roles in both corporate and not-for-profit
organizations .
JS Global brings together an industry-leading team of
advisors in climate-related policy regulation,
sustainability strategy, and practical ways of enhancing
ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance -
performance. Experienced in working across sectors, with
particular expertise in oil gas, shipping, mining
metals, and financial services, they have deep
understanding of the new technical, regulatory,
commercial and digitalisation challenges confronting
Boards, CEOs and executive management teams.
Prior to setting up JS Global, Jane led Grant Thornton
LLP’s Sustainability Advisory Practice, is a former
Managing Director of the highly influential Climate
Disclosure Standards Board, was Chair of the Oil Gas
Advisory Group at CDP - the global climate information
disclosure specialists (formerly known as the Carbon
Disclosure Project) - and headed CDP’s engagement with
the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (or
TCFD) set up by Mark Carney, ex-Governor of the Bank
of England and now the UN Special Envoy on Climate and
Finance. She has advised the UN Sustainable Stock
Exchanges Initiative and the UK-City of London Green
Finance Initiative.
Jane began her career in the Oil Gas industry – as an
exploration geologist, her working environment encom-
passed the oil rigs of the North Sea, the rare Jarrah Forest
of Western Australia, the rainforest of Papua New Guinea,
the Apennine Mountain home of the European Brown bear
and the cities of London, Milan, and Paris.
The 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs to watch in 2022
Many of these places comprised fragile ecosystems with
enormous environmental challenges, and indirectly led
Jane to ultimately setting up her own business. With an
early understanding that the planet was a stakeholder in all
operational activity and a belief that business has the
potential to be a real force for good, Jane’s journey has
brought her to where she is today, advising global
companies on environmental risk and opportunity,
governance, climate strategy and across the whole
spectrum of ESG.
More about the Company and its
Distinct Offerings
JS Global works across sectors and brings particular
knowledge, insight, expertise, and understanding of the
natural resources and energy industries – often called the
“hard-to-abate” sectors. Their bespoke approach to
sustainability consulting and climate change strategy and
engagement is built on a unique understanding of the
diverse perspectives that influence the way governments,
businesses and financial market participants address the
mega-trends affecting our planet and society.
The key areas JS advisory work encompasses consist of:
Engagement programmes - the company specialises in the
design and delivery of engagement programmes to bring
together key influencers with often conflicting viewpoints to
catalyse real change.
Sustainability strategy - JS Global helps clients address
key issues related to sustainability strategy, environmental
and social impact across operations, stakeholder
engagement, sustainability-related growth, and cost
opportunities, and understand the reputational implications.
TCFD Advisory – the recommendations of the Taskforce
for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (the TCFD)
provide a vital catalyst to enable companies to achieve
climate-related targets in line with the Paris Agreement, and
in particular map out a route to Net Zero carbon.
ESG services – Environmental, Social and Governance -
ESG - criteria are a set of standards for a company’s
operations that socially conscious investors use to screen
potential investments. JS Global works with businesses to
support them in the development of ESG policy and
strategy and strengthen understanding of the rapidly
evolving regulatory environment.
Clientele Corporate Ethos
The JSG clientele ranges from global FTSE 250 companies
to small independents. Climate change and the need for a
sustainable business strategy affect every business and
everyone in it. They all receive the same care and attention
to ensure that each consulting project is bespoke, tailored
to their objectives. Above all the team builds relationships,
and their clients trust them.
23 May 2022

24. Major Impacts of Covid-19
Covid-19 brought the whole world to a standstill, and
some clients were unable to continue with the advisory
work they had commissioned. The philosophy of JS
Global is to engage with the clients and build trust to give
the team the confidence that once the crisis abates, they
will be back, and that is already proving to be true. The
practical implications of the pandemic for the business
have meant travelling to clients’ premises and working
alongside them has stopped completely and they have all
had to work from home, and so building those
relationships has meant working much harder as it’s all
had to be done over Zoom and Teams!
From the Founding Director’s Desk
“Having started my career in the Oil industry, being the
lone woman is something I’m very used to! Once you’ve
been in charge of an oil drilling rig in the North Sea or
remote Western Australia there’s not much that phases
you”, asserted Jane while discussing her biggest
challenges as a woman entrepreneur.
Jane’s Approach towards Entrepreneurship
The sheer unpredictability of the business world is
something that fascinates Jane the most!
Jane’s style is collaborative, thoughtful, she likes to listen
to all the viewpoints, and determine the facts. She is able
to draw on a whole career in business and industry, has
run multidisciplinary teams around the world, and worked
in difficult and dangerous environments where it was
essential to be able to think on your feet and anticipate
multiple outcomes. She has also spent time as Managing
Director of a highly influential global climate NGO and
sat on the Boards of charities as well as commercial
entities. Furthermore, she has a wealth of experience to
draw on, and as an entrepreneur she is able to deal with
whatever comes up – the key is always to expect the
unexpected.
A Day in the Life
“Lunch is a sandwich, and I will have a break and take my
dog for a walk. Then back to it for the afternoon, often with
client calls and reviews. I enjoy cooking and dinner is
usually around my kitchen table with whoever is at home
from my family”, she added. “As the world opens up
post-pandemic I’m looking forward to getting back to the
theatre and opera which I love, and supporting the arts
again”.
JS Global in the Next Five Years
The foundation of JS Global Advisory was to support
businesses in their sustainability journey, tackling the most
pressing issue of the current time – climate change. The
vision of JS Global in the next five years is to be able to
provide the toolkit for businesses, regardless of sector or
size, to address both the risks and opportunities of climate
change and be part of the global solution. Moreover, they
want to be able to inspire organizations to believe they
really can do it and radically increase ambition to achieve
much greater targets than they thought possible.
“I’m an early riser – a lark not an owl, so usually up well
before 6.30, cup of English breakfast tea as I stroll around
my garden (weather permitting) with my dog. Then I will
start the day with the 5 Tibetan Rites, an ancient yoga
practice. Then it’s usually time to check the emails, work
on client pitches, and respond to requests. During the
pandemic with working from home I will have a daily
morning Zoom call with my senior business partner where
we touch base on what’s needed for the day, review new
opportunities, discuss the current projects, and generally
catch up”, said Jane when asked about her daily routine.
A Piece of Advice
Stay focused, have a target in mind, but don’t be inflexible.
Stuff happens along the way, and being too rigid will not
help you. Accept help whenever it’s offered – if you can
find a mentor you really like who supports but also
challenges your thinking that is enormously helpful.
Above all - keep calm and carry on!
24 May 2022

26. Kamales Lardi
Moving Businesses into the Digital Age with
Brainchild Endeavour Lardi Partner Consul�ng
K
amales Lardi, a Digital Business
Transformation Expert Thought Leader
successfully contributing top-line growth of
businesses, their operational excellence and capabilities
development through digital transformation. She
combines over 21 years of deep cross-industry
experience with the latest digital and technology
solutions and is presently leading Lardi Partner
Consulting in the key position of CEO
In academics, Kamales did B.Sc. in Computing
Information Systems where she found her interest in
technology, programming, and business strategy. The
inspiring lady began her career at Accenture (Andersen
Consulting back then) after graduating in 1999. Then,
she enrolled in MBA at Durham University Business
School in the UK (2003). Kamales worked in Zurich
Insurance for a while, and then at Deloitte Consulting.
In the year 2012, she decided to start her own
consultancy.
26 May 2022

27. Further Kamales shared about her journey, “I became a
parent and found the consultancy business model not
conducive to a balanced lifestyle. This became the
premise for my ‘modular consulting’business model, a
term that I coined to combine high-quality solutions with
a flexible and agile delivery model. This approach has
resonated well with many business leaders and has
helped my company stand out in the digital space.”
In addition to consulting, Kamales Lardi is active in
teaching as well and has lectured at several higher
institutions like ZHAW Zurich University of Applied
Sciences, HWZ Zurich University of Applied Sciences
in Business, and Durham University Business School.
She is the Chairperson of the FORBES Business
Council Women Executives group and a dynamic and
influential speaker.
Lardi Partner Consulting, Transforming
Traditional Business Models
Lardi Partner Consulting GmbH is a boutique
consultancy specializing in digital business
transformation and emerging technologies. We enable
organizations to transform traditional business models,
processes, and operations to meet the needs of the digital
economy and customer experience. We help companies
define their customer’s needs and identify the best ways
to utilize digital and emerging technologies across the
business value chain to gain sustainable returns.
The firm provides advisory services to mostly
multinational companies across various industries in
Europe, Asia, and Africa. In addition, over the years they
have also advised SMEs, start-ups, and the public sector.
Kamales’s focus on creating value in business enabled
by technology has helped the Lardi Partner Consulting
firm stand out. She often says, 'technology is not a silver
bullet solution, a clear value proposition should drive
any transformation effort'. This approach resonates well
with many business leaders and has helped her stand out
in the digital space.
The Impacts of Covid-19
COVID-19 has shifted mindsets towards greater
adoption of technology and digital platforms. As experts
in Digital Transformation, Kamales and her team have
extensive implementation experience in this space and
actively support companies in driving. They have taken a
people-first approach that focuses on team wellness and
prioritizing clients in their work. This works well as they
have strong personal relationships with their clients and
understand their personal and business challenges. In
addition, their capabilities in business transformation and
emerging technology solutions are exactly what
companies need now to create business continuity and
resilience.
From the CEO’s Desk
When asked about her views on challenges faced by
women entrepreneurs and advice to overcome them,
Kamales said “I do believe there is still a certain level of
bias, conscious or unconscious, in the field of tech,
entrepreneurship, and business. This could relate to a
range of challenges such as women getting fewer
opportunities in the field, struggling to gain funding, not
receiving the credibility or recognition that they deserve
for their work, or even manifest in the technology
solutions being developed because of the lack of diversity
in the development teams. This challenge should be
addressed at various levels to be effective, including
education, support, and deliberate actions and policies to
enhance diversity – not just across gender but in every
area.”
What Fascinates You the Most about Running
your own Business
“I take an active role in every client engagement that we
deliver. I like working with clients and each company is
unique, bringing new experiences, challenges, and
opportunities. I find this fascinating and exciting. Also,
the best part for me is seeing our solutions and advisory
moving from vision to action, driving transformation in
the company, and delivering real business results. This
brings satisfaction and motivates me to keep doing what I
do”, shared Kamales while disclosing the fascinating part
in her business role.
“By running my own business, I have full control over the
types of projects we do, who we work with, and what kind
of results we can bring. For example, we usually work
with multinational corporations, however, if there is an
interesting project with a small company or start-up, we
could still take it on. I am also excited about exploring
new capabilities and skills. For example, back in 2016,
27 May 2022

28. many clients asked about the impact of blockchain and
crypto in their business. This led me to deep dive into the
topic, including understanding the technology and
programming in this scape and eventually designing and
building a blockchain-based traceability solution for the
agriculture supply chain”, she further added.
Awards and Milestones on the Way
The company has hit the 10-year milestone for the
business this year and they are still going strong. This is
a big achievement considering the competitive market.
Lardi Partner Consulting has been honored with the
2020 Global Corporate Excellence Award from Business
Worldwide Magazine in the category 'Digital Business
Transformation Firm of the Year'. In addition, Kamales
Lardi has received numerous awards including:
●“Top 10 Global Influencers Thought Leaders in
Digital Transformation” (Thinkers360, 2021)
●The Top 50 Women in Tech - Influencers to Follow
(2021)
●Top 20 visionaries of the media and technology
industry (Adello Magazine, 2021)
●First-ever Forbes Business Council Women Executives
Chair (2021)
●Women in Fintech Powerlist (2017)
Lardi Partner in The Next Five Years
Lardi Partner Consulting aims to flourish into a
globally recognized brand and expert partner in digital
business transformation in the near future. Also, the team
is planning to work on more technology projects that
deliver towards sustainability and climate change
solutions
Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
Don’t limit yourself to what others or society or even
you think you should be doing. The possibilities are
unlimited, as long as you are bold and take a leap of
faith in yourself. Build the right capabilities and
experience required to succeed, but remember you do
not need to be 100% ready, leverage teams that can help
you build the right capabilities.
28 May 2022

30. Launching A
Meaningful
Brand
A
s two co-founders, Eileen and I wanted to launch
a brand that would empower women and give
them confidence. There are plenty of women’s
fashion options out there, but we believe clothes should
do more than just dress a body. We are providing
multifunctional designs that slip perfectly into every
woman’s wardrobe. Cutting-edge, quick dry
performance fabrics; pieces that drape and feel luxurious
next to the skin in materials that remove moisture from
clothing at speed so busy women can get on with their
day (or night) without worrying about being crushed, hot
and sweaty. All our collections are anti-crush, keeping the
wearer confident and crease-free day and night.
We also wanted to launch a responsible brand. From the
very start we knew we wanted to build a company that
we could be proud of, one where there was nothing to
hide away. We wanted to be as open and transparent as
possible in everything from how we chose our 100%
The key thing we have learned on our start up journey is
that sustainability is not a static creature. With each new
fabric created, with each new piece of research, with
each new creative attempt at circularity, the ‘how’ of
sustainability morphs a bit, making it impossible to be
‘perfect’. So, if we put aside any attempt to be 100%
sustainable (impossible anyway since we are creating
new collections and creating anything uses energy and
materials), we would call sustainable fashion,
conscious, transparent and responsible fashion.
vegetable starch completely biodegradable and
compostable bags and why we use Royal Mail, to our
thinking on vegan clothes, sustainable washing (it’s a
thing – and an important one) and why we expect our
garments to be around for a very long time indeed.
30 May 2022

31. Eileen
co-founders,
Nancy Zeffman
co-founders,
Conscious, since careful thought needs to be put into
every level of the company and its practices, from
packaging materials, working practices, transport,
trim…the list is exhaustive and exhausting and there is
always more to add to it.
Transparent, since it is much better for a company to
say, ‘hands up, we hadn’t thought about that aspect of
our chain, thank you for pointing it out and we will now
investigate and see how we can improve’, rather than
ignore dangerous, unethical and environmentally
damaging practices with a view to trying to ‘protect’
Responsible, since we do only have one earth, and many
people to share it with, including (hopefully!) many,
many future generations who will not be amused to find
that whatever the wealth and ingeniousness of their
ancestors (we put a man on the moon! we wiped out
polio!) they neglected to save the planet.
When we launched back in September 2017, ethical was
not at the forefront of consumers’ minds, but it was very
much on our minds. Since Covid, the world is rethinking
how and what they buy and we feel we are in the right
space to provide what women are looking for. With our
five-mile radius and constant reviewing of our working
practices, we are increasingly being asked to contribute to
thoughts on what sustainable means in 2021 when so
many brands are jumping on the bandwagon without
much thought. Most recently, I was on a panel hosted by
the British Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia as part of
the UN Climate Change Conference 2021. This is no
mean feat for a small brand to be showing how things can
(and we believe should) be done. Small can mean agile
and adaptable in this ever changing world and we are
using this to our advantage.
At Cucumber Clothing we will never claim to be perfect,
but we will always be trying to be better. That’s a
promise.
31 May 2022

32. Karin Volo
Leading A Novel Training Firm, Evoloshen
Academy Bringing Joy to the Workplace
S
tanding strong on the sturdy shoulders of a
flourishing businesswoman, a global leader, an
employee engagement expert, and a recognized
HR Influencer, Karin Volo, CEO, Evoloshen Academy
endeavours to guide employees to be empowered,
engaged, and help them reach their full potential.
Evoloshen transforms business through culture. It is the
team of expert trust advisors to CEOs, CHRO’s, and top
management teams to help them work strategically on
culture issues.
With over 20 years of experience working with Fortune
500 companies globally, this inspiring leader has
insights on business building, cultural transformation,
and high performance. Aside from becoming an expert
in culture, employee engagement, personal and
organizational development, she is an international
bestselling author. She is also an accomplished
inspirational speaker and a Certified C-IQ™ Coach.
Her purpose is bringing joy to the workplace.
32 May 2022

33. Further Karin apprised “I’ve had my own company since
2003 when I started an Executive Search firm in Sweden.
My work has evolved from taking the best talent out of
companies to helping companies keep their talent
through working on their culture. The catalyst for this
change came from writing a book called Engage! in
2012 which became an international bestseller. It lead to
me speaking on culture, engagement, trust, and purpose
and developing impactful training programs in these
areas.”
Successful Clientele Core Values
Evoloshen Academy works actively with progressive
CEOs and CHROs who understand the value of culture.
They have worked with a number of industries and types
of organizations from fast-growing tech companies,
global consulting firms, manufacturing, private equity,
and governmental agencies to give some examples.
The core is focused on developing and training
employees to be empowered, engaged, and to help them
reach their full potential. They have training programs
such as Ignite Your Trust Factor, am International
Cultural Engagement Specialist certification, and
Discovering Your Purpose. The deeper they are able to
work with their clients, the stronger the trust and
relationships grow. Besides training, they have expanded
to offer coaching and group masterminding as well. This
has developed from their clients asking the team to
support them even more.
Progressing In Entrepreneurship
The absolute key is to know your purpose! Evoloshen
aims to bring joy to the workplace and that is what
drives Karin and her team every day. They know the
power of reaching their full potential and thriving. They
share tools and knowledge that are empowering and help
people understand who they are. As an entrepreneur,
Karin finds it as the complete commitment to a bigger
purpose that will drive her through the challenging
times. It gives inner confidence and commitment to
never give up and to keep going forward no matter what.
From the CEO’s Desk
The two biggest challenges I’m looking at currently are
how best to grow my business and to offload many of my
daily tasks and projects. As a leader, I’m evolving and
growing as well. This is why I’m a big believer in
coaching and mentoring! It helps along the way and can
save a lot of time and mistakes.
While talking about the branding strategies of Evoloshen
Academy to stay ahead, Karin said, “We rely a lot on
word of mouth and recommendations. Giving value and
building strong relationships over time builds high levels
of trust. I also have a podcast called The Amazing Leader
Series where I love to showcase progressive CEOs and
leaders who are proving that working with culture is great
for business because they are actually doing it. This
provides a lot of value and inspiration to leaders. In
addition, we have published a number of free reports on
our website that have great value and information to help
support people who want to learn more about cultural
transformation.”
Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs
Karin’s Views
She finds it tough to generalize this. She says we all have
our own experiences and journeys we are on. Women need
to support each other and lift each other up as much as
possible. In Karin’s view, young women feel pressure to
balance between their personal/family lives and their
professional lives. She has noticed that once kids are
grown, women seem to step into their power. They have a
lot of drive and energy and can really make an impact.
And she always encourages mothers to enjoy their time
with their children because they grow up too quickly! It’s
important to enjoy each stage of life and know that the
journey is constantly changing. When you can embrace
the phase of life you are in and truly appreciate it, that
helps to handle the ups and downs that life will bring your
way no matter what. It’s a part of the human experience.
So why not enjoy it along the way?
Karin’s Daily Routine
“With an ideal day, I normally wake up around 6:30 or
7:00. I like to enjoy my mornings by easing into the day,
working out at home, drinking my daily green smoothie
and walking my dog. My days are always different based
on the projects I’m working on, which I normally have two
to three at a time. It often includes meetings with clients
and/or my team, sometimes preparing for workshops,
33 May 2022

34. writing articles, checking emails, making videos,
working on web pages”, Karin shared when asked about
her daily routine.
Milestones Future Roadmap
Evoloshen has been recognized as one of the Top 10
Organizational Development Companies in Europe by
HR Tech. Karin Volo has also been recognized as a Top
Thought Leader in Trust, named on the Engagement 101
Influencers several years in a row, Top 10 HR
Influencers, and many others.
Evoloshen is on the way to be known globally as the
trusted company to help develop leaders and employees,
create high trust organizations, and the team is working
diligently to transform many lives! Plus, with every
client project, Evoloshen will also contribute to support
education, clean water, or fighting child sex trafficking.
A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Female
Entrepreneurs
The world needs women entrepreneurs now more than
ever. Women are naturally caring and nurturing and the
business world is changing to be more supportive on a
human-to-human level. Karin believes that will make it
even easier for women to be themselves and step into
their power. There is nothing that can hold female power
back and their time is now!
Turning Solutions towards Covid-19
Karin said, “Our world has gone through some severe
trauma in recent times. We need to come together to heal
and support each other. I absolutely see a world in the
future where every person can thrive and reach their full
potential. Our children deserve this and together we can
solve the problems in our world. It all comes down to
love. Love is the currency of business—we want to love
our jobs; we want to Live Our Values Daily. So, it’s
time for us to realize that when we are united, we
become an unstoppable force and we can use this to
create momentum to change the world. We must have
the courage to care for and love one another!”
34 May 2022

36. Dr Sharon Jones
A Passionate Techpreneur Award-Winning
Educator Spearheading dot. Consul�ng Do�e
Rose Founda�on Successfully
Believe in yourself, your talent, and your
ambition.- Dr Sharon Jones
A self-motivated, out-of-the-box thinker who brings
real-life business problems to tech training and teaches
applicable technological solutions to those problems, Dr
Sharon Jones leads the dot. Consulting Dottie Rose
Foundation in the key position of CEO.
An award-winning, dedicated educator of computer
science and technology for 17 years and throughout her
career, she has created, implemented, and facilitated
computer science workshops that apply the concepts of
technology to everyday activities. She has found her
passion in education and has served as a Career and
Technical Education teacher in Charlotte Mecklenburg
Schools and Wake County Schools as well as a Sr.
Technical Trainer with Central Piedmont Community
College (CPCC). Besides, she is a well-known industry
teacher, trainer, and mentor working for organizations
with like-minded missions.
36 May 2022

37. At the dot. is dedicated to providing innovative solutions
to Computer Science education and technology learning.
From face-to-face training to blended training
techniques, their technology consulting services deliver a
distinct advantage for organizations looking to grow.
They help people invest in the technical knowledge of
individual employees to create an overall collective
sharpness, savviness, and greater productivity. Thus,
increasing the technological speed and quality of the
expertise in your organization. Delivering the key
strategies and tools for immediate implementation of
short-term and future value. They partner with
companies and customize the plan. They offer three
ways to work: strategic planning, professional
development, and coaching. Their specialty resides in
the development of the K12 technology/Career and
Technical Education curriculum. Through their hands-on
and real-life scenario approach, teachers will use critical
thinking and technology skills to solve problems and
gain insight.
The Initiative Exclusive Product Portfolio
Consulting offers three signature virtual or in-person
Professional Development opportunities, or they have
the ability to create customizable options, so one can
choose what best fits his school’s current needs. Below
are the three top professional development workshops.
Clients Branding Strategies
The clientele consists of K-12 entities, including but not
limited to Schools, Districts, and even K-12 programs
outside of a school. Dr. Jones works directly with
teachers, principals, and even the State to ensure they
have what they need to integrate Computer Science
standards into their curriculum.
Their branding strategy is one that gives educators a
glimpse into opportunities to bring computer science into
their classrooms. They provide engaging content through
their social media, website, and their newsletter that
allows teachers to see how easy it is to implement
technology into their everyday curriculum.
Major impacts of Covid-19
“The major impact has been to move our work to a
virtual platform. All of the in-person workshops were
moved to online platforms. In addition, we created videos
and content to be shared virtually and created
opportunities for students teachers to connect with
community members through virtual talks, podcasting,
and live video demonstrations and chats. As we continue
to navigate the COVID 19 pandemic, we continue to do a
blend of virtual and in-person work. As a technology
education company, we have utilized online platforms to
communicate and build content for many years as a way
to expand our reach, however, the power of in-person can
never be replaced. Therefore, the key to our continued
success and impact will be with the blend of virtual and
in-person” shared the leading lady when asked about the
challenges and opportunities during the pandemic.
Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs Advice to
Overcome Them
There are many challenges but here are the top four
according to Sharon:
● Defying social expectations
● Accessing Funding
● Owning your accomplishments
● Coping with the fear of failure
Each of these challenges has its own hurdles but at the
core, each challenge can be approached one step at a time.
Own your strengths and be clear on what success means to
you. Success is defined by you, not anyone else. Define
your goals and take one step forward to achieve them each
day.
From the CEO’s Desk
When I went to college, my sophomore year I was asked
to create a PowerPoint for our project and I clearly
remember turning to the person next to me and asking,
what is PowerPoint? And that is the pivotal moment that
really changed my direction in technology. I taught myself
PowerPoint and realized how much I enjoyed the learning.
Fast forward a few years, and I go to East Carolina
University to work on my master’s in education. There I
entered my first programming class, Visual Basic.net. I
had never programmed before and mind you had just
figured out how to do the Microsoft suite of products.
37 May 2022

38. However, I read, worked, failed many, many times, and
finally mastered my first two projects of Hello World and
turned the light bulb on and off! I received my master’s
in teaching in Business and Information Technology and
started my teaching career teaching in Career and
Technical Education high school in Apex, NC, and then
back to my home city of Charlotte. Over the years, my
teaching career has been so rewarding as I have adapted
learning technology to real-world applications.
I am self-taught in all of the programming languages I
know and have continued to learn from my students, in
professional developments and continued my education
to earn my doctorate in Adult Education. My business
started as a side hustle to bring in extra income for my
family. I started doing workshops for teachers through
Code.org and showcasing that platform and the success
of those workshops grew to districts hiring me to lead
further workshops around computer science. I stepped
into
I have been a K12 educator, a secondary education
professional, a corporate trainer, and now a business
owner. My work has been a wonderful path of
discovery, failures, and finding my true passion.
A Day in Sharon’s Life
●Wake around 6:30
● Short workout (try to do 30 minutes at least
3 times a week)
● Coffee! I love a cup of coffee
● Email catches up (8:00-9:00)
● Meetings begin
● Planning meetings for workshops or content
● Collaboration connections
● Curriculum planning with teachers during
their planning sessions
● Curriculum/Content development for
Dottie Rose Foundation and schools
● Lunch
● Meetings continue or in-person visits with
schools or Professional Development sessions
● Dinner with my family
● After dinner research and planning for the
next day
● A good girly show on TV
● Bed by 9:30
Future Plans Jewels in the Crown
Sharon wants her to venture to be the go-to for all
things strategy and professional development for
computer science integration into a K12 school or
district. Here is the list of achievements;
•NC Tech Education Technology - Industry
EdTech Finalist
•Dr. Jones was Woman of the Year, Charlotte
Magazine
•National Women's Business Enterprise
Certification
•Top 100 Global Educators Presented by the
Global Forum of Educational Leadership, June
2021
38 May 2022

40. Wies van‘t Slot
An Award-winning Business Woman, Mother,
An Outcast Visionary Entrepreneur Heading
365Werk in Pursuit Of Excellence
with a passion to do things differently. More
transparent above all, and more digital, Wies
van 't Slot, Director, 365Werk spearheads her brand to
do just that - Digitalize the recruitment and hiring
process. She aimed at creating her own culture in her
teams and this is what kicked her off and keeps her
speeding forward. Forty-year-old Wies became director
and co-owner of 365Werk four years ago, after a career
in the broadcasting world.
Full of ambition and full of confidence, Wies van 't
Slot, a passionate, enthusiastic, hard-working
entrepreneur, is the mother of three beautiful boys (13,
11, 9). Being a mum has always been her active wish,
as has to be an entrepreneur. The inspiring lady had
been dreaming of leading her own company for quite
some time before she actually had collected enough
guts to go out and give it a shot. “Being an
entrepreneur is who I am. It’s who I’ve always been”,
said Wies.
40 May 2022

41. More about the Firm
In a shrinking market, the online employment agency,
365Werk has managed to grow, year after year. Besides,
Wies started concentrating on the service, saying: if we
want to be as online as possible, we need the best human
service ever in combination with that’. It was a decision
and a focus that really led the team to where they stand
now. Investing in the software continues undiminished,
A-level service is their main goal. To achieve that, the
way the teams are composed and working together is
key.
In the last six years, 365Werk has been honoured with
FD Gazellen Awards four times, a prize for companies
with the largest rise in revenues. Also, because of the
rapid growth of 365Werk, Wies has been recognized as
one of the hundred most successful businesswomen in
the Netherlands.
Clientele Branding Strategies
365Werk is operating in four different industries:
catering, logistics, cleaning, and business services. To
ensure their service level keeps surpassing the
expectation of their clients, the 365Werk team regularly
investigate their wishes and criticism. Their wishes are
put directly on top of their innovation agenda. Wies and
her team always keep in mind that they have to stay
flexible, being able to adapt to new insights and desires.
“We are young, fresh, different, a bit puckish, cheerful,
not formal at all. Our message is that anyone can be a
boss. That’s our tagline as well. Thanks to us, you’re
able to manage how, when, and where you’re working”,
asserted Wies while talking about her unique branding
strategies.
Impacts of Covid-19 Solutions
catering clients being closed down. Immediately
following that shock, they started mediating their people
to other branches. Meanwhile, they went out to connect
more clients from businesses that weren’t torn down by
the crisis. One of the riskiest parts of their strategy was
that Wies decided to stop sending bills to her clients in
hospitality, to protect them from stressing out. The plan
worked out beautifully when the government started to
help out businesses, which she had anticipated. Today,
their client portfolio is more differentiated than it ever
was, thanks to the strategy during the deep Covid crises.
From the Founder’s Desk
From within my organization, I can’t see any challenge
other than always keeping in mind our teams having an
eye on diversity. And of course, there’s the ever-going
struggle to use ‘female skills’ like empathizing and being
vulnerable on the one hand, and being strict and clear on
the other, without growing the label ‘bitch’. Outside my
own company, challenges are bigger. Inside the business
networks, I feel part of, there are only a few women. It’s
always difficult to mix naturally with large groups of
men. Whereas they seem to be pals, talking about guy’s
stuff, I will never completely fit in. Partly because the
stuff palls talk about doesn’t really interest me, but mostly
because palls tend to feel forced to switch subject and
attitude when a woman is around. That’s something no
woman wants to happen.
Wies’s Approach to Entrepreneurship
First of all – and this sounds a bit trite – you have to
maintain your own course, stay close to who you are. In
her opinion, the worst thing you could do is try to change
the way you act. Being a woman in a male-dominated
surrounding offers opportunities to your advantage as
well. For example, it’s much easier for me to stay top of
mind than it is for a man in a blue blazer.
From one day to the next, 365Werk lost about two-thirds
of their revenues, mainly due to their hospitality and
41 May 2022

42. Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs
Wies’s Advice
Wies said, “In my country, the biggest challenge is
facing criticism regarding motherhood. A lot of people
don’t understand or do not wish to understand how a
mother can spend so much time being an entrepreneur
whilst having young kids. The danger of being labelled a
“bad mother” is one of the biggest factors of woman
entrepreneurship being relatively rare. ‘How do you
manage at home?’is a F.A.Q. to a female entrepreneur.
Men never receive that question.”
She continued, “I think the way to handle this pressure is
to believe in what you are doing. The only way to feel
free to do so is to make sure things at home are well
organised. Once you’re convinced your family is taken
care of, and your professional ambition is undisputed,
you should be able to withstand the criticism of that kind
and move forward in order to achieve your goals. Just
accept that people might have other opinions.”
The Current Hurdles
Wies’s main worry now is how to move the company to
the next step, with revenues of around 60 million euros.
It’s a big and fantastic challenge to figure out in which
way my teams are up to it and to prioritize the tasks
ahead. It means She is looking into investments, opening
new branches, hiring new talent, and strengthening the IT
backbone.
A Day in Wies’s Life
The alarm rings at 06.30. Wies gets up, goes out to have
a short hike with her dogs, returns to have breakfast with
her husband and sons, takes a shower and leaves at 08.00
for a twenty minutes drive to the office. Every day, the
leading lady’s agenda is filled with numerous
appointments inside and outside the office. Most of the
time, she arrives back home at around 1800 so she can
assist her kids with their sports training and have
dinner. A couple of times a week she goes out in the
evening to the gym, on other nights there’s a network
meeting. And sometimes she is at home, watching
Netflix with her husband.
365Werk in the Next Five Years
“The next few years are dedicated to growing even
faster. We’re going to achieve that thanks to a
combination of IT and an ever-improving service. Our
means is to extend our efforts on making the best
‘Tinder for work’. That’ll give us the possibility to stay
strong and grow. In the next five years, we’ll definitely
open more offices around the country and strengthen
our brand”, Wies proudly shared.
Words of Wisdom
Just do it. Take it step by step, but get started. You don’t
need extensive plans, because they’ll change along the
way. There are a thousand reasons not to start as an
entrepreneur. Don’t listen to them. Give it a shot, the
best shot you have.
42 May 2022

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