Insights Success has curated a list of “The 30 Most Innovative CEOs To Watch, 2017,” who are waving their creative wand to bring-forward the most innovative and disruptive solution to the industry and leaving a benchmark of leadership for emerging CEOs to
follow suit.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf(CBTL), Business strategy case study
The 30 most innovative ce os to watch dec 2017
1. The way of business solutions
December 2017
www.insightssuccess.com
Business Archives
Entrepreneurship Fostering
in Emerging Markets
Editorial Desk
T
2.
3.
4. Creativity, an Essential
Vocabulary in
a CEO’s Dictionary
reativity - A Wild Mind and a Disciplined Eye.
CWhen you stroll into creative work environment – you can feel it. There is a buzz noticeable all
around; the spaces are often energetically unconventional, and people are enthusiastic and locked in.
Some may deduce that purchasing elegantly designed furniture and organizing an easygoing dress-
code constitutes as ‘creativity.’ Think once more.
All companies have innovative people and they ought to be encouraged. Be that as it may, there is an
imperative refinement between respecting the incidental out-of-the-box idea and cultivating creativity
as a way to deal with working together. Promoting a culture of creativity requires sharpening the
abilities of perception and development — for the most part the purview of artists and designers —
all through your organization and adjusting core systems to strengthen the creative procedure.
To be fair, creativity flourishes in an environment that encourages disciplined chaos. It begins with
your imagination; looking at things or situations from different angles; getting rid of your biased
blinders and being open to an array of new opportunities. All the necessary tools needed for
observation.
Editor’s Note
5. The observation process culminates to the phase of invention. Invention stems from an
unconcealed group of ideas. This is the part of chaos that comes under the term ‘disciplined
chaos.’ A CEO with creative capability will cause his ideas to run along the open fields, across
multiple directions; sowing the seeds of innovation along the way.
Pick any successful or trailblazing CEOs from the past or present, you would find that there is
consistent theme existing between all of them – Creativity. It is that distinctive quality that
allows CEOs to take risks; that enables one to act; it is what empowers others to break past the
established patterns and look at things from a different angle. To sum it up, to survive in this day
and age of cut-throat competition where the difference maker is innovation, a CEO needs to be
creative and let his mind run along the open field.
Hence, herein, Insights Success has curated a list of “The 30 Most Innovative CEOs To
Watch, 2017,” who are waving their creative wand to bring-forward the most innovative and
disruptive solution to the industry and leaving a benchmark of leadership for emerging CEOs to
follow suit.
Our Cover Story features Rob van Egmond, who has led Quintiq to be an industry leader in
planning and optimizing the world’s supply chains. The company solves some of the world’s
biggest and most complex planning puzzles under Rob’s able leadership.
He mentions that one of the things that made him successful, which also happens to be a key
value of Quintiq, is the freedom to pursue what you believe to be the right solution, without
continuously asking for permission. As he says, “It might go wrong, but you need to keep
moving forward.” This strategy has proven to work well for Rob.
As for his role as a CEO, Rob rightly points out “One of the most exciting things about being
CEO is being able to dream about the future.”
Also, make sure to scroll through the articles written by our in-house editorial team and CXO
Standpoint’s of some of the leading industry experts to have a brief taste of the sector.
Let’s Start Reading!
Sourav Mukherjee
6. CONTENTS
10
A Leader whose
Passion for Technology
has Defined his Path
Cover Story
Instilling Enhanced
Moralities to Become a
More Influential Person
48
What Turns A
Person Into CEO
72
Entrepreneurship
Fostering in Emerging
Markets
64
F Stands for Fear of
Failure, F Stands for
Moving Forward
38
7. 20
Leading the Charge On
Innovative, 1:1 Personalized
Marketing at IRI
22
The Leader who Grabbed
Hold of an Opportunity and
Spearheaded towards Success
2824
An Experienced CEO
Driven to Succeed
An Accomplished
Business Leader
Expert’s Views
Significance of Predictive
Analytics in Salesforce
Mentor’s Insights
Backend-As-A-Service for
Payments-As-A-Service
32
Overcoming Barriers
How To Overcome Obstacles
When Starting Young
62
74
8. 34
42
An IP Broadcast Designer
Destined to be a Recognized
Industry Leader
30
36
44
An Innovation-Driven
Entrepreneur Bringing
Value to the Customers
A Passionate Trailblazer who
believes in breaking the
Shackles of Comfort Zone
An Encouraging Medical
Technology Leader
A Resilient and Tenacious
Mind Defining the New
Norm of ‘Never Giving Up’
46
A Visionary Who Set Out to
Fill the Technological Voids
9. 70
An Award-winning Visionary
Saving Millions of Lives
52
The Scientist Harvesting
a Dream for a
Billion People
56
Being an Agent
of Change
54
A Curious Mind that
Captured the Unknown
with Passion
60
A Born Leader Driving Growth with
Insight and Experience
68
Innovative Leadership that's
Paving the Way for Transformation
in the Home Services Market
13. MOST
INNOVATIVE
THE
30CE sOTO
W A T C H 2 0 1 7
“One of the most exciting things
about being CEO is being
able to dream about the future.”
14. From a historical viewpoint, a
leader has always been
represented as someone in
command or in authority; one who
issued directives and enforced their
execution from a presiding position, all
the while dispensing wisdom, rewards
and discipline. But advancing years
coupled with evolving technologies
and ideology, has changed this
perception of a leader, from a business
perspective. Today, leadership revolves
around a timeless practice of guiding
others towards the pursuit of a
common goal, outcome or a desired
conclusion. One such position or role,
where leadership is of paramount
importance, is that of a CEO. The
Chief Executive Officer shoulders the
responsibility of leading the
development and executing the long-
term objectives of a company.
With an unfaltering drive for success,
Rob van Egmond is one such
individual who is leading the way for
his company to stand tall among its
contemporaries. His inherent passion
for technology and the power of IT led
him to become the CEO of Quintiq,
which strives to solve some of the
world’s biggest and most complex
planning puzzles.
An early introduction to technology
Growing up, Rob’s interest for
technology and anything related to it
stemmed from an office computer his
father brought home. The computer
came with a manual that explained all
the rules of the programming language
BASIC. He started going through the
entire manual and developed an
extraordinary interest for the power of
technology. Soon after, at the age of
10, he was able to program and rebuild
Pacman on that very same office
computer. Thus began a lifetime of
programming, even writing programs
for his teachers in school to use for
courses.
Using technology to solve problems
When it came time to further his
education, Rob was undecided about
which field of study to enter. After
meeting with the Dean and expressing
the desire to take on the most
challenging courses the university had
to offer, Rob was left with a choice
between theoretical physics and
operations research. Rob chose
operations research, which he
describes as using technology to solve
problems, and the choice would prove
to present him countless challenges
and opportunities throughout his
career.
Life after University
Straight out of University, Rob took a
position that required him to use
mathematics to solve puzzles in the
advertising market. He created
software to assess how many people
would see an advertisement, if it was
placed between two specific television
programs, or if it was placed into a
magazine. Rob wholeheartedly used
his programming skills to analyze
advertising placements. After some
time, he was ready for his next
challenge.
Up next, Rob worked in emergency
services, where he developed software
to help emergency service departments
to dispatch the right ambulances and
the right police vehicles. “It was
basically an assignment puzzle.” Rob
followed up that position by joining
Quintiq where his career has expanded
over the past 15 years.
The start of a new journey
After being introduced to Quintiq
during its startup years, Rob met with
its leaders and founders and realized
that the vision and direction of the
company aligned with his strengths
and passion for solving puzzles using
technology. Rob’s first project as a
Quintiq specialist was with Jan de Rijk
Logistics, which remains one of
Quintiq’s longtime customers.
Throughout his journey at the
company, Rob’s focus was on making
sophisticated technologies useful to the
business world. He was instrumental in
closing key deals, opening new market
opportunities, and identifying valuable
growth for its clients. In 2015, Victor
Allis, a founder and CEO of Quintiq at
the time, named Rob as his successor.
Talking about his journey at Quintiq,
Rob mentions, “It has been very
interesting watching the expansion of
the diversity of markets and I enjoy
meeting with companies around the
globe and working towards solving
their puzzles and helping them achieve
their goals.” Rob has armed himself
with the vision, strategy and
management team to lead Quintiq as it
continues to grow in an ever-changing
market.
Don’t wait for someone else’s
permission
Rob likes to impart his philosophy of
asking for forgiveness instead of for
permission when faced with challenges
and difficult decisions. “What that
COVERSTORY
15. really means to me is that you must
take initiative. Do what you feel is
right.”
He mentions that one of the things that
made him successful, which also
happens to be a key value of Quintiq,
is the freedom to pursue what you
believe to be the right solution, without
continuously asking for permission. As
he says, “It might go wrong, but you
need to keep moving forward.” This
strategy has proven to work well for
Rob.
Quintiq – Transforming supply
chain planning and optimization
Since its inception, Quintiq has set the
standards in the area of supply chain
planning and optimization. The
company has reshaped the paradigm by
providing software that is a 100% fit to
a customer’s needs. Users of other
solutions have had to make do with an
80% fit which required users to adjust
their processes to the software, instead
of the other way around. Quintiq’s first
customer is still using the software as
I think for me, the
most important trait a
leader must have is
honesty. But I also
think it is important
for a leader to have
an unrelenting drive
to make their
company the best.
16. are more than 95% of all customers. This stands as a
testament to the flexibility of the software.
Leveraging the flexibility of Quintiq
Being the CEO of a growing company in an ever-changing
industry is a challenge that Rob relishes. Rob feels that
what makes him unique and successful in his current role is
his wide-array of interests and his innate curiosity. Many
CEOs only focus on one or two industries. Because of the
flexibility of Quintiq’s software and the diversity of its
client base, Rob has the opportunity to meet with
companies across a wide spectrum of industries. “In a
month, I can have meetings with a steel company talking
about hot charging, a protein processing company focusing
on demand forecasting and carcass optimization, an airline
for crew planning, an oil refinery for pipeline scheduling or
a retailer trying to optimize their back haul opportunities,”
he points out, “And I can say with confidence that Quintiq
is the tool to solve all of their puzzles, no matter the
complexities.”
Learning about different industries, what makes each
company unique, and the specifics of their planning
puzzles, never gets old for Rob. “I guess it is that same
curiosity that made me investigate my dad’s computer when
I was eight and has defined my direction ever since,” he
adds.
Qualities and challenges of a CEO
Rob believes that the most important characteristic for any
CEO is their unfaltering drive for success coupled with the
ability to listen to others. In regards to challenges, he states
that one of the most pressing challenges for a CEO is
“Balancing innovation, empowerment and risk taking, with
growth targets and regulatory requirements and reporting.
“I have a core belief that taking risks, along with making
some mistakes is necessary for innovation so I prioritize
keeping this all in balance.”
Change is Good!
There is often a natural tendency among people to think of
change as bad. To the contrary, Rob thinks of change as
something good, meaning change like a new market, a new
organizational structure, or a sense of new leadership. “Of
course too much is too much, but generally change is
good.”
Over the last 20 years of Quintiq’s existence, there has been
a significant change in terms of demand and rising
individualism of consumers, which Rob explains as “…they
want more of their product at their convenience and in their
specifications.” This has put a significant strain on
companies to be more agile, reactive, and to have a larger
set of SKUs, while at the same time reducing costs. For
Quintiq, the prevalence of change has been nothing less
than great. “We have not been challenged by the change in
consumer behavior. We have actually embraced that. This
change that has happened over the last 20 years is precisely
what our software is designed to address.”
The road ahead
“I think we are on a path, I would say, to become the
number one supply chain planning and optimization brand
in the world. We set that as a goal and I see the momentum
carrying through in 2018,” Rob mentions. Today, the
market is ever-changing and complex, and Quintiq is ready
to take on the challenge. In the coming years, with the
burgeoning support from its parent company, Dassault
Systèmes, Quintiq is slated to expand into unexplored
market areas, thereby accelerating the adoption of its
unique technology into those markets. Rob envisions
Quintiq, in the next three years, to become the largest
company focused on supply chain planning and
optimization.
Advice to budding and emerging entrepreneurs
“I would say that if you’re convinced of your idea and your
ability to deliver, then go and do it independent of what
anyone might say otherwise. There will always be people in
the way that will tell you not to do it and that it won’t work.
Do listen carefully to everyone, but if you’re convinced,
don’t be dissuaded and move boldly forward,” Rob
concludes.
“There is no planning
puzzle we can’t solve,
no business operation
we can’t optimize.”
COVERSTORY
17.
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CORPORATE OFFICE
19. ManagementCompany Name
Carnival Corporation
carnivalcorp.com
Arnold Donald
CEO
Carnival Corporation is the world’s largest leisure travel
company which provides travelers around the globe with
extraordinary vacations at an exceptional value.
CloudCraze Software
cloudcraze.com
Chris Dalton
CEO
CloudCraze Software delivers robust B2B commerce
technology built natively on Salesforce. With CloudCraze,
businesses generate online revenue fast, easily scale for growth
and stay 100% connected with customers.
Cross Country
Home Services
cchs.com
Steve Upshaw
CEO
Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd.
cybage.com
Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd. is a technology consulting
organization specializing in outsourced product engineering
services.
Todd Wilkinson
CEO
Entrust Datacard creates trusted identity solutions that allow for
secure transactions between people, places and things.
Getronics
getronics.com
Nana Baffour
CEO
Getronics is a global ICT integrator with an extensive history
that extends over 130 years.
GHO Group
ghogroup.com
Gary Olson
CEO
The GHO Group is an independent consulting firm that
specializes in planning and designing media production
facilities for broadcast and cable companies, corporations,
educational institutions, and cultural organizations.
Intelex Technologies Inc.
intelex.com
Mark Jaine
CEO
IRI
iriworldwide.com
Andrew Appel
CEO
IRI is a leading provider of big data, predictive analytics and
forward-looking insights that help CPG, OTC healthcare,
retailers and media companies to grow their businesses.
Cross Country Home Services (CCHS) is a leading provider of
warranty, repair, and maintenance services.
Intelex empower organizations to meet the challenges of an
increasingly complex marketplace while minimizing their
negative social, environmental and human impacts.
Datacolor
datacolor.com
Albert Busch
CEO
Datacolor’s color management solutions are created and
supported by passionate employees and certified to multiple
industry standards.
Brief
Arun Nathani
CEO
Entrust Datacard
Corporation
entrust.com
20. ManagementCompany Name
Jonas Construction
Software
jonasconstruction.com
Steve Cowan
CEO
Jonas Construction Software helps client companies automate
their workflows with applications that offer service, accounting
and operations project management capabilities.
Newforma
newforma.com
Brock Philp
CEO
Newforma is the building and infrastructure industry’s leading
software company dedicated to improving project delivery.
OptiNose US
optinose.com
Peter Miller
CEO
Orbitlogistics
orbitlog.com
Orbitlogistics implements Vendor Managed Inventory Projects
(e-VMI) in the process industry and is one of the leading
international providers of inventory management solutions,
which offer a sustainable decrease of process costs.
Salvador Escobedo
CEO
PEMEX Procurement International, Inc., is a wholly owned
company of Petróleos Mexicanos that was created to provide
procurement services for Petróleos Mexicanos and its
subsidiaries.
ProcessPro
processproerp.com
Michael Bertini
CEO
ProcessPro develops, sells, implements and supports a complete
ERP software solution for companies that execute batch process
manufacturing in highly regulated industries.
Pure-Ecommerce
pure-ecommerce.com
Jeff V.
CEO
Pure-Ecommerce offers a one of kind opportunity to help ease
its clients’ way into becoming an ecommerce entrepreneur.
Quintiq
Quintiq.com
Rob van Egmond
CEO
RMS
rmsnorthamerica.com
Todd Sabo
CEO
RMS is a global software company, with headquarters in
Australia, producing and supporting Online Booking, Channel
Management and Front Office Systems to the world’s hospitality
industry.
OptiNose is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on
creating and bringing to market innovative products for patients
with diseases treated by ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and allergy
specialists.
Quintiq is an industry leader in planning and optimizing the
world's supply chains.
PDI
pdihc.com
Zachary Julius
CEO
PDI is a multi-generational, family-owned company dedicated
to Be The Difference®
Brief
Stephan Silvio
CEO
PEMEX Procurement
International, Inc.
pemexprocurement.com
21. ManagementCompany Name
RtTech Software
rttechsoftware.com
Keith Flynn
CEO
RtTech Software is a leading Industrial Apps provider, helping
global clients in the manufacturing, mining, and power
generation industries to increase productivity and decrease
energy consumption through operational intelligence.
Sage Hospitality
sagehospitality.com
Walter Isenberg
CEO
Sage Hospitality is on a mission to break new ground, and not
just the dirt on its newest projects.
SMT
smtpl.com
Ganesh Sabat
CEO
Strand Life Sciences
strandls.com
Strand Life Sciences is a leader in precision medicine
diagnostics aiming to empower cancer care and genomic testing
for inherited and rare diseases.
Rashmi Varma
CEO
DreamBig Project takes a fresh look at the knowledge
infrastructure to envision and build a futuristic world of
knowledge beyond the boundaries of a current one.
VelocityEHS
ehs.com
Glenn Trout
CEO
VelocityEHS is the largest EHS software company in the world.
Versantis
versantis.ch
Vincent Forster
CEO
Versantis is a Swiss pharmaceutical company, Spin-off of ETH
Zurich, developing a new generation of medicines and
diagnostics to revolutionize the care of patients with liver
disease.
Women In Trucking Inc.
womenintrucking.org
Ellen Voie
CEO
xtLytics
xtlytics.com
Deepak Mittal
CEO
xtLytics offers analytics platforms, data analytics services and
out-of-the-box modules for the Healthcare and Insurance
industry.
SMT is a developer and manufacturer of minimally invasive
coronary stent systems and a leading innovator of
cardiovascular products.
The Women In Trucking Association is a non-profit organization
with the mission to encourage the employment of women in the
trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and
minimize obstacles faced by women working in the industry.
TRACK Hospitality
Software
trackhs.com
Ryan Bailey
CEO
TRACK helps to convert more calls, emails and live chat
sessions into contacts, more contacts into leads and more leads
into direct bookings.
Brief
Ramesh Hariharan
CEO
DreamBig Project
dreambigproj.org
22. Leading the Charge On Innovative,
1:1 Personalized Marketing at IRI
Andrew Appel:
With today’s media consumption fragmenting at
an unprecedented pace, marketers can choose
from any number of exciting new platforms to
reach their audience, but consumers are being inundated
with an endless stream of random ads and promotions. IRI,
a leading big data, analytics and insights firm, argues that
companies need to become more personalized and precise
in how they communicate with consumers and measure
how their communications impact consumer behaviors and
sales over time. IRI President and CEO Andrew Appel, one
of our 30 Most Innovative CEOs to Watch, recognized that
the complexity of the advertising ecosystem was creating
messaging chaos – companies were spending hundreds of
billions of dollars on ads that were poorly targeted,
irrelevant and annoying to consumers.
To combat this problem, IRI launched the Personalization
Suite, a game-changing capability that enables companies to
target their marketing and promotions on a more granular,
personalized level. The Suite’s three core solutions are
layered on top of IRI’s unparalleled trove of data assets and
can optimize the effectiveness of advertising spend on sales
by up to 70 percent. “The answer is personalization,” Appel
told Insights Success. “At IRI, we are helping companies
reach the people who are most interested in their messaging
and most likely to buy their products,” said Appel.
The launch of the IRI Personalization Suite demonstrates
Appel’s mission to help IRI’s clients navigate a dynamic
and changing consumer landscape. Since Appel joined IRI
in 2012, the company has transformed into a leading
technology-focused big data insights provider, helping
consumer packaged goods, over-the-counter health care
organizations, retailers, financial services and media
companies grow their businesses.
Leading One of the Original Innovators in Big Data
Whether analyzing how to make clients’ assortment, pricing
and promotions more profitable, tailoring media strategies,
or guiding them through new product or market planning,
IRI aims to turn data into unique consumer insights that
lead to actions.
In turn, IRI leaders are experts in understanding the ways in
which the consumer experience is evolving and creating
capabilities to help clients navigate it. IRI’s Appel is at his
best in the company’s innovative, forward-looking culture –
his deep leadership and advisory experience was honed in
environments where data-driven decision making and
innovation were valued. Appel joined IRI from Aon, where
as Chief Operating Officer he led the team responsible for
the $5 billion acquisition and integration of Hewitt,
solidifying Aon’s leading position in human resource
consulting and outsourcing. Earlier in his career, Appel was
a senior partner at McKinsey and Company. As a founding
member of McKinsey’s Global Business Technology and
Operations Practice, Appel led the practice as it grew from
50 to 300 consultants.
This combination of vision, forward thinking and deep
industry expertise is critical for IRI, a company at the nexus
of raw data, advanced technological analysis and actionable
insights.
Collaboration is Key
At IRI, collaboration is one of the company’s core values.
Appel and his team are dedicated to working closely with a
range of industry and retail leaders to deliver joint
solutions, services and access to capabilities, and in turn,
expand the breadth of data and insights IRI provides its
clients. As a result, IRI clients have unprecedented access to
real-time analysis of granular retailer data at scale, which
gives marketers a new level of precision and accuracy in
advertising.
“IRI’s expansive Partner Ecosystem is one of our greatest
assets,” Appel says. “We are differentiated by our state-of-
the-art technology and capabilities, powered by industry
December 201720
23. partnerships with companies like Adobe, comScore,
Experian, GfK and Kantar Shopcom, and our unparalleled
trove of data assets, harvested in collaboration with several
of the world’s top retailers, including Ahold USA and
Delhaize America, The Kroger Co., Rite Aid, and Walgreens
Boots Alliance.”
Appel’s tremendous momentum in signing up retail
partnerships shows no signs of slowing down. IRI recently
announced major strategic partnerships with Ahold USA,
Delhaize America, and Boots UK, three leading retailers
with over 4,400 combined stores. IRI is now the preferred
partner of choice for 7 of the top 10 global retailers.
Leadership for a “Re-startup”
IRI describes itself as a “re-startup” in that, despite its 35-
year history, it is both technologically advanced and nimble.
Maintaining that momentum across a global organization
takes strong leadership, and, Appel believes, a leader who
encourages forward thinking, sets the pace for continuous
innovation, and leads by example. “At IRI, we have
consistently pushed the boundaries of data science and
explored new frontiers, but keeping up that momentum and
drive to compete with our own best work can be
challenging,” Appel says. “It would be easy to rest on our
laurels, but I try to model the high energy, flexibility and
Andrew Appel
President & CEO
IRI
As IRI’s President and CEO, my
goal is to ensure that our
organization remains relentlessly
relevant to our clients by leveraging
the best and the brightest minds
and the most advanced
technologies to not only detail
how consumer behavior has
changed, but also predict how it
will change in the future
market awareness that companies focused on innovation
need to succeed.”
Positioning IRI for Continued Success
In the midst of historic changes in consumers’ buying
behaviors, driven by an explosion of technology and new
media formats, one of the most acute issues that IRI’s
clients face is the impact of marketing campaigns.
Confident that the shift toward personalized marketing is
key for CPG and OTC healthcare companies, Appel attests
that “as the dynamic marketing environment continues to
evolve, IRI will carry on leading the charge toward 1:1
personalized marketing with unmatched data, proprietary
algorithms, leading technology and groundbreaking
solutions.” In the years to come, Appel and his team will
continue to provide clients with a roadmap to navigate the
changing consumer landscape, and the Company will
continue to push boundaries in the insights and analysis
space to help their clients achieve growth.
“
“
21December 2017
24. S
tanding at the edge of his retirement phase and
working tirelessly for Carnival Corporation for 12
long years, Arnold was all but assured how the rest of
his corporate life will pan out at the company. But then the
CEO and Chairman of the world’s largest cruise company,
Micky Arison, decided to roll out an unanticipated offer on
the plate for Arnold. And, thus, began the second chapter of
Arnold’s fascinating corporate journey. Though his decision
to accept the offer was wrapped with reluctance at first,
Arnold Donald eventually realized the significance of the
opportunity, and since then he hasn’t looked back.
The Spark that Ignited Fire
Arnold learned early on about the importance of education,
planning, and hard work. His entrepreneurial journey
stemmed from his childhood years, wherein he bought
candy’s in bulk quantities and sold them to his older sister
at a large markup. By earning multiple degrees, including
an MBA, Arnold grabbed the opportunity to work for
Monsanto Company, a global manufacturer of the
sweetener brands Equal and Canderal. His 20 years at the
company culminated in running its largest division and
spearheading it towards success.
Following his role as the Chairman of Merisant Company,
Arnold served as the CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes
Research Foundation and then the Executive Leadership
Council in Washington D.C. Never to shy away from
responsibilities, the passionate businessman served as the
member of multiple boards, both for-profit and non-profit
organizations. Arnold prioritized his passion to pursue a
career in business early on, leading him to scale
unimaginable heights in his corporate career. He mentions
“...I believe we really enjoy what we’re doing when one
follows their dreams.”
Grabbing Hold of Opportunities
When Micky Arison decided to split the role of Chairman
and CEO and offered him to serve as the CEO of the
company, Arnold had to ponder over the opportunity for a
couple of days. Today, Arnold mentions how he would have
regretted if he hadn’t taken up this job as his experience has
been anything less than incredible thus far.
“I’m honored that Micky has entrusted me with the
company that he and his father built over several decades.
It is a lot of fun to work with such passionate employees
who take the responsibility of delivering a great vacation
very seriously,” Arnold asserts. One of Arnold’s passion
revolves around exploring and discovering the world and
meeting new people and gaining new perspectives, one
which he is able to do in his role as the CEO of Carnival
Corporation. The company creates great vacation
experiences for their guests, which would be etched forever
in their minds - “is there any better business than that?”
A Company with an Extraordinary Portfolio
With a dedicated 120,000 workforce, Carnival Corporation
is the world’s largest leisure travel company. Its vast and
passionate employee base, spread across 100 countries and
above, are focused upon exceeding guest expectations and
providing travellers around the globe with extraordinary
Arnold
Donald:
The Leader who Grabbed
Hold of an Opportunity
and Spearheaded
towards Success
December 201722
25. vacations at an exceptional value,
every single day. The company boasts
a portfolio of 9 global cruise brands
plus a social impact brand, including
well-known, iconic cruise lines in
North America – Carnival Cruise Line,
Cunard, Holland America Line,
Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
Together, Carnivals’ global brands
operate a fleet of more than 100 ships,
visiting over 700 ports around the
world and are providing nearly 12
million guests annually with
extraordinary cruise vacations.
It is Arnold’s professional goal to do
everything in his ability to help its
dedicated employees exceed the
guests’ expectations and provide them
with the best vacations in the world.
Arnold claims, “If we can continue to
do that, our employees will be
successful, our guests will be highly
satisfied and want to cruise more often,
and we will entice more travelers to try
cruising for the first time, which will
help drive our ongoing performance.”
Fostering Diversity of Thinking
A key value throughout Arnold’s career
has been fostering the idea of
“diversity of thinking.” He believes
having an organized workforce
centered-around a common objective,
irrespective of their differing
background and cultural experiences,
enables creativity and innovation to
flourish. The company’s focus on
diversity of thinking drives innovation,
which in turn creates new opportunities
to continuously exceed guest
expectations and expand its business.
Overcoming Complacency and other
Challenges
With the world quickly evolving with
new and emerging innovations and
approaches, which are disrupting
business models and creating new
forms of competition and sometimes
entirely new market, one needs to have
the ability to look around the corners
and continually innovate to stay
competitive. This means avoiding
complacency and always looking for
new ways to achieve your goals.
Arnold advises aspiring entrepreneurs
to go after what they are passionate
about in life and never be afraid to
dream big. He continues, “Challenges
will come throughout your career, but
if you are doing something you love,
you will have the strength and resolve
to overcome issues – and you will have
more fun along the way!”
The Future of Continual Expansion
Carnival Corporation will continue to
innovate around its guest experience
and use its brands and global reach to
serve its guests better. The passion of
its employees in providing its guests
with extraordinary vacations has been
a key highlight behind the company’s
remarkable success and performance.
It is this passion and spirit of
Carnival’s employees which is driving
and will continue to drive its business
forward.
Arnold has instilled a culture of
innovation across the organization by
collaborating together, learning from
each other, and taking advantage of the
strong diversity of thinking across the
company. “Our ability to continue to
drive innovation with our employees
will be the key to staying competitive,
growing the business and taking a
larger share of the overall vacation
market,” Arnold concludes.
“I’m a firm believer that you will
never have all the answers, but
if you ask the right questions to
your customers, in our case our
guests, and of your employees,
and truly listen, then the
answers will reveal themselves”
— Arnold Donald
CEO
Carnival Corporation
23December 2017
26. Possessing over 15 years of experience in leading
multiple industry-specific software companies,
Brock Philp is one of the leading transformational
CEOs in the software industry. His contributions and efforts
as the CEO of Newforma bolstered performance and
rebalanced the company while also further solidifying his
position as a pioneering leader – a CEO to watch in the
B2B technology world. His journey is inspiring. He was
only 24 years old when he looked after profit and loss at a
company while also pursing his MBA degree taking night
classes at the University of Toronto.
Philp shifted in his career path and became an account
manager responsible for selling enterprise software to
telephone companies. During this job Philp discovered his
interest in the business of software, the field he chose to
advance his career.
The Start of Something Big
While speaking at a business school event, Philp was
approached after the presentation by the CEO of
Constellation Software, a provider of software and services
to vertical markets. Philp was introduced to the business of
vertical markets and a recurring revenue model, and life
was never the same again. From there, Philp went on to
become the CEO of a company that provided software to
private clubs such as golf courses, yacht clubs, and dinner
clubs. Since then, Philp held several CEO positions at
various software companies focused on vertical markets
Brock
Philp:
An Experienced CEO
Driven to Succeed
Brock Philp
CEO
Newforma
I’m the CEO who can
identify opportunities
for organizations and
their employees and I
work hard with the
team to realize
those opportunities
December 201724
27. with recurring revenue, eventually
joining Newforma.
A Company Dedicated to Improve
Project Delivery
Newforma is the building and
infrastructure industry’s leading project
information management (PIM)
software company, dedicated to
improve project delivery, mitigate risk
and reduce firms’ administrative
workload. The company pioneered the
PIM software category in 2004. To
date, more than 1,500 architecture,
engineering, and construction
companies have used Newforma
software on more than 3 million
projects across the world.
Newforma provides Project Center and
Project Cloud for Construction
software. According to Philp, “Our
software eases collaboration and
simplifies the organization, distribution
and access of critical project
information (e.g. emails, RFIs and
submittals, etc.) while maintaining a
full audit trail.” The company
integrates information from design,
construction, and owner’s teams and
provides markup and review tools,
which help in saving time while
mitigating risk. The software
differentiates itself from every other
solution in the marketplace by
connecting project information silos,
indexing data where it resides and
managing email; this mitigates risk,
promotes best practices, maximizes
profitability, and enhances the
reputation of the customer.
Jump off a Cliff and Assemble a
Plane on the Way Down
Philp firmly believes to be a successful
CEO, one needs to be willing and able
to honestly self-analyze and also
surround themselves with the right
people. A CEO who thinks that they
know everything will fail to get the
most out of their people and will, most
likely, either fail or seriously under-
perform.
Speaking about the challenges, Philp
mentions, “…there is an incredible
amount of data available today to
digest, and it is coming at an
incredibly fast pace. It is a challenge
today to sort through that information
to determine what is relevant to the
business.”
Knowing your Vision and Being
Confident About it
A few years ago, Philp decided to buy
a software company back from
institutional investors using private
investors. During this time, he realized
that there were employees who
believed strongly in the company and
wanted to invest. According to Philp,
these were employees, not savvy
investors with cash on hand to make
investments. Some needed to decide
with their families to make the
investment as it would involve
mortgaging their home. This was the
moment when Philp got a wider-lens
perspective of the duty, power, and
responsibility of a CEO.
For any CEO, he mentions,
perseverance is of utmost importance.
It is important to stay motivated, even
while facing obstacles, distractions and
negative people. Following that, is
having a can-do attitude. “Your
attitude will affect others and
encourage them as well.” The third
key value is being honest with yourself
and others around you. “Decide what
you’re good at, and let others handle
the parts they’re good at.” And finally,
it is important to have a vision for the
end game. “The end game is what
you’re trying to accomplish in your
career and for the company at the time.
Know what you want that vision to be
and be confident in it.”
Thinking about Tomorrow While
Being Focused on Today
Over the past few years, Newforma has
been largely North American-centric in
its thinking. Although the company has
global offices and global clients, it has
been limiting its operations by thinking
only of the needs of its clients from the
North American perspective. In the
next two years, Newforma will develop
a global mindset. This would require a
cultural change for the company, where
it incorporates global needs into all its
decisions.
Newforma will also be creating a
global support organization with
common service level agreements
across all locations; as well as sending
more of its employees to overseas
locations and having the overseas
employees to spend time in America.
This will help them understand the
needs of its clients better and develop a
global organization that solves client
problems. To conclude, Philp mentions
“Finally, our account management
group will better understand the in-
depth global operations of our
customers’current businesses and
future plans, and will grow with them
globally.”
Don’t Quit!
I would tell new entrepreneurs that
failing doesn’t mean you’re a failure.
Things rarely go right the first time. I
would also tell them to get an
experienced mentor at the outset. Find
someone who has experience taking
ideas from concept to
commercialization, and not someone
who only focuses on sales, marketing,
finance or some combination of these
areas. You want someone who can help
you from start to finish. Finally, I’d like
to tell them, “Don’t quit!”
25December 2017
28.
29.
30. The concept of entrepreneurship is in constant flux.
Innovation and research adds to a growing
knowledge base which organizations are leveraging
to innovate while remaining true to their missions. While
any entrepreneur can launch a business, successful
entrepreneurship is an ongoing process where profit is the
reward for addressing uncertainty and coordinating
resources.
The Founder and CEO of xtLytics, Deepak Mittal, is one
such accomplished entrepreneur with a proven track record
in strategy development, business intelligence, and business
development.
Early in his career, Deepak developed large scale software
products and build complex algorithms for a number of
Fortune 500 clients in healthcare, finance, retail and other
industries. Academically, he has a strong background in
engineering and data analytics, having graduated from IIT,
which is a historically competitive institution. After
receiving an MBA from Columbia Business School in New
York City, he found himself in the heart of Silicon Alley. He
is proud that a number of his peers are leading Fortune 500
companies today.
“Fate loves the fearless,” is Deepak’s favorite quote and it
has served him well in moments of self-doubt, especially in
the early stages of xtLytics He is supremely fortunate to be
surrounded by a competent, devoted and cohesive team in
both business and software development.
He says, “It’s the people in our organization that meet the
ultimate challenge of disrupting industries and unseating
incumbents one day at a time. My goal is to make xtLytics
the analytics company of choice for healthcare, life
sciences, insurance and marketing and possibly also other
industries into which we’re currently considering
expanding.”
Delivering Fast and Uncompromising Services
xtLytics currently offers predictive analytics for the
healthcare, life sciences and insurance industries, all
powered by modern, machine learning algorithms. Some of
the company’s noteworthy clients are Columbia University,
Promius Pharma, Novartis, and Tufts Medical Center.
Along with predictive analytics, xtLytics also provides
powerful data visualization tools that assist and simplify the
decision-making process at every level. Their architecture is
flexible enough to be easily integrated into existing
infrastructure without disrupting business operations, i.e.
‘Analytics on Demand.’
xtLytics knows they don’t have to settle - not only do they
have access to more data sources and bundles than other
similar companies, but also superior, self-iterative statistical
and machine learning methods. These relatively new data
mining methods have been statistically proven to extract
significantly better signal, lift and, ultimately, deliver
superior actionable insight.
The company’s clients demand quick, concrete and
monetizable insights; xtLytics is able to deliver them faster
than its competitors.
The Pivotal Moment
The convergence of Big Data, cloud computing, machine
learning, and data mining methods created the perfect
storm. The world of analytics was thrust into a new era.
Having worked with demanding clients for over 20 years
and anticipating the challenges of the future, Deepak felt
that he was at an inflection point, and ready to ride the wave
into the future.
Already familiar with various IT architecture designs, he
came up with a model that could easily integrate into almost
any legacy system while making the best use of data and
offering quick, actionable, unparalleled insights.
The product/market fit was validated relatively quickly for
DEEPAK MITTAL:
An Accomplished Business Leader
December 201728
31. the company. Brand name client adoption followed
and that is the most reassuring market signal an
entrepreneur can hope for.
The Role of a Good CEO
According to Deepak, a good CEO should have
vision and pragmatism. Ability to look beyond the
‘second bounce of the ball’, into the future that
pushes the frontiers of human ingenuity and
through pragmatism reverse-engineer his way to
the present and then transform that vision into a
concrete product. Deepak believes that humility
and sensitivity are critical for a successful
calibration of these two elements.
“The most pressing challenge is time, also known in our
world as ‘shelf life’. The half-life of tech products is getting
exponentially shorter. Few companies and CEOs fail
because of a lack of funding or incompetent teams, but
many do because they can’t deliver the promised future fast
enough. This is especially true in our industry where Big
Data makes the future constantly available and yet cannot
be converted into insights fast enough. I’m proud to say that
we’ve been able to meet this challenge better than many
larger, better-funded competitors,” he says.
Management is Part Art and Part Science
Deepak says that it takes a lot to push him outside his
emotional bandwidth. His even-temper has served him well,
especially in the beginning when pressure was high,
certainty low and the competition grew quickly as
addressable markets expanded.
His calm, controlled attitude seeps into other layers of the
organization, setting the tone for companywide interactions.
He doesn’t like to micromanage and says that ‘Management
is part art and part science’. This approach hasn’t
disappointed him so far.
Advice to the Budding Entrepreneurs
Deepak is an inspiration to budding entrepreneurs. His
advice to them is simple, yet hard to initiate.
He says, “Whenever you’re bogged down by mind-numbing
pressure, doubts and fears, get out of your head! Let space
seep in between your thoughts! Sounds simple but it’s
harder than it sounds. Reach out to friends, children, and
people whose paths you wouldn’t necessarily cross as part
of your routine. Listen to a violin concerto. I find that these
things can change your thought process in unexpected ways
to build that much-needed sensitivity. It’s that sensitivity
that makes you aware of subtle, yet imminent changes,
fostering new trends and opening up new markets. That’s
how innovative companies are born.”
Creating the Future
Deepak is always willing to delve into new markets, and
brings that trait to xtLytics. The company seeks to unseat
incumbents by challenging their arcane models, and to give
clients greater control over their own data, while retaining
its trademark flexibility and nimble structure.
Deepak empowers his team members and expects them to
take full ownership of the end product while reminding
them that, ‘There are no passengers on this ship. We’re all
crew!’
We help you gain profitable
insights from your healthcare
and insurance data using our
proprietary AI models.
Deepak Mittal
Founder CEO
xtLytics LLC
29December 2017
32. C
hange is inevitable. And depending on how you
approach it, it can be disruptive or extremely
rewarding. To understand disruption in the
businesses, one first needs to consider some broader scale
changes. A statistical survey shows that, about five decades
ago, the average lifespan of a Fortune 500 company was
about 60 years. While in 2010, this lifespan decreased to 18
years. Based on statistical analysis, it is estimated that by
2020, three quarters of today’s Fortune 500 companies will
no longer exist. Influencing factors driving these disruptions
include access to technology, increasing customer
expectations (driven by native digital experiences
customers meet every day) and a spike in competition from
digital native companies that move swiftly to meet
customer needs. Promoting a culture of innovation in order
to survive in the constantly changing business world is a
tenacious leader by the name Dr. Michael Bertini.
Michael emphasizes an understanding of the “user”;
helping them with their needs, creating enhanced customer
journeys, and helping them to define and utilize
TRAVERSE to best fit their needs.
About Michael’s Entrepreneurial Journey
As the CEO of Open Systems, Inc. and ProcessPro,
Michael Bertini is passionate about fostering a culture that
places the customer first.
Michael started his career as a manufacturing engineer in
Australia and New Zealand but soon realized he was more
interested in technology than engineering. He took the
entrepreneurial plunge and, over three decades of
persistence, built his own software company.
Michael saw the need for industry-specific customized ERP
solutions that streamlined business processes and provided
timely information for critical business decisions. He
acquired and took direction of ProcessPro to advance that
vision.
ProcessPro develops, sells, implements and supports
complete ERP software solutions for companies that
execute batch process manufacturing in highly-regulated
industries, particularly food, pharmaceuticals,
nutraceuticals, cannabis, and chemical processing.
The team believes in one basic rule: Get more from your
information and you will get more from your business.
Because he has built a team where the members truly enjoy
their work, Michael is confident about the continuing
growth of the company through new challenges and
opportunities for his employees.
Bias is the Biggest Challenge to Innovation
When businesses and institutions are under pressure to
change or innovate, their focus is on people rather than
process. They often fail because change and innovation are
stifled by cognitive bias. Michael believes that this bias is
the biggest challenge to innovation and that creating the
right business environment might be the key to changing
this.
Dr. Michael Bertini
An Innovation-Driven Entrepreneur
Bringing Value to the Customers
December 201730
33. In a technology company, it is easy to be biased towards the
technology your teams understand and with which they are
comfortable. Michael advises, “Don’t lose track of the
customer; make decisions based on what they need, not
what you are comfortable with”. He focuses on getting a
broad scope of responses and feedback by reaching out to
both existing and potential customers. Simply put,
customer-driven innovation always works.
As an entrepreneur, Michael believes in identifying and
siezing the opportunities present in the every environment.
“Lead, innovate, motivate, compete, be compassionate,
thrive on winning, integrate, avoid bias, don’t take no as an
answer unless it makes sense… and remember that it’s trash
until its cash,” he adds.
Michael as a Leader
Michael takes a strong personal interest in the success of
the customers. His team’s primary objective is to help
clients to succeed, become more productive and transform
their organizations.
He believes that organizations need the right information,
provided efficiently to the right people at the right time, to
pro-actively adapt to their markets. His vision is to invest
and grow vertically-oriented businesses like ProcessPro that
can provide significantly more value to customers than a
more generic “one size fits all” ERP solution.
Michael makes sure that the products he offers do not only
give one of the best returns on investment in the
marketplace to his clients, but also deliver a framework in
which any investment a client makes today in adapting the
solution is retained with future upgrades. By linking
functionally-richer vertical solutions, deep vertical domain
expertise and a shared investment in adaptable core
technologies and platforms, Michael believes he can
promote his customers’ success in a way that few other ERP
systems can.
Foreseeing Innovation and Growth
Michael is certain that his ventures will expand to at least
twice their size in terms of turnover, client base, etc. – need
to be a bit more specific what is doubling here in the
coming years.
This will entail a significant increase in hiring,
transformation and investment, as well as incessant
innovation. Michael asserts, “I see myself as a change
agent for our organization and our thousands of customers.
I enjoy watching our employees and clients grow as a result
of our solutions and practices.”
Innovation is at the core of ProcessPro. The company is set
to constantly evolve and optimize its products to best meet
the needs of customers and the industries it serves.
Don’t lose track of
the customer; make
decisions based on
what they need, not
what you are
comfortable with
Dr. Michael Bertini
CEO
ProcessPro
31December 2017
34. The growth of the Fintech ecosystem brought with it
an influx of Payment Service Providers (PSP).
These new arrivals are changing the way the
industry is serving and interacting with its customers.
Growth Triggers Fresh Challenges
It doesn’t matter if you are a B2C or a B2B company, you
are now facing a more informed, savvier
Customer/Merchant who is looking not just for the best
pricing but for the best value for their money.
This evolution of the customer required the service provider
to evolve as well, simply to keep up. Providers have had to
consider additional services as part of their value
proposition – not always an easy task for companies with
limited resources and legacy systems.
The market became more accessible to young, fresh brands
offering agile and innovative approaches to payments.
Many veteran players have been left to follow their lead or
risk losing business. Customers today are looking for faster
onboarding, fewer questions and more services offered
instantly, from “one-click-checkout” to the ability to login
with social networks and even easy ways to share expenses
on the go.
Square Gets it Right
Payment Service Provider Square is an excellent example
of a PSP who acted quickly to respond to customer demand.
Square started out with their card reader and MPOS, then
quickly expanded their services to ecommerce, scheduling
and many more options designed to help SMBs (Small
Medium Business) expand and scale their own enterprises.
Square’s ease of use has helped thousands of merchants
improve revenues and take control of their day to day
activity.
At Coriunder, we have been focused on the PSP-As-A-
Startup (PAAS) approach, where the PSP is changing their
strategy and allocating their budgets to become more
competitive with newer, more agile providers; this led to
another PAAS approach. This one has been around for a
while but wasn’t considered as an alternative; Payments-
As-A-Service. This option paves the way for white label
gateway providers that have been enabling the quick setup
of a Payment Service Provider without the need of a large
technical team and the security certifications that come with
it.
The majority of providers are focusing on the large network
of acquiring banks and alternative solutions instead of on
the flexibility needed for the PSP to build his client base.
But it’s not just about the payments.
Our Solution for the PAAS Dilemma
Our approach is slightly different; we built a BAAS
(Backend-As-A-Service) model that gives our clients tools
to manage Customers (Card holders/Users), Merchants,
Affiliates and even their own employees. This provides our
clients with a way to build apps and services as part of
their offering and to manage the billing and “standard”
services all within one, PCI Level 1 certified, management
suite.
This approach made Payments an “Add-on” to the PSP’s
service and not the main service; we see some clients
expanding our Merchant Management Portal to allow
scheduling and invoicing. Other users are building risk and
fraud tools to extend the KYC checks and transactions
monitoring they have in place.
We serve as a hub that provides the PSP with the options
they need to integrate to every service provider they wish
to. Together, they can create intuitive workflows that better
Backend-As-A-Service
for Payments-As-A-Service
December 201732
35. serve their business logic.
BAAS and Fraud Prevention
An evolution of a customer comes hand in hand with the
evolution of the “Fraudsters.” In many cases, the PSP is left
exposed on both fronts; they need to both cater to the
customer and combat fraud. Clients adopting BAAS are
using the Backend solution to manage both transactions and
customers, so they now have the ability to integrate Risk
and Fraud tools. In many cases, they can even build their
own custom tools to define workflows that help them better
mitigate risk and more effectively fight chargebacks and
fraud.
We see the struggles of our customers as a shared challenge,
so we offer a C2C (Client-to-Client) integration as part of
the core functionality, brands can help one other find
solutions more quickly. With C2C integration, additional
revenue streams can be established, as clients developing
new services or expanding to new territories can assist one
another with growth and opportunity.
When we launched our service we aimed it at startups
looking to build their idea on top of our Backend; we soon
we learned that the PSP market was in dire need of a
service like ours. We are now serving Payment Service
Providers globally, with partners based in Hong Kong, the
United States, Cyprus, Malta, Costa Rica and more. By
addressing the needs of this rapidly growing industry and
helping clients create innovative custom solutions, BAAS
can resolve the dilemma faced by the average PSP.
About Coriunder:
Coriunder is a Backend-As-A-Service platform for fintech
and ecommerce companies. Whatever your services might
be, Coriunder provides you with reach management tools to
monetize your solution and enables you to expand globally
with our Payment optimization tools and a single point of
integration for all of your services.
With over 300 available integrations to acquiring banks and
service providers, Coriunder is the logical Backend-As-A-
Service for the Payment Service Provider.
Eliad Saporta
Managing Director
Coriunder
33December 2017
Mentor’s Insights
36. A Passionate Trailblazer who believes in
breaking the Shackles of Comfort Zone
Ellen Voie:
December 201734
omen trying to enter the
trucking industry have long
faced cultural and physical
barriers. Presently, there are an
estimated 200,000 women behind the
wheel of big rigs across the U.S, which
seems like a lot; however represents
less than mere 5 percent of the nearly 4
million-member truck-driver work
force. Had Ellen Voie never cared
about the women looking to enter the
male-dominated trucking industry, the
world would still have been waiting for
someone like her to change the
scenario for the better. But she was not
ready to wait for someone else; she
took the charge in her own hands and
founded Women In Trucking in 2007.
Today, a decade later, the firm is
globally recognized and applauded for
promoting careers in trucking for
women and demolishing barriers that
have kept women from joining the
driver ranks for so long.
The Foundation that Paved Way for
WIT
Ellen's journey has taught her
everything she needed to, and wasn’t
less than a roller coaster. Her
childhood roots to a small town in
central Wisconsin. From the beginning,
she was more interested in
understanding engines and learning
skills like woodworking and welding,
so she took shop class. Because of her
training, Ellen was hired by a steel
fabrication plant to design material
handling equipment, like pallets and
racking. Soon, she was offered a
position in the traffic department,
where she became the Assistant Traffic
Manager, and later, after earning a
diploma in Traffic Transportation
Management, she was promoted to
Traffic Manager. Ellen was responsible
for all incoming raw materials and
outgoing finished products. She
learned to read tariffs, audit freight
bills, dispatch and much more.
The Journey of Discovering a
Platform to Bring Diversity
Once she started her family, she used
these skills to free-lane as a
Transportation Consultant to carriers in
central Wisconsin. For 18 years, she
licensed and permitted the trucks and
kept the trucks and drivers in
compliance while she raised two
children. Ellen’s (then) husband and
she owned a small fleet, which she
helped manage while he was on the
road.
At the same time, she also attended the
University of Wisconsin and in 1999,
she earned her Master’s Degree in
Communication, where she completed
her thesis research on “The Complex
Identities of Women Married to
Professional Drivers,” which shows
how much passionate she was.
A year later, Ellen was hired by
Trucker Buddy International as the
Executive Director of this pen pal
program between drivers and
elementary classrooms. Later, she
managed recruiting and retention
programs for Schneider National. It
was during this time that Ellen was
also working for her Private Pilot’s
License, and she belonged to an
organization called, “Women in
Aviation.”
Since there was no such group for
women in the trucking industry, she
decided to start a non-profit
organization. She asked female leaders
to serve on the board and was fortunate
to have an attorney provide all of the
legal documentation to form the
nonprofit.
Finally, in 2007, the Women In
Trucking Association was formed with
a simple mission; to increase the
percentage of women employed in the
trucking industry, address obstacles
that might keep women from
succeeding, and to celebrate the
success of its members. Once it was
started, there hasn’t been a single
moment of looking back.
Being Resource for Women
In the past decade, the firm’s
membership has massively grown to
include nearly 4,000 members, from
around the world. Although most of its
members reside in North America,
many are in Australia, New Zealand,
Sweden, South Africa, and Japan.
Currently, WIT has an amazing Board
of Directors comprised of leaders (men
and women) in the trucking industry –
from carriers, suppliers, manufacturers,
private fleets and more. Apart from
that, it has also formed a charitable
foundation that provides scholarships
to anyone seeking a career in
transportation. Last year, the
foundation gave away $22,000 in
tuition grants.
Some of the highlights of company’s
programs include the creation of a Girl
Scout Transportation Patch. To date,
over 400 young girls have learned
about careers in transportation with the
curriculum Ellen developed with the
Girl Scouts. Some resources include its
“Anti-Harassment Employment
Guide,” for carriers who have
unrelated individuals working together
in a truck for training or team driving
purposes.
The firm has a “Recruiting and
37. 35December 2017
Ellen Voie
President CEO
Women In Trucking
Retention Guide” outlining the research the team has done on what women look for in a carrier
and in an industry. However, a fact that has never changed since its inception is that Ellen and
her team has been constantly working on a ‘Best Practices’ guide for carriers to showcase
companies with a higher percentage of female drivers.
To celebrate the company’s success and honor female professional drivers, WIT has its
annual “Salute to Women Behind the Wheel,” in March. It also has a “Distinguished
Woman in Logistics” award as well as an “Influential Woman in Trucking” award.
They showcase a different woman each month for their “Member of the Month”
program.
Listening to Understand How to Better Serve
Ellen feels proud of the partnership they have with the truck manufacturers to
influence truck cab design and ergonomics so women can feel as comfortable
driving a big rig as her male counterparts. Moreover, they also work with truck
stops on safety, security and amenities for women.
Being the CEO of a nonprofit association, the most important characteristic
Ellen believes she can have is to listen. She feels listening to her members
to understand how to better serve them and help them to be as
successful as possible in the trucking industry is of vital importance.
The most important value that has stayed with her all these years is
her integrity. “When I started Women In Trucking Association I
had to prove that I would use our member’s dues in a
responsible way to advance our mission. Our financial and
other information is very transparent, as we have nothing to
hide. Our members deserve to know how their money is
spent,” she explains.
Being the Change of Women Empowerment
In 2012, WIT was recognized by the White House
for being a “Transportation Innovator Champion
of Change.” In 2015, the firm launched its first
conference and welcomed 350 attendees to its
Accelerate! Conference and Expo. This year,
Ellen expects over 500 registered women and men
to attend its event to learn how to advance diversity
in their companies.
Being the change of women empowerment, Ellen advises
women to keep pushing, but not to give up easily. Anyone working in a
male dominated environment like the trucking industry will find
opposition, from family, friends and peers. But, according to her, it’s
important to learn to focus on your chosen career path and ignore those
who try to distract you.
As an international association, WIT is often asked for more regional or
local connections. Going into the future, Ellen’s goal is to start chapters
within states, companies and geographic areas. She believes this will
give her members a way to connect in person and to network and learn
from one another.
“Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone”
38. Today, medical device industry expects highly
innovative products at a very fast pace. To sustain
this demand in such a fast-paced sector is a tough
task to say the least. However, many brands have managed
to retain their credibility and their secret to success, is often
conveyed by the words of their mentors. Multi-billionaire
and the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz once said, “In
this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring
brands are built from the heart. They are real and
sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are
built with the strength of the human spirit. The companies
that are lasting are those that are authentic.” Thus, an
ambitious and innovative CEO and his/her team acts as an
empowering aspect behind a successful brand. Indian
medical device leader, Sahajanand Medical Technologies
is one such fortunate company that has both an ambitious
CEO and a qualitative human strength to its name. The
CEO of the company, Ganesh Sabat, shares his insights
about his company’s proliferating success.
Young Dreamer’s Progression
A physics graduate who pursued MBA in Finance from
Washington University, Ganesh initially served at a legal
and finance department in India. He followed that up by
joining Sahajanad Medical Technologies (SMT) back in
2010; and within two years, he went on to become the CFO
of the company. Six months later, his hard work and
perseverance further crowned him as the CEO of the
company. Ganesh said, “I have always been a highly
passionate person. Even during the most difficult times I
never lost my passion, focus or drive. My personal and
professional goal syncs well and I want to make SMT a
global medical device player; manufacturing high quality
products at an affordable price”
SMT: A Global medical device Manufacturer from India
SMT is a leading developer and manufacturer of minimally
invasive coronary stent systems. It has a strong global
presence with footprints across 60 countries and counting.
Its products like Tetrilimus, Tetriflex, and Supraflex in the
category of drug eluting stents and Flexinnium and
Tetrinium in the category of bare metal stents have been
globally acknowledged for their superior quality. Its
benchmark technology, biodegradable polymer, has proven
to be the safest and the most preferred polymer. It achieves
a precise drug release and degrades after the drug release,
thereby ensuring better safety and efficacy in the PCI
procedure, for the patient. SMT is also accounted for
manufacturing the thinnest strut thickness stent in the
world, with only 60 microns thickness. This innovative
product in the cardiovascular segment is supposed to be the
best in class amongst the competitors.
Overcoming roadblocks by SMT under Ganesh Sabat’s
leadership
SMT was going through a challenging period with
multitude of problems across the organization. The
company under the leadership of Ganesh Sabat started
focusing on solving one problem after another and
Ganesh
Sabat:
An Encouraging Medical
Technology Leader
December 201736
39. witnessed immediate success for most
of its efforts. The focus to address
challenges upfront generated
self–belief among the employees and
boosted organizational confidence.
According to Ganesh, creating the vital
belief within team members to
manufacture globally leading medical
devices was a pivotal moment for the
organization.
Ganesh claims, “Being open to new
ideas, persuasive and showing humility
have helped us remove many
roadblocks.” Empowering employees
to make their own decisions, has made
a significant impact, and resulted in
surging growth of the company. He
further adds, ensuring that the
company works as a team, and
celebrating each other’s success creates
an environment where employees are
motivated to overcome any challenges
thrown at them. As a leader, we need to
ensure faster decision making and
build a capable team who can take
responsibility to march ahead. Ganesh
credits his global exposure, strong
analytical and rational thinking and
background in physics for successfully
leading a capable senior team and
delivering a global medical device
company.
Essentials for Leading a Platform
The medical device world expects new
innovative products at break neck
speed but innovations are time-
consuming. Bridging the gap between
time consuming innovations and
ensuring constant growth is the most
pressing challenge in the medical
industry. Hence, planning the product
life cycle and creating relevant future
plans helps achieve desired targets.
The successful CEO of SMT
recommends a passionate, never say
die attitude in budding leaders to stay
successful. The passion to build
innovative products and teaming up
with smart and intelligent individuals,
who can perform efficiently, are the
most essential aspects for leading a
platform. He also suggests
entrepreneurs to lead and keep their
egos at bay while working with team
members.
Future Evolutions in SMT Products
SMT as a company is evolving rapidly.
Continuous developments of new
products have provided eminent
credibility to the brand, and helped in
its global expansions. The company is
conducting clinical studies which can
provide major boosts to its products.
India is awakening to a new dawn of a
global medical device player; the
products of SMT are acknowledged
internationally for its quality,
efficiency, and cost-optimizations.
Ganesh as the CEO is eyeing to
facilitate the progressive change and
drive the company to the elite position.
“Being open to new ideas,
persuasive attitude and
showing humility have
helped us remove
many roadblocks.”
‒ Ganesh Sabat
CEO
Sahajanand Medical
Technologies
37December 2017
40. F Stands for Fear of Failure,
Standsfor
MovingForward
“Optimism is the faith that
leads to achievement”
- Helen Keller
t is easy to light a candle but how can one light the fire itself. Nobody can. One cannot light a fire, rather the fire
Idoesn’t require light as it creates light itself and all it needs are oxygen to breathe, fuel to live and space for the
flame to exhale. It doesn’t require appreciation, it grows on its own and burns all the evil or obstacles that come on
its way. Still, it has fears, and it faces trouble and ambition to move forward. People light a candle to get a vision in the
dark and not to keep it in a closed container or hide it somewhere, where it cannot be seen or of no use. A girl is like a
fire, a burning fire, which needs only air to breathe, food to eat, and little space to grow.
There was a time, when as soon as a girl was born into a family, they were taught to be grown up for only two reasons,
to become a mother and to take care of their families. They were mostly behind curtains, used as an object of sensuality
and was deprived of most facilities like education and freedom. Gone are those days when women were considered to be
nothing more than a vessel to carry and a machine to give birth to children. Things are changing now. How long can one
keep a burning fire behind the closed doors? Not for long apparently. One day, it will burn everything and break all the
barriers. Similarly, women are going against all the odds, breaking through all the challenges and overcoming all the
hurdles on their path to success.
From traveling to space to climbing Mt. Everest to winning Nobel, women are excelling in every field they are stepping
into. They have crossed all those barbed wires and now they are no longer waiting for men to show them sympathy;
rather, they are expecting nothing but the respect that one human being deserves from another. They are giving their best
efforts to make a mark on the wall. But it’s no harm in appreciating a woman.
December 201738
Exclusive
41. Reports apparently say that women form near about 52 percent of professional jobs even though they are substantially
underrepresented in leadership roles. Women represent about 14.6 percent of executive officers, 8.1 percent of top
earning members and a mere 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. Experts suggested that if this goes on, then it is difficult
for women to achieve leadership parity even by 2085. Intellectuals all over the world clearly mentioned that it’s not the
barriers that are stopping them to succeed. It is their belief, their mindset, and thoughts that are blocking them to move
ahead.
What Stands Between a Woman and her Success?
A study among various women revealed some interesting points which are stopping them from taking risks. Some wise
men said that it is hard to achieve something if there is no risk involved and every risk is worth, even if one doesn’t
succeed, he/she gets to learn. It is presumed that most young women often fear that any mistake in their professional
life can cost them to lose the job, reputation, goodwill and success too. Some even believe that taking risk is equivalent
to spilling water on a ready-made plan.
The society is still believed to be a patriarchal one and even though women are successfully beating men in every field
including wrestling and boxing, they fear men can do better than them. They still believe that men can be stronger
leaders with better ideas than women. It is a vague concept that women are less equipped to achieve success than men.
It can be termed as nothing but an inferiority complex.
Family and family matters are of great concern to professional women. They are always filled with the thoughts that
what will their families say, what their friends think and what will their loved ones will do. Some even fear that if they
decide to start a family or start one, which can create a negative impact on their work. They think that their employer
might count them as vulnerable, unmotivated or inefficient after they start having a family.
39December 2017
42. “Power’s not given to you, you have to take it.” - Beyoncé Knowles Carter
How Can Women Overcome their Problems?
“Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement,” said Golda Meir.
Nobody else can help a woman to overcome those boundaries that they have created themselves, neither man nor another
woman. It is them who themselves can breakthrough that. The most important thing that a woman can do to rule over
those problems is stop nagging about the problem and start thinking about the problem and then find a solution. Firstly,
the thinking should be changed. As said by the genius Albert Einstein, “No problem can be solved with the same level of
consciousness that created it.”
Women must become themselves, believe in themselves, trust their instincts and start embracing their mistakes. Instead
of searching for a perfect time and a perfect environment, women should start creating one for themselves which will be
healthy for their career progress too. They should even stop waiting for a man to get appreciation, instead women should
start appreciating one-another’s work, encourage mentorship and bring in more collaboration. Everybody needs a break
and they should also consider taking off pressure sometimes.
“The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves,” asserts
Barbara Corcoran.
December 201740
43.
44. Building any company is the same as building a
team, and its CEO is a leader, visionary, coach and
deal maker. A good CEO understands their own
strengths and surrounds themselves with strong competent
people who can collaborate and work together. What
differentiates the company from every other company?
Does the company need to raise capital? That’s the CEO!
The CEO has the vision, and sets the moral compass as well
as the business compass. Meet Gary Olson who advocates
that the CEO makes or tears down the company, and
believes “I don’t need to know everything; I just need to
know who to call!” Principal of GHO Group—an
independent consulting firm that specializes in planning
and designing media production facilities for broadcast and
cable companies, corporations, educational institutions,
and cultural organizations—Gary is a thought leader,
industry expert, published author and active practitioner in
IP based broadcast design.
A Humble Beginning
Gary has an eclectic background and is one of the few
people who has never been a full time employee for anyone
else in his professional career. Instead, he has always
worked for himself building his own businesses. Gary’s
career has been spent solving interesting challenges that
typically bring together computer and video technologies.
He was involved with Teletext as it was being introduced in
the US. Moreover, he was on the team that created the first
interactive satellite video conference network and launched
the first satellite business television network. While he was
engaged launching a satellite transmission facility and part
of the team launching the first video fiber network, he was
asked to design a new shopping network.
Gary used this opportunity to start his first company. Along
with a smart team, Gary began designing and launching
new satellite and television cable networks. In the early
days of Internet, the team designed the first live cable news
network with a person doing real time on air research. As
Gary’s company continued to grow, they received requests
from visionaries starting television networks in countries
that did not have commercial television, but only state TV.
GARY OLSON
An IP Broadcast Designer Destined
to be a Recognized Industry Leader
When asked if it can be
done; always answer “YES”
and always get it done—
don’t get caught!
‘‘‘‘
Gary Olson
Principal
GHO Group LLC
December 201742
45. They designed and launched the first
commercial television in Trinidad and
successfully designed, built and
launched new national television
networks in Czech, Poland, Romania
and Slovenia. Each of their projects
presented unique technology
challenges.
A Renowned Leader in Technology
Implementation
Gary believes his company attracts
visionary thinkers who have interesting
new ideas in media and are looking for
a technology group that understands
and can build their ideas. GHO Group
uses its broad experience to benefit its
clients, sharing best practices in
design, addressing budgets and
schedules with special attention to
crafting the process to assure best
results for its clients’ needs. GHO is a
recognized leader in technology
implementation. Its design philosophy
is based on sustainability and the
understanding that this type of
opportunity and investment has to be
“future-proof.”
GHO has been providing unique,
practical and cost-effective solutions to
the challenges faced in building new
facilities or implementing new
technology strategies. GHO builds the
bridge between technology and
business, working with a new vision
and converting it into a reality. The
firm manages the expectations of
senior management and stakeholders
throughout the execution of a project.
The GHO team brings a unique blend
of experience to the job: highly skilled
professionals with a foundation based
on real-world applications. With a
portfolio of over US$950M in media
based communication, television,
telecommunications, and internet
Encouraging and Empowering
People
Gary believes in recognizing strengths
in people and encouraging and
empowering their development. This
creates a team that solves problems.
Letting go is hard! Someone may do it
differently, but different is not wrong.
Talking about one of his memorable
incidents, Gary recalls days when his
responsibility on a central European
project was to help the new local
senior management. He explained that
a large organization was like a
pyramid, if you are at the top you can
see what’s happening across the
organization and manage. If the
pyramid is upside down because the
manager is also doing everything, they
are crushed by the weight of the
organization. His colleagues embraced
the concept and went on to become
successful managers.
Continuously Reinventing Every
Step of the Way
When asked to advise the budding
entrepreneurs, Gary replies,
“Entrepreneurship is doing everything
that needs to be done to be successful.
Behaving like an executive when
there’s no real business is a recipe for
failure. Not all entrepreneurs make
good CEO’s. Know your own
strengths—maybe the right thing to do
is hire one.”
While concluding, Gary says he has
been accused of re-inventing GHO and
himself every few years. GHO is once
again going through change now. This
change is moving Gary into artificial
intelligence and a new industry sector
of Public Safety and National Security.
GHO is applying its extensive media
knowledge to an industry overwhelmed
by video and struggling to analyze it
for useable information in the
prevention of incidents and attacks.
related technology projects managed,
the GHO Team applies risk analysis,
program and project management and
tight fiscal management to clients’
project.
As a strategic adviser and project
portfolio manager, Gary identifies the
requirements to achieve the goals and
resources that will bring the vision to
reality. He works closely with an
organization, using their internal
resources, preferred service providers
and approved contractors. GHO
functions as a senior project
administrator coordinating the
implementation process and strategy.
An Accidental Entrepreneur
While one may imagine from whom he
draws his inspiration, Gary proudly
says it’s from his father. “My father
was a small business man. When
business was good he would complain
how busy he was. When business was
bad, he’d complain how bad it was. I
once asked “I understand when
business is bad, but how can you
complain when business is good.” His
response was “You will understand
when you have your own business!,”
Gary recalls.
Gary says he did not choose this path,
rather it chose him! There were
thoughts that he would continue in the
family business until one day the
phone rang. Gary was asked to join an
innovative program in the NY City
high school system, establishing a
video production class, teaching and
running the studio. “At the end of the
school year the phone rang again –
and, the phone continued to ring and I
kept saying yes. Each call was a new
challenge and typically something
innovative that had not yet been done,”
he adds.
43December 2017
46. Nothing in the world can take
the place of persistence. Talent
will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with
talent. Genius will not; unrewarded
genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not; the world is full of educated
derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent.
The slogan ‘press on’has solved and
always will solve the problems of the
human race, — Calvin Coolidge.
By hanging onto this quote, Glenn
Trout, President and CEO of
VelocityEHS has shown persistence in
everything he has done. His tenacity
and never give up attitude has allowed
him to reach some rewarding peaks in
his career.
An ultimate truth in life is that when
you are trying to do something
difficult, something that is ultimately
worth doing, life gives you a million
reasons and excuses to quit. However,
if you are to achieve what others have
not, then you must hang on until you
do. Life threw some challenges at
Glenn, but he kept overcoming them,
and was surrounded by a team of
people who were equally tenacious and
unwilling to give up.
It was never a Straight Line!
Like most successful, yet accidental
entrepreneurs, Glenn’s business
trajectory was never a straight line. He
was raised by school teachers, and had
no obvious entrepreneurial role model
or mentor. Just three days after
graduating from high school, Glenn
headed off to Air Force boot camp,
which focuses on putting a lot of
pressure on people to see how they
react under stress, both mentally and
physically. While Glenn enjoyed the
physical stress, the constant mental
pressure was completely new for him.
They would repeatedly test him, on
small, simple things, and blow up if he
made a mistake to see how he would
react.
In hindsight, Glenn sees why this
mental pressure was so important. It is
critical that people in the Armed Forces
perform well under pressure and pay
close attention to detail. You must
challenge people and train them to do
the right things, no matter what the
circumstances — potentially even
when under fire. It’s something Glenn
has kept with him in his professional
career. He believes that staying focused
and keeping your cool, especially when
things get tough, is a strong attribute
for any leader.
During Boot Camp, Glenn got the
chance to rise from squad leader to
squadron commander at the age of 18,
with many of the other airmen in his
squadron well into their 20’s and 30’s.
That experience gave him the
opportunity to lead from a very early
age, and taught him the value of
relationships. Glenn’s ability to lead
was directly tied to his ability to keep
the trust and respect of his unit. As
CEO of VelocityEHS, the same is true
today.
Perseverance was the Key
Glenn went from the Air Force to
Miami University in Ohio. After
graduating with a degree in marketing,
he then joined Mead Paper,
participating in the company’s
management training program with the
goal of someday becoming the CEO.
At Mead, Glenn directed a $500
million sales and marketing business
unit. When the paper industry declined
in the mid-90s, he went back to school
to earn an MBA from Northwestern
University’s Kellogg School of
Business.
Glenn then joined Ernst Young as an
Associate Director before taking a
leadership role at fobpaper, a division
of fob.com, a late-90’s dot-com start up
aimed at enabling manufacturers to
purchase raw materials over the
internet. But then, the dot-com tech
bubble burst and the venture firm
backing fob.com pulled their money
from that effort. However, the firm
didn’t lose their faith in Glenn and his
management team. As the CEO, Glenn
was given a small pool of cash to turn
what had been a very small,
inconsequential, non-monetized part of
the fob.com offering — the electronic
management of material safety data
sheets (MSDSs) — into a fee-based
service called MSDSonline. He took it
as a challenge.
Glenn
Trout:
A Resilient and Tenacious
Mind Dening the New
Norm of ‘Never Giving Up’
December 201744
47. In time, Glenn grew MSDSonline into a six-time Inc. 5000
Fastest Growing Company, with over 400 employees and
an annual growth rate of over 50% for nearly a decade. In
2012, Glenn executed a successful exit for his shareholders
with a deal valued at over $53 million in enterprise value,
and MSDSonline joined Actua Corporation, a public
company that invests in cloud solutions. In 2015,
MSDSonline was rebranded under the new name,
VelocityEHS, to reflect its wider environment, health, safety
(EHS) and sustainability business focus. And in September
of 2017, Actua announced the sale of VelocityEHS to CVC
Capital Partners, for an undisclosed amount.
A Chuck Yeager quote nicely sums up Glenn’s approach to
life and leadership; “You do what you can for as long as
you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best
thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”
Leading Hundreds of Talented People
The VelocityEHS mission is to make workplaces safer and
more sustainable. Glenn feels privileged to lead hundreds of
talented women and men who’ve made the company’s
mission their vocation. His goal for VelocityEHS, by
whatever measure you choose, is to be the industry’s
number one EHS software company. And it is his job to
remove the barriers that could keep the company from
achieving it.
Today, VelocityEHS is the largest EHS software company in
the world. More than 13,000 companies worldwide, and
more than 8 million workers, use its products and services
to help them solve their complex compliance and regulatory
challenges in simple ways. The VelocityEHS community
includes customers from virtually every industry, including
over half of the Fortune 1000.
Unfortunately, even in today’s age of technology, too many
companies still rely on paper, spreadsheets, and other
manual processes to manage critical workplace health and
safety programs. VelocityEHS has set out to change that by
creating cloud based products that help companies reach
their EHS goals faster.
The firm’s enterprise-level functionality is affordable for
businesses of all sizes, with software and mobile solutions
that are renowned for being fast, easy, and engaging — all
of which contribute to VelocityEHS’ industry leading
customer retention and user adoption rates.
A New Dawn
Glenn believes that one of the things that keeps
VelocityEHS in business is the relentless pressure its
customers face from outside forces, including state, federal,
international regulations, volatility in their supply chains,
and diversifying workforces. And for better or worse, as
long as those pressures are there, EHS professionals will
always be looking for some way to make identifying risks
better, some way to get home to their families just a little bit
sooner, some solution that allows them to relax a little more
when enjoying a holiday break.
“What we try to do every day is get a little better at
understanding the problems our customers have and what
would help them be more effective. So we will change along
with our customers in ways that matter to them. We do try
to anticipate obstacles coming down the road, so we can
put solutions in place before our customers need them. But
it’s always looking at the horizon from our customer’s
perspective,” Glenn concludes.
Invest in quality people.
Then be quick to praise,
rst to take blame, and
relentless in your pursuit
of nding the best
solutions to problems
Glenn Trout
President CEO
VelocityEHS
45December 2017
48. Internet of Things no more needs an introduction. When
these IoT competencies are instigated in the Industrial
and Manufacturing space, it becomes Industrial IoT. In
2010, the vision of connected enterprise via interconnecting
industrial assets was fulfilled through the internet when the
foundational grounds of Industry 4.0 were laid. IIoT
brought with it the advantages of asset optimization,
production integration, smart
monitoring, remote diagnosis,
intelligent decision making, and
most importantly, the feature of
Predictive Maintenance.
However, to maintain a
competitive edge in an ever-
connected world, businesses
needed 24X7 access to their
data.
Hectic at Times yet an
Incredible Journey
Having worked in the industry
for more than a decade, it became apparent to Keith Flynn
that there were significant gaps between industry needs and
the available services. He used this opportunity to jump into
the market with RtDUET and RtEMIS to fill the void for
real-time downtime and energy management solutions.
Thus, RtTech Software was born in 2011. “The prospect of
spearheading a new venture with the birth of RtTech
Software was one that I jumped all over. It has been hectic
at times, but it has been one incredible journey,” Keith
states.
Helping Clients Increase Productivity and Decrease
Energy Consumption
Within six years of its operation, RtTech Software has gone
on to become a leading Industrial App provider; helping
global clients in the manufacturing, mining, and power
generation industries to increase productivity and decrease
energy consumption through operational intelligence.
RtTech Software led by Keith
has made its name through
industrial-grade analytic apps
helping manufacturing
companies increase production
and eliminate energy wastage
with its apps RtDUET and
RtEMIS. With a recent focus in
Industrial IoT, RtTech’s IoT
platform, Cipher is able to
provide clients with a drop-in
solution to IIoT and the services
provided by RtDUET and
RtEMIS, without much of the costly hardware.
RtDUET is designed to track machine downtime and
classify events, with the aim of helping production staff
maximize potential output to increase revenue. On the other
hand, RtEMIS is an energy management information
system that captures information about energy being used
by machines and dynamically calculates the target usage to
sustain production, identifying areas for energy savings.
Keith Flynn:
A Visionary Who Set Out to
Fill the Technological Voids
A successful CEO should
position his or her team
to thrive in their roles
within the organization
December 201746
49. A Certified Engineer Turned Entrepreneur
Being the Founder and CEO, Keith is an integral part of
the development for both RtDUET and RtEMIS. By trade,
Keith is a certified Professional Engineer, with a Bachelors’
in Electrical Engineering, as well as a B. Science and
Certificate of Applied Science. Though modest regarding
his achievements, Keith is also a prestigious Sexton Scholar
at Dalhousie University.
With over 20 years of industry experience Keith contributed
as a principal partner at ADM Systems Engineering and as
the implementation partner at RtTech. This insight helps
Keith and his product development team ensure that
RtTech’s products integrate the latest technical capabilities
and deliver the most effective results for its customers.
Trusting his Team on Every Mode
Leading a global firm of his own, Keith believes every CEO
needs to be able to fully trust his team. If a CEO has his or
her hands in too many pots, so to speak, then they will
undoubtedly burn themselves out. Besides, you hired your
team for a reason, so trust them to do their jobs and offer
support as needed. “This became apparent to me when I
would scratch off my action items to bring up during our
meetings, and the team would have covered all of these
topics even before I had the chance to speak. In several
occasions, I was the one taking notes at the end. A
successful CEO should position his or her team to thrive in
their roles within the organization,” he adds.
Trust in Yourself and Your Team is the Key
When asked to advise young entrepreneurs entering the
market, Keith asks them not to fear failure. There will be
bumps along the road, but that is part of entrepreneurialism.
Leverage your mentors and your team around you and trust
the talent within your organization and the quality of your
product or services, Keith says.
“We have seen a shift in the industry toward IIoT and we
have grabbed our surfboards and are riding the wave. IIoT
can narrow the gap between the ‘big guy’and the ‘little
guy’by providing the same quality of analytic services, but
at a fraction of the cost. On top of creating a more
competitive manufacturing landscape, we are now able to
connect more assets for data collection than before. With
more data at hand, clients are able to make increasingly
informed business decisions to improve their production
and energy efficiency,” Keith shares on the future of
industry.
Keith Flynn
Founder CEO
RtTech Software
47December 2017
