This document provides a summary of Jekaterina Stuģe, the Group CEO and Board Member of Amber Beverage Group. It discusses her career path and role in leading ABG's growth into a global spirits company. It also profiles Antonis Gavrielides, the Deputy CEO of Eurofast International Ltd, and his experience in leadership roles. The document is an editorial for "Prime View" magazine highlighting 10 admired business leaders to follow in 2021, including brief sections on Gilles Herard and Tara Fennessy.

1. WWW.PRIMEVIEW.CO | Sept 2021
Business
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4. EDITOR’S NOTE The Soulful Stories That
Behold the Power to Transpire
Upright, Self-motivated. Confident. Optimist Positive.
Accountable. Courageous. Full of Humour, Passion,
Integrity, and Respect for self and others. And most
important, Likable. These are some of the traits that sets a
person on the wheels of leadership or frames them in
broad light as people who inspire. But with the changing
times and entry of new blood in the entrepreneurial
world, it is time for the entrepreneurs to reinvent them-
selves upright and up now. Coming from diverse
education amp; professional backgrounds, these
entrepreneurs have become the epitome of change and
are looked upon for inspiration and motivation by not just
their employees but the society too.
Just like a fresh breeze of wind, these entrepreneurs bring
fresh, innovative ideas, and Silicon Valley like work
culture that has already transformed the way people here
perceive being an entrepreneur. On the other hand, we
cannot demean the efforts that our local entrepreneurs
have put to bring in a change in the perception in the grass
root level. Today they are not just creators of job who
have huge followers, but one who believes in creating
more leaders throughout his/her journey.
But many a times, their story remains untold, and unheard,
which when brought to light have the power to transpire
generations alike. Saluting such inspirational souls and
bringing to you their untold story of hardships, successes,
failures and motivation, Prime View dedicates the current
edition to “The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders to
Follow in 2021”. We believe these stories when read will
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to change the world you want to see it like.
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Prime View Magazine
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5. STEVE R
DAVID S
The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders to Follow in 2021
DNYANESH K , JOHNSON J.
Alex S. , ANJALI G.
SONAL K
RICHARD D.

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6. C
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8
Jekaterina Stuģe
Amber Beverage Group
Group CEO and Board Member

7. Antonis Gavrielides
Deputy CEO
Eurofast International Ltd
Gilles Herard
Capital Corp Merchant Banking
Managing Director
Tara Fennessy
Leadership Skills Training Limited
Managing Director
Ana Aldea
Datasocial
Founder
15
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8. A
business leader, advisor, financial expert,
and trailblazer, Jekaterina Stuģe, Group
Chief Executive Officer, and Board
Member at Amber Beverage Group,
is one of the rare female C-Suite
examples in the beverage industry. In addition to her
excellent ability to manage and develop a global
business, innovation is her second passion as she is
truly an innovative leader on an everyday basis.
Jekaterina joined the SPI Group (mother company of
Amber Beverage Group) as the CFO of the Baltic
business unit in 2014. She has participated in the
development of Amber Beverage Group (further also
- ABG) and since that time, she has worked across
many parts of the business. While she held the roles
of CFO and COO in the Group, she was made CEO
in 2020. As an executive, she has overseen the com-
pany’s growth and now is set to reach the main ABG
goal: to become a €1 billion company over the next
five years.
When the global pandemic struck the beverage
industry, Jekaterina was part of the management team
that proactively focused on realigning ABG business-
es to work within the new reality. Through effective
cost management, streamlining internal processes,
growth in production, and a quick introduction of
new brands, ABG exceeded its performance despite
the pandemic.
More about the Amber Beverage Group
Amber Beverage Group is a rapidly growing global
spirits company, which is 2020 and 2021 entered
entered several new international markets and grew
awareness of its core brands: Moskovskaya® Vodka,
KAH® Tequila, Riga Black Balsam®, Rooster Rojo®
tequila, Cross Keys Gin®, and Cosmopolitan Diva®.
Amber Beverage Group’s products are found in
millions of households across the globe. Over the last
seven years, the Group has grown significantly, nearly
doubling its business and expanding internationally
through a series of acquisitions. The Group has further
enhanced its international operations by establishing
and enlarging its footprint in the Americas, the Asia
Pacific, and Europe, from which the Group will
continue to benefit going forward.
ABG is a leading beverage producer, distributor,
logistics provider, and retailer, with over 1400 brands
spanning everything from premium vodka and spar-
kling wines to specialty Mexican tequilas. The compa-
ny has grown from its original core production busi-
ness established in 1900, to become a global spirits
industry player that, despite the challenges faced by
the industry in 2020, had one of its busiest years with
excellent financial results reaching almost EUR 31m
EBITDA, which exceeds the previous results.
Clientele Corporate Ethos
Amber Beverage Group has around 2000 employees
in more than 20 companies from production all the
way through to retail. In each function – production,
logistics, distribution, or retail – they have several
dozens, even hundreds of clients. And each of them is
treated individually following their execution stan-
dards. The management has worked hard to create a
common culture and to streamline its operations so
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that they can respond organically to the rapidly chang-
ing marketplace and the client’s needs. ABG continu-
ously invests in the simplification and integration of
essential functions, through a common platform for
day-to-day business activities. This is the internal flow
of energy and information that powers its indepen-
dent, yet integrated business divisions.
Towards Global Expansion
Some believe all it takes to become a global market
leader is deep pockets, but in reality, it takes a lot
more. From local producer to global spirits company,
the Amber Beverage Group is a perfect case in point.
They expanded the business quite rapidly, so the
family got bigger and bigger, their corporate DNA
became more diverse, and there were even more
processes to be managed. They actively work to
improve and optimize their daily work in order to
support this growth.
Jekaterina believes that getting used to changes is the
biggest challenge in every company. “Thinking of
what and how can be changed and done more
efficiently is part of my daily life. The main challenge
in driving non-stop improvements in such a global
company as ABG is to make people believe that they
need these changes and convince them to see that as
something positive and not as a threat. From my
perspective, this is a very interesting process,” she
says.
ABG has transformed from a Baltic enterprise into a
global organization with world-class infrastructure. In
addition to developing and growing the business ABG
already maintains, the Group has been active to
acquire and integrate several new companies in the
UK, Australia, Austria, and elsewhere. “ABG is
operating in a highly competitive environment and
faces pressure from both local and international spirits
producers. This is the reason why ABG is looking to
be a widely integrated company through production,
distribution, and retail. Through our own distribution
businesses and working with independent distribution
partners in global markets, ABG has developed
unique capabilities and competitive advantages in
relation to the critical aspects of route-to-market
management,” adds Jekaterina.
10

11. From the CEO’s Desk
Key Factors behind the Success
Jekaterina said, “There are two things that helped to
reach where I am today. The first one, dedication,
hard work, and enthusiasm for the company that I
represent. And second, the teams that I have worked
with. I’ve always believed that the right team stimu-
lates you to reach the best results possible. The team
that pushes each other to the next level is priceless
while achieving your personal and also company’s
goals”
The Daily Routine
Every day Jekaterina starts quite early in the morning
by opening emails and checking the up-to-date results
that are sent automatically via several programs. Thus
she knows where her focus should be spent on this
day.
After that, she goes for a short walk to think about the
priorities of the day and structures her thoughts, so
the day brings the best results possible. As Jekateri-
na’s everyday is quite busy, the good news is that
everyone in her family could be perceived as hard
workers, and now when her kids are teenagers and
out of the nest, she can truly dive into her aspiration –
grow ABG as a global TOP10 industry leader.
Jekaterina leads numerous projects to help around
twenty ABG companies to fasten their everyday
processes. She is constantly innovating the compa-
ny’s products and sales channels to get closer to the
customers and their needs wherever they are. With
roots in the business stretching back over a century, it
is a challenge to keep pace with the ever-changing
marketplace, while investing in qualities that matter.
Favourite Book
“The Da Vinci Code”
Future Outlook
The key objective of Jekaterina in her role as the
CEO of Amber Beverage Group is to pivot the whole
organisation by means of an innovation agenda. This
includes the development of new products, expansion
in new markets and consumer segments, the introduc-
tion of the latest technologies in AI and automation,
and reinvention of operational and production
processes to achieve efficiencies.
Overall, ABG is continuing on its path towards its
ambition to become a Top 10 spirits industry player
globally. This will be achieved through smart brand
building, active management of sales channels,
expanding ABG e-ambition, further investment in
innovation, focused work on efficiency and effective-
ness programs, and capturing new business
opportunities.
Jewels in the Crown
In the past Jekaterina has won several business
awards including the Best Female CEO from Latvia
of the Year 2020 in the Global 100 Annual Awards,
the prestigious Business Worldwide Global Corporate
Excellence Award in such categories as The Most
Innovative CFO – Latvia and The Strongest Growth
Strategy Team in Europe. Finance Monthly Magazine
has recognized Jekaterina as one of the strongest
financial professionals in the region.
Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
Diversity in the workplace, including gender diversi-
ty, makes things better. As simple as that. It works
like a law of physics – the more perspectives you
have, the more active and creative the workplace
dynamic becomes, and as a result – the more efficient
the outcomes are. To sum it up - you get better
performance. And yet this rule is still far from reality
and gender parity remains elusive.
But here I want to offer an optimistic view. The
situation for women in the workplace, despite the
entrenched obstacles, has perhaps never been better.
That glass ceiling is there, but it is now within the
reach to be knocked at and eventually shattered. This
is the time for us, women, to dare and challenge and
take that ambitious step by saying out loud “Yes, I
have the competence and the vision, and I will be the
leader!”
11

14. Š‹ ‡ˆ‹‹
Œ
W
ith over 15 years of extensive
experience in leadership and
management, Antonis Gavrielides
is the Deputy CEO of Eurofast
International Ltd. He has demonstrated
leadership strengths and a proven ability to manage
multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment
with critical deadlines. Mr Gavrielides has been
working at Eurofast for the past 11 years, initially as
the Group Internal Auditor from the Cyprus office
(HQ), subsequently as the Country Manager and
currently as Director responsible for the General
management of the office in Greece and the Payroll
and Employment Division for the whole Group.
Antonis is highly motivated and fully committed
with strong project management and analytical skills.
He is well-organised and works well independently
as well as collaboratively in a team spirit. He is also
well-versed in strategy and has a proven ability to
implement practical and innovative solutions to
problems.
Eurofast International: Creating Historical
Presence in the Global Market
Eurofast International Ltd is a Regional Business
Advisory Organisation employing local adviser’s in
23 cities in the emerging markets of South-East
Europe the Middle East (SEEME). The team of
advisors is capable of efficiently addressing all client
needs in one single meeting, using one single
language for all the countries in the region.
Eurofast’s main services are 1) Tax Transfer
Pricing, 2) Payroll Employment, 3) Accounting
Compliance, and 4) Advisory Corporate.
The clientele includes multinational companies and
organizations which are very demanding. To ensure
the unbreakable faith of their clients the team always
tries to be one step ahead of them. They identify the
problem, and they implement innovative instant
solutions. What’s essential for them is the client to
realize that they do not see him as a temporary source
of money, but they aim to create a bond that will last
in time.
Eurofast has over 42 years of historical presence in
the global market, counting numerous awards and
accolades. Most recently, for 2021, the awards “Top
10 Payroll Provider of the Year” by CioLook and
“Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm in South Europe” by
Corporate INTL Magazine, were received.
Shortly, Eurofast is planning to enter a new era,
combining the experience of the past with the
expertise of the present to create a more challenging
and innovative approach. During the pandemic, the
Eurofast team faced many challenges, which they
have proudly overcome. New ways to communicate
the services and approaching the clients were
invented. The future holds plan on expanding the
Group portfolio using new technologies and growing
their professional family with new talents in new
jurisdictions.
The Inspiration behind the Initiation
In the early stages of his career, Antonis said he did
not have a precise idea of what he wanted to do
professionally. The most important for him was to
educate himself because he truly believes that any
type of knowledge gives you the chance to develop
yourself.

14

15. Ž
15

16. Following the bachelor's and master's degrees, Mr.
Gavrielides was not afraid to take the risk and he
started to work hard in his field. He realized that for
him work is like a project. He wants to create
something and after the finalization and the
assurance that everything is working well, he seeks
for a new challenge, a new project which will give
him the opportunity to learn something new and
advance himself and his skills.
Hiccups on the Way
The primary challenges that Antonis and his team
had when the company grew were not to be
disoriented from their vision and to choose
colleagues who can understand it and are able to
suggest ways to progress towards the primary goal it.
Another ongoing challenge is to maintain the high
quality of services they provide in different
countries, cultures, and mentalities as Eurofast is a
multinational organisation and they aim hard to be
the top choice of their clients and the number one
Cypriot company.
From the Deputy CEO’s Desk
“All of us who want to see this industry evolving
must be supporters of a fair play competition.
Furthermore, we must lead our employees,
appreciate their skills and efforts, and promote
equality for everyone. In addition, cooperation
between companies and why not even between
competitors could create a new more balanced
He further said, “My parents always encouraged me
and supported me to make my own decisions by
relying on my own strength, and allowed me to fulfil
my dreams. My career mentors and especially Mr.
Christodoulos Damianou, owner of Eurofast Group,
gave me the opportunity to grow and develop my
skills as he trusted my ideas since day one and gave
me the honour to evolve and contribute to the
development of a such an outstanding organisation.
Last but not least, I believe in the power of luck and
the good timing that followed me during my
professional years and worked as a support system
for my success.”
A Day in Antonis’s Life
Antonis’s day begins at 08:00 a.m. in the morning.
Preparation of the daily routine and at 08:30 a.m. in
the office. Meetings, calls, teleconferences, urgent
matters, brainstorming, and discussion with
colleagues till 05:30 p.m. After work, he gets to have
some time for himself. He usually spends time at the
gym, which works as stress-relieving. Antonis enjoys
cooking for friends and shares a laugh along with a
good glass of wine. The night routine always includes
preparation for the next day and some good night’s
sleep.
industry”, asserted Antonis when asked about his
views contributing to a more balanced equal
industry.
16

17. Favourite Book
Since Antonis is a food lover, he enjoys reading
cooking books or stories of people whose occupation
is cooking. A book that he recently read and really
inspired him was ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Antony
Bourdain. He is fascinated by the combination of
products that appear unmatched and turn out to be
amazing results. He believes the same applies for the
industry since it requires everyone to combine and
adjust to different cultures, different people, and
different legislations so as to achieve a positive
outcome.
“Our Aspirations are
our Possibilities”
Favourite Quote
by Victorian English poet Robert Browning. It truly
reflects my belief that high expectations always
precede high achievement and when you want
something a lot, aim for hard work and life will reward
you openly.
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nvisaging the need of organizations
and developers looking for Funding
and Professional Assistance in a
diversity of projects, industry veteran,
business leader, and visionary, Gilles
Herard joined Capital Corp Merchant Banking in the
early 1980s and thereby entered the Merchant
Banking world
Born in 1952, Mr Herard belongs to Montreal,
Canada. In the 1970s Mr Herard joined Manufactur-
ers Hanover Corporation of New York as Senior
Credit Analyst. At the time, Manufacturers Hanover
was considered one of (if not the) most important
commercial banks worldwide, counting among its
clients the world’s top 500 companies.
The visionary began his career in Banking in 1972
with the Toronto Dominion Bank (Canada), where
he attended highly specialized classes in administra-
tion and credit, and became a Fellow of the Canadi-
an Bankers Institute. He subsequently obtained
another degree from the University of Central
Florida in Mastering Skills of International Trade. In
academics, Mr Herard holds a University Degree in
Administration and a degree from the Canadian
Bankers Institute.
In the early 1980s, with 10 years of experience
working for world-leading banks, Mr Herard joined
Capital Corp Merchant Banking and thereby entered
the Merchant Banking world. He has since further
developed the international boutique financing
market, weathered recessions and various tumultu-
ous industry storms, and remains a successful,
trusted, and in-demand resource in complex financial
More about the Firm
Capital Corp Merchant Banking is part of a Group
that was formed over three decades ago to meet the
growing needs of organizations and Developers
looking for Funding and Professional Assistance in a
diversity of projects. CCMB offers the Award-win-
ning comprehensive capabilities and deep industry
knowledge necessary to help the clients obtain the
funding they need for their project. Capital Corp is
very different from anyone else in the industry in that
they do not charge any Application Fees, Review
Fees, Meeting Fees, Stand-by Fees, Pre-Due Dili-
gence Fees, nor any other type of up-front fees; in
fact, they charge no fees whatsoever until such time
as Capital Corp is ready to commit to the project.
Clientele Corporate Ethos
Capital Corp Merchant Banking can stimulate opti-
mal performance for its clients. Their success has
come from their culture, which strives to foster the
same values that help any business succeed: Hard
Work, Common Sense and Integrity. What’s more,
they have always stayed true to the original vision:
providing our middle-market clients the same
Tailored Solutions and Funding Packages in Interna-
tional Project Financing by way of Equity Funding
and Debt Financing. “Our word is our bond, simple
as that. As such, our clients come to us from all kinds
of industries: real estate, technology, pharmarceuti-
cals, biotech, film/entertainment, tourism, healthcare,
waste management, energy, manufacturing, and
more”,
structuring of private projects worldwide.
20

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„
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21

22. Hiccups on the Way Supporting Factors
“The challenges for us are always the same as for
everyone else – the health of the markets, and
socio-economic conditions. Although working in a
variety of industries makes us flexible, it also means
that we are affected by not just one industry’s market
cycle, but really all market cycles. So, we need to
stay vigilant and very well informed at all times”,
said Mr Herard while talking about his major
hurdles.
Hard work and determination are always the founda-
tion to build upon – but what has been absolutely
critical in building up Mr Herard’s reputation and
renown has been to master the craft of project
finance structuring and engineering, which Mr
Herard has worked his entire career to become.
Creating a more Balanced and Equal
Industry
“There are a few critical factors that would promote
such an industry and that are what we continue to
stick to in our own organization: diligence, respect
and courtesy, attention to details, and listening
carefully to what our clients say so we can show
them that we understand”, state Mr Herard when
asked about his opinion on creation of a balanced
and equal industry.
Favourite Book
Mr Herard does not read novels, but he reads to learn
something about History, Religions, and the people
that lived in different periods and left their mark in
history as it has always been his passion. He has also
read the biographies of all the popes (from the first
one to recently elected Pope Francis), he has read the
Koran, and the Torah, and several other religious
books, so as to better understand the followers of
those religions and their religious traditions.
Future Roadmap
People will always need someone who can think
outside-the-box and deliver results, which is some-
thing Gilles Herard and his team have particularly
excelled at over the decades they have been in busi-
ness. What remains is for them to stay focused on that,
where many other companies in the industry ended up
distracted or spread themselves thin and expired. Their
sustainability is based on persistent consistency and
they plan to keep it that way.
Awards Milestones
Mr Herard has been consistently, consecutively
awarded in Orlando’s Business Hall of Fame for
International Financial Consulting since 2009. Other
awards include Gamechanger of the Year in 2017 by
Acquisition Finance Magazine, Best International
Financing Firm, Marquis Who’s Who, and CCMB
obtaining a 2020 award as part of the 50 Leading
Companies of the Year by the Silicon Review.
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
Unfortunately, the financial services industry is still
dominated by men, and for any woman to enter into
this arena the challenges are mind boggling - but as
with any other industry, this one too needs and can
benefit from the involvement and perspective of
women, so my advice is to not give up and go for it!
22

24. Reversal of Fortune:
Five Ways Biden’s Win
Will Boost Impact
Investing in Emerging Markets
24

25. However it turned out, everyone knew that the U.S. election results would bring significant change to America.
In the world of finance, the markets have already responded positively to the news of President-elect Joe Biden.
Biden’s victory will impact different industries in different ways, but one particular economic sector that will
get a major boost is impact investing.
Under the isolationist policies of the Trump administration, it became much more difficult for impact investors
to operate in emerging markets. Travel/visa restrictions, inconsistent federal investment in emerging market
economies, vacancies at embassies, and a general retraction of U.S. policies intended to help emerging coun-
tries all made impact investing work more difficult in these markets. That was a stark difference from what was
happening when I was a science and technology advisor for President Obama, who had a robust policy for
global development initiatives that helped U.S. companies grow in emerging markets. During that time, impact
investors were one of the groups benefiting tremendously from good relations with countries worldwide, and
from the Obama administration’s efforts to:
• “Alleviate poverty, and advance global commitments to the basic welfare and dignity of all humankind.”
• Create policies and funding “focused on sustainable development outcomes that places a
premium on broad-based economic growth, democratic governance, game-changing innovations,
and sustainable systems for meeting basic human needs.”
• “Increase […] investments and engagement in development-focused innovation by seeking and scaling up
potential game-changing development technologies such as vaccines for neglected diseases, weather-resistant
seed varieties, and clean energy technologies.”
Over the last four years, the Trump Administration’s chaotic approach to international trade policy, threats to
gut international economic development budgets and lack of leadership on helping emerging economies hurt
the impact investment community. All of the values the sector holds dear – from economic justice and commu-
nity-based decision-making, to governance, green infrastructure and safe food systems – were eroded if not
wholly devalued. Plus, the U.S. government’s shift toward isolationist policies, defunding of many green
infrastructure programs, and failure to deal with the pandemic dampened impact investors’ ability to expand
their work in these emerging markets.
As we look toward the incoming Biden administration, we can expect that it will reverse course on this isola-
tionism. But I believe the Biden administration will give the sector’s work in emerging markets an even more
significant boost. Below, I’ll discuss five key reasons why.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE FINANCIAL FUTURE
Under a Biden presidency, impact investors will be able to see their investment dollars go further within their
portfolios of green infrastructure-related companies. Biden has already announced a $2 trillion plan to develop
the green economy, which will provide a significant boost to renewable energy. And this impact will extend
beyond just solar and wind to other green technologies like green chemistry, geothermal, bioenergy, hydrokinet-
ic energy production, energy storage, green transportation, green building and many more. These are the emerg-
ing technologies that startup companies have a hard time investing in on their own. History has proven that
federally funded research from a wide range of agencies (Defense, Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, etc.) is an economic driver for change and
innovation. Biden will bring the might of this type of economy-driving research that has, in the past, created
innovations like the Internet, GPS and smartphone technology. Once we rejoin the international community in
the Paris Agreement and beyond, our commitments will be matched and met by many other countries. As a
result of this, doors will open to impact investors who work in emerging economies.
25

26. For example, I’m confident that the impact investment support work done by Jumpscale (where I work as a
General Partner) in Ecuador, Brazil, Kenya and beyond is going to experience a renaissance of growth in
impact as a result of Biden’s agenda.
STABILITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS
The first lesson in investing is to reduce risk. The destabilization of government institutions, knee-jerk reac-
tions among political leaders and policy chaos are risky: They cause markets to wildly fluctuate and tend to
scare off investors. Throughout Biden’s campaign and even during his first speech as President-Elect, he has
projected an image of stability, empathy and thoughtfulness that has been missing for the past four years. Biden
also has decades of experience working across the aisle in the legislative and executive branches of govern-
ment, which will help him bring more stability to American society and the global economy. Consistency,
predictability and stability are the hallmarks of good business.
IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OPENS DOORS IN EMERGING
MARKETS
We’ve already seen world leaders congratulate Joe Biden, as cities around the world celebrate his election in
gestures of support that we’ve rarely witnessed before. The re-establishment of strong diplomatic and financial
relations with our allies worldwide will help impact investors tremendously. Sound policies will help to rein-
force both positive investments and positive outcomes in those countries. Cooperation with our allies will help
to stabilize emerging economies around the world, which will reduce the risk of working in those countries. It
will become easier to find and invest in the innovative impact companies that exist around the planet, yielding
global solutions for local (and international) problems.
RE-EMERGENCE OF SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING RESTORES
CONFIDENCE
The past four years have seen an erosion of trust in the scientific institutions and processes that help guide
future innovations for the planet and our society. Conversely, during my time with the Obama administration, I
saw the rebuilding of science-based inquiry and research which was gutted by the Bush administration, with
RD sponsored by the federal government leading to innovations that were shared with the private sector.
Biden has always been a big proponent of science-based decision making and research. Regardless of which
party controls the Senate, we’re about to see a massive new federal investment in scientific and technological
innovation that will rival the incredible leaps we’ve achieved in the past.
EFFECTIVE PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT WILLALLOW INDUSTRIES TO
RESUME BUSINESS PRACTICES
It is not possible to overstate how much damage has been done to America’s people and economy due to the
Trump administration’s lack of leadership in marshalling an effective federal response to the spread of
COVID-19 in the country. Entire industries have been economically devastated, and private equity investors
have had to deploy capital to try to save their existing investments, which reduced their ability to make new
investments. Additionally, investors’ inability to travel meant they were unable to strengthen relationships or
conduct due diligence in foreign markets, leading to a slow-down of innovation. In many emerging markets, a
handshake and looking somebody in the eye are essential parts of the process. I expect that within the first six
months of the Biden administration, we will see a more rational, science-based and empathetic response to the
pandemic. It will lead to a clearer path towards rebuilding our economy, while moving societal norms in a
much more positive direction.
26

28. Œ•Œ‘Ž‹‹ ’ŒŒŒ‘€––ŒŒ‘ ’ˆŒŒ‘‹“ ŽŒ•ŒŽ‚Œ’
Š‘‡”‹ ’Œ‹‹ˆ‘—“‹ ’–Œ˜
T
he art of leaving everyone you
speak with, inspired and confident
to walk through their battles
towards their goals and vision, is
rarely possessed. UK-based Tara
Fennessy, Managing Director of
of Leadership Skills Training, is a Leadership Master
Coach and Award-winning Trainer who specialises
in helping leaders elevate their impact, influence,
and leadership skills to unprecedented levels that
accelerate business results, build stakeholder
relationships, and enhance personal and professional
reputation.
Tara Fennessy, the lady behind many businesses' and
leaders' growth, is an Author, Trainer, Speaker,
Facilitator Consultant. Kick-starting her career as
a coach and consultant, Tara became Managing
Director of Leadership Skills Training Limited in
2001 with a vision of “Best Bespoke Global Leader-
ship Training and Coaching Consultancy’. In this
two-decade-long journey, Tara has provided training
and coaching to organisations globally and gained
ample experience that helped her in taking LST to a
higher altitude globally, virtually and digitally.
Tara has shown her potential as an empowered
business woman and her contribution to the business
world has been an inspiration for everyone. As the
Managing Director, she manages the business from a
strategic level as well as being a lead coach and
leadership trainer to the clients. Her book the Lead-
ership WOW Factor – 3 Secrets to Elevate your
Impact, Influence and Career earned her ‘Best
International Leadership Coach’ in 2019,
“My ethos is that when leaders know their message
and can be their message, transformation happens at
.
all levels for individuals and organisations. Our
strap-line 'Helping leaders have the WOW factor' – is
the philosophy we are committed to delivering to our
clients!” says Tara.
She loves to speak to organisations and leaders
looking to become their best version and future-proof
leadership skills and influence across the business.
She is ardent and passionate about leadership devel-
opment and the value it brings to organisations, teams
and individuals, both culturally and commercially.
POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY TO
ACCELERATE GROWTH
Leadership Skills Training is an award-winning global
expert leadership training, coaching, and consultancy
provider to senior leaders and teams within large and
medium organisations. The firm that was established
35 years back, is at the forefront of the leadership
development industry and recognised as one of the
most experienced consultancies. Here are the three
major offerings by the firm:
Training:
Leadership Skills Training is at the forefront of the
training industry. Here, their delivery methodology is
embedded with personality and punch - giving clients
a better understanding of their new best and how to
lead with impact in their roles and environment. The
whole team of LST is highly experienced and skilled
in leadership qualities, which are passed on to the
clients through immersive learning and delivery to
create fearless leaders who have the energy, self-
belief and clarity of thought to engage, enthuse and
inspire that cascade into every future interaction.
28

29. 
  
29

30. Coaching:
The leadership and impact coaching experts at LST,
whether they are consulting, coaching, mentoring, or
training, can tailor all or any one element of the
WOW Wheel to suit your organisation’s needs. In
the past five years alone, the team has coached over
2,000 senior professionals across major global
corporations from professional services firms to
manufacturers and retailers, giving us unprecedented
insight into what matters most for businesses and
their leadership.
Consultancy:
Leaders drive culture, culture drives behaviour,
behaviour drives performance and performance
drives results. Created for leaders and their teams,
the consulting service starts you on the journey to
becoming future-fit to lead your business in this
changing world with the future in mind. The team
aims to unleash the power of the collective, leverage
strengths whilst drawing in customers, colleagues,
and communities.
THE BUSINESS SUCCESS
For Tara, success is about making a difference! She
says, “There’s nothing better than seeing the results
my clients achieve when they trust themselves and in
turn others trust them. What’s more, I am really proud
that the legacy of my clients’time with me not only
enables them to lead effectively but helps them to do
the same with future leaders.
As a leadership and communication consultant, she
actively works with leaders to help them know their
message and be their message, so they build credibili-
ty and trust for themselves and the organisations they
represent. She is passionate about inspiring self-confi-
dence and self-belief in people through their ability to
lead with clarity, confidence, and courage, and this is
how Tara sees her progress.
THE CLIENT PORTFOLIO SUCCESS
MANTRA
The clientele includes Tesco, Ernst Young, PWC,
Foreign Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office,
Accenture, JCB, Lacoste and many other renowned
brands. The impressive client portfolio is testimony
to the vast experience Tara can bring to every project
and the results they can achieve. Many of their
clients acknowledge what impresses them the most
is how the team bring fresh new energy into their
methodology, conveying personality and punch into
leadership development– they facilitate them to
elevate their impact, influence, and leadership skills
to accelerate business and personal objectives, and
ultimately empower the clients to have the ‘wow’
factor.
Leadership Skills Training works with clients on a
totally customised approach to provide their best
leadership development experience. No training is
prescribed, although of course there are common
themes. Key for the team- and what makes them so
successful - is that they ensure the impact is measur-
able through a change of thinking, feeling, and
action, with a direct result across the three key
pillars: clarity, confidence, and courage.
JEWELS IN THE CROWN
● AI's 2019 Leading Adviser Awards Leading
Leadership Training and Coaching Consultancy of
the Year
● AI's Global Best of the Best in Training HR
2017
● Business Excellence 2018 Award Training
Consultancy Firm of the Year
30

31. 31

32. Five things that have
changed in sales because of
COVID that will never be
the same as before
Founder at Datasocial
Since COVID began impacting our lives many people have
reached out to us at Datasocial seeking help with an
updated sales process now that face-to-face
networking is basically gone.
There are severe doubts about whether we will
go back to selling on golf courses and
restaurants when the pandemic passes.
The pandemic has accelerated some
changes due to the absence of physical
relationships, yet many of them will never
be the same as before.
1. The growth of Smarketing
Traditionally the sales and marketing teams
teams have been at each other's throats, but
today they need to learn to work together.
Thus, marketing has grown faster than ever.
And this has led to more and more talk about the lead
hand-off - what the mechanisms are for handing off leads
from marketing to sales and what each of the teams has to
commit to. Who calls the leads? How long do sales qualify
the leads they receive? None of this is new, but COVID has
given it the importance that sales teams have traditionally
tried to take away.
Why? Sales have always given very little value
to marketing leads because they could generate their
opportunities at expensive restaurants and golf courses.
But with everything closed, they have had no choice but to
look pleadingly to their peers for leads to work with.
In this scenario technology tools can bridge the gap between
sales and marketing and the tech is continually growing.
32

33. 2. Prospecting by providing value is the
answer
What if inbound can't give me the leads I need? You simply
have to pick up the phone or email and try to generate leads
by providing value.
And providing value is the most important part. Finding
opportunities so that in the sales process, the other prospect
receives value even if they don't buy from you, for example,
with an audit of their website or CRM. It's no use calling
everyone with nothing to offer. We are past that time; it is
the time to provide value, even if it is remotely.
3. Automation and value
The automation of sales and marketing tasks is here to stay.
It did not arrive with COVID; it has been with us since the
90s when the first marketing platforms were born and have
been evolving ever since.
According to Gartner, A marketing automation system
is a system that helps marketers execute multi-channel
marketing campaigns by providing a scripted
environment for creating business rules and interfaces
to a variety of third-party applications.
These tools, mostly from the marketing world have
been overtaking sales and today many sales tasks can
be done semi-automatically, such as importing leads
into a CRM or sending sequences.
Far from worrying about the tasks that teams no longer
do, there is an opportunity to add value to the tasks we
don't automate, spend time on the leads that are truly
qualified, and focus our time on creating meaningful
and value-adding relationships.
4. Sales teams have begun to value CRM.
In times of scarce opportunities, each one must be
carefully nurtured and worked on. CRM, which most
sales forces see as a divine punishment, has become an
ally that gives them context about the relationship with
the potential customer, informs them about the technolo-
gy that customers use, about revenues and employees,
tells you about the interactions that other departments
have had and in some way sheds light on the customer
relationship as a whole.
Now that we do not meet our partners in the corridors or
at the coffee machine and we cannot share customer
information face-to-face, it is key to have
real-time and updated information about the
opportunities we are working on. Therefore, it is
more necessary than ever that technology is at
the heart of the relationship between the
customer and the company.
5. A connected technology stack
Now that people can't see each other, it's time
for applications to talk to each other.
The switchboard can no longer be a horrible
room full of underpaid people, where everyone
is shouting simultaneously, but a cloud applica-
tion that connects the whole team and is
synchronized in real-time with the CRM to
which it constantly sends information. The
same goes for the other applications where we
interact with the customer, which are many and
create silos of information that are not accessi-
ble by the other team members that may contain
very valuable information.
It is time to have a connected technology stack
and a CRM that reflects all interactions with
customers, wherever they are.
33