This edition features a handful of The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch across several sectors that are at the forefront of leading us into a digital future.
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The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch.pdf
1. Comprehensive Aspects
How Transformative Leadership
Approach is Enabling Betterments
in the Modern Industry
Key Factors
Understanding the
Essential Elements of
Organizational Leadership
Issue 01 | Feb | 2023
4. Editor’s
Note
Gemstones
in the
Spotlight
Gender never determines an individual’s leadership
abili es. Instead, organiza ons must assess
leadership poten al by evalua ng individual
strengths and personality traits. Regardless of the type of
business, you're running, or even the industry that you're
opera ng in, to say that strong leaders are important is
something of an understatement.
In truth, they're essen al - not only for providing a much-
needed perspec ve on the direc on that a business is
taking but also in terms of the types of quali es that they
bring to the table that you're unlikely to find anywhere
else.
One of the most invaluable traits that leaders bring to the
table is their sense of awareness. They typically try to look
at the bigger picture first, but then break a situa on down
into the finer details to see what is really going on
underneath. They tend to a empt to understand a
situa on as organically as possible by asking the right
ques ons at the right me, rather than bending a situa on
to their own will.
To be a great leader, you must not limit yourself to
becoming an expert in your own industry only. Good
leaders have the ability to see what bigger role they have
to play. They take the me to look at the bigger picture and
5. figure out how they can be relevant. These personali es
always look ahead and ways to get opportuni es for
themselves and others.
They have a vision, which allows them to stay ahead and be
an inspira on to other people. And so, it isn’t surprising
that when it comes to making illustrious career moves, you
can always count on leaders to know what they are doing
and what they want to achieve.
These resilient leaders have been immensely contribu ng
to enabling transforma ons in the modern industrial
sector; in fact, today’s segments are looking at the
defini ve rise in the number of inspiring business leaders
making huge strides in the field.
Indulging in the innova ons of these resolute leaders, The
CIOWorld, through its latest edi on, “The 10 Most
Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch,” highlights the
charismas who are symbolizing excellence and
transforming the facets of the modern business arena.
Flip through the pages and have a Wonderful Read!
Abhh Jhi
6. 0
0
Dieter
Marlovic
Defining Brilliance
with Visionary Ideas
20
28
Articles
Comprehensive Aspects
How Transformative Leadership
Approach is Enabling Betterments
in the Modern Industry
Key Factors
Understanding the
Essential Elements of
Organizational Leadership
7. 3
CO
TE
T Ellen Voie
The Torchbearer for
Women in Transporta on
2
2
Ibrahim Can Narin
A Solu on-Oriented,
Innova ve and
Dynamic Leader
1
Alice Veglio
A Renowned Interna onal
Personal Trainer and Women
Empowerment Ac vist
Stephanie Darvill
Making Educa on more Dynamic
and Accessible by Providing more
Equitable Learning Opportuni es
9. S
Bright & Fitness Program
aliceveglio.com
Alice Veglio
CEO and Founder
Alice Veglio is considered
as one of the most
prominent interna onal
personal trainers and
women empowerment
ac vist in Italy and
interna onally.
Air New Zealand
airnz.co.nz
Elle Holdich
Head of Opera ons
Elle combines strategy,
cri cal thinking and
crea vity to deliver
impac ul communica ons
solu ons that drive brand
awareness and enhance
an organisa on's
corporate reputa on.
Women In Trucking
womenintrucking
Ellen Voie
President and CEO
Ellen Voie is an
interna onally recognized
speaker and authority on
gender diversity and
inclusion for women
working in non-tradi onal
careers in transporta on.
Columbia University
columbia.edu
Eric Shea
Senior Director
Eric oversees ini a ves to
increase alumni
engagement and alumni
financial support including
Reunion Weekend, regional
and iden ty-based alumni
clubs, and ac vi es to
promote the success of
alumnae, including the
Women’s Leadership Circle.
DHL Express
dhl.com
Chitra Shinde
VP
Chitra creates value for
customers, is easy to work
with and skilfully
implements changes.
Featuring
Company
Brief
Featuring
Company
Brief
Featuring
Company
Brief
RoboSig
robosig.com
Dieter Marlovics
CEO
Dieter is a seasoned
technology entrepreneur
who thrives on the
successful execu on of
visionary ideas as well as
funding, building and
leading the teams required
to make them happen.
KN & Partners
knspartners.com
Ibrahim Canin
Partner
Ibrahim succeeded in
being one of the leading
names in the field of law
with his successful due
diligence, compliance, and
acquisi on projects. KN&
Partners is ge ng bigger
and be er day by day
through Ibrahim's and his
teams’ success.
Post Holdings
postholdings.com
Melissa Torres
Supervisor
Melissa is an exemplary
leader, curious to
implement diverse
approaches to enable
novel es in the modern
business arena.
Aline
alinebe er.com
Stephanie Darvill
Co-founder & COO
Stephanie is a skilled
leader and a public
speaker with a passion for
lifelong learning,
des gma sing mental
health, and diversity,
equity and inclusion in
entrepreneurship.
Impulse 4 Women
impulse4women.org
Taryn Andersen
Founder and Execu ve Director
Taryn aims to higher
female-led tech & also
social impact
entrepreneurs'
investments, connec ng
them with investors.
11. Dieter
Marlovics
Defining Brilliance with
Visionary Ideas
Dieter feels that, as a company,
RoboSig should be pu ng its money
where its mouth is, so it made total
sense to fund future opera onal
growth by using its own product,
which has the unique ability of
mone zing itself.
12. In 2015, Dieter founded and provided seed funding for
ReallyColor, LLC, which developed patented technology
that enables people to turn their photos into coloring pages
and custom coloring books. ReallyColor is popular with
large businesses creating their own custom ReallyColor
coloring books to use as unique and effective marketing
tools. The company has also sold physical and digital gift
cards in Toys "R" Us, BJ's Wholesale, Sam's Club, and
others.
In addition to his other numerous business ventures, Dieter
has written several book chapters and articles that discuss
his leadership and management philosophy as it relates to
technology. He is also a singer-songwriter, having released
a handful of songs sold digitally on iTunes and other digital
retailers in over a dozen different countries.
A Benchmark of Iconic Reliability
Founded in 2016, RoboSig has delivered multiple FX
trading strategies and a variable yield cash management
alternative that have delivered consistently superior returns
at low risk when compared with traditional solutions.
RoboSig’s thesis is that the global monetary system acts as
a giant ‘rubber band ball.’ When pieces are stretched, they
are always, at least partially, pulled back. RoboSig seeks to
mine this global stability that allows the world economic
engine to function.
Below are the primary product offerings by RoboSig:
RoboSig CMA PLUS- Cash Management Alternative
PLUS RoboSig CMA PLUS adds a bit of leverage with the
goal of outperforming conventional low-risk investments
like commercial paper, ST bonds, CDs, and so on by
offering better returns. The $6 trillion+/day foreign
exchange market's deep liquidity and flexibility are used by
this autonomous FX trading strategy to generate steady
returns in the context of today’s rate environment.
RoboSig ALPHA- Similar to RoboSig CMA, RoboSig
ALPHA is a SaaS platform that has been tuned to produce
alpha returns with a far lower risk profile than conventional
fund trading strategies. You choose how much alpha you
want to produce before "turning the dial" to the maximum
level of leverage you are prepared and able to use.
RoboSig’s team of quantitative engineers and trading
professionals consults with clients to best service their risk
appetite.
The sign of a visionary leader is the capacity to
proceed forward in the face of obstacles toward
accomplishing a goal or finishing a task. They
experiment with fresh ideas, methods, or approaches in
search of uncommon chances while maintaining their
attention. People frequently describe these leaders as tough
and tenacious because they're driven to overcome obstacles
and accomplish their objectives.
One such visionary leader is Dieter Marlovics, Chief
Executive Officer at RoboSig. He is an experienced
technology entrepreneur who gets great satisfaction from
investing in, creating, and working with other entrepreneurs
to facilitate innovation, form a cohesive execution plan,
make an investment, and provide positive energy to help
take that first step and get through the inevitable difficult
times.
Dieter was born in Chicago, but his family has Austrian
roots and so, growing up, he spent the first couple years of
his life, as well as many summers, in Vienna. Through his
teenage years, he played competitive tennis, went on to play
for Northwestern University and dabbled in the US
professional satellite circuit.
Dieter graduated from Northwestern University with a
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA
from the Kellogg School of Management.
A Bequest of Excellence
Dieter launched his first company when he was 14 years
old. He genuinely enjoys collaborating with other business
owners to foster creativity, create a coherent execution plan,
make an investment, or offer inspiration for taking the first
step and overcoming the inevitable challenges.
Dieter co-founded HyperMeals.com, his first technology
company, in 1997 to enable online food ordering from
nearby restaurants for delivery. He was then introduced to a
small Chicago floor brokerage firm, which didn't even have
email, let alone any significant technology whatsoever.
He saw this as a golden opportunity and had some
discussions with the CEO of Gelber Group, LLC, to invest
in a division for electronic trading. As CIO for the next
decade, Gelber Group developed into a highly successful
international algorithmic trading firm with over $100
million in capital and more than nine data centers in three
different countries. In 2011, Dieter sold his ownership
interest.
13. Richard Preschern – CIO/Co-founder: From 2000 to 2014,
Richard worked as an independent FX trader and electronic
market-maker on and off the CME. After that, he shifted his
attention to creating completely automated FX methods. In
addition to determining the firm’s continuing research
agenda, Richard is in charge of managing the strategic
direction for the RoboSig product. In 1997, Richard earned
a B.S. in Economics from Northwestern University and is
expecting to complete his MBA from Quantic in 2023.
Yixin Xie, CFA, Quantitative Engineering and Analysis
Manager: At League Trading, LLC, Yixin worked as a
quantitative trader, building, and creating algorithmic
trading systems in the area of agricultural commodities
before joining RoboSig. He is in charge of and directs the
quantitative engineering and analysis effort. Yixin is a
CFA® charter holder and possesses a Bachelor of Science
in Mathematics and Accounting from the University of
Tulsa as well as a master’s in mathematical finance from the
Illinois Institute of Technology.
Chun “James” Kan, System Operations Manager: Since
2005, James has worked in the trading sector. At Lerner
Trading Group, LLC, he participated in a market-making
team on the CBOT trading floor and at the Chicago
Mercantile Exchange. Before that, he worked as a
researcher in the Department of Theoretical and Applied
Mechanics at the University of Illinois in Urbana-
Champaign, Illinois.
In the world of finance, a lengthy live track record is
paramount. Simulated back tests are valuable in how they
present the potential of a trading strategy, but when you are
looking to find third party capital allocations, without a live
track record you will have to find a partner willing to take a
chance on you. The initial live client track for RoboSig
launched in 2016, and the results were phenomenal.
Between then and March 2020, RoboSig fiduciary clients
had allocated over $270Million of their own capital (or
their investors’ capital) onto the RoboSig strategy. When
Covid hit the markets in 2020, many of our clients were
greatly affected by the volatility and so decided to shut
down many of their funds. Unfortunately, while the
RoboSig strategy was able handle the Covid surprise quite
well considering, 2020 was definitely the year the business
was in survival mode.
RoboSig did survive and is currently executing an
aggressive growth phase. In 2022, the company raised some
money and launched a proprietary trading account.
Dieter says, “It made total sense to fund our future
operational growth by using our own product, which has the
unique ability of monetizing itself.”
Additionally, in partnership with Arb Asset Management,
the RoboSig strategy will be available to qualified investors
for private placement via the Arb RoboSig Alpha Gen Fund,
which is being launched in January 2023.
Adding to this scenario, Dieter says, “Not only is the fund
an easy way for qualified investors anywhere in the world
to place their own capital onto the RoboSig FX Strategy,
but all RoboSig team members are participating via their
own personal allocations of cash into the fund. I feel that if
the team who developed and is running the strategy day in
and day out has their own skin in the game, it sends a very
strong message of trust to our investors and partners.”
A Team that Exhibits Sheer Brilliance
The RoboSig dream team has created autonomous,
systematic, and AI-supported market-neutral currency
trading techniques to develop the most consistent risk-
adjusted returns ever seen in the FX sector. These strategies
are combined with automated risk management.
In addition to Dieter as CEO, other individuals whose
names are success pillars of RoboSig's unparalleled
achievements are listed as:
Dieter believes that
the RoboSig
strategy would be
successful in a
number of different
asset classes and
not only in FX.
14. Shielded by Top-Tech Advancements
Any bank, prime broker, or private execution infrastructure
can integrate with RoboSig technology. With the help of AI
supported calibrations and eventual inline machine
learning, the RoboSig FX strategy detects and exploits price
anomalies to maximize both its returns and Sharpe/Sortino
ratios.
Evolving with the Emerging Technologies
Dieter believes that RoboSig is only at the cusp of seeing
what things like AI, Machine Learning, and other
automated technologies will evolve into. He expresses,
“In my opinion, what human beings bring to any situation
will not be artificially replicated in whole. Emotions, ethical
decision-making, and moral judgments are things that can’t
be created artificially as it all has to be learned in order for
any autonomous system (or human being) to truly
understand it.”
As humans, the idea of what is considered ethical or moral
stems primarily from survival instincts developed and
passed down over millennia entrenched in the human
experience. An artificially intelligent technology could
conceivably learn these things in a much shorter amount of
time, but it will do so from a machine experience
perspective, not a human one. Dieter’s view of successful
automation now and in the future leans more towards ‘auto-
pilot’ vs. ‘autonomous.’
RoboSig ALPHA is a SaaS pla orm that
has been tuned to produce alpha returns
with a far lower risk profile than
conven onal fund trading techniques.
15. He shares, “In our case, the RoboSig FX Strategy does
trade autonomously; however, there is always a team of
people watching every trade and ready to intervene if an
emergency ever warrants it since, in the world of finance,
capital preservation is key.”
Indulging in the Pearls of Wisdom
Sharing a valuable piece of advice for budding aspirants
who are willing to venture into strategy optimization and
risk management solutions in the modern industry, Dieter
shares, “The best products and services are created from a
place of need versus a place of wanting to create something
great. That doesn’t mean you can’t decide you want to build
the next best thing and be successful at it, but it comes with
its own set of additional challenges.”
He sheds light on a scenario, stating, “In the case of
RoboSig, Co-founder and Chief Investment Officer,
Richard Preschern, created the initial concept of the
RoboSig strategy as a risk management tool he needed to
utilize as a hedge for his own market-making endeavors.”
Embracing the Future Roadmap
The future of RoboSig will consist of growing the total
amount of capital allocated to the strategy. Its projected
R&D pipeline is also quite deep. Dieter believes that the
RoboSig strategy has the ability to branch out into other
asset classes beyond only trading in the FX space. This will
require some serious R&D work to prove out and will be an
integral part of RoboSig’s next chapter.
16. I was born in Chicago, but my family has Austrian roots, and so, growing up, I spent the first couple years of my life
as well as many summers in Vienna. Through my teenage years, I played competitive tennis, went on to play for
Northwestern University, and dabbled in the US professional satellite circuit. These days, my most important role is
to be a dad. I started my first business when I was 14 years old and truly enjoy working with other entrepreneurs to
facilitate innovation, form a cohesive execution plan, make an investment, and provide positive energy to help take
that first step and get through the inevitable difficult times.
In 1997, I co-founded my first technology startup called HyperMeals.com, which enabled online food ordering from
local restaurants for delivery. In 1999, I saw an opportunity in the electronic futures trading space when I noticed a
small Chicago floor brokerage firm didn’t so much as have email, let alone any meaningful technology whatsoever. I
pitched the CEO of Gelber Group, LLC, to fund the building of an electronic trading division inside the firm. Over
the next decade, as Chief Information Officer and my incessant entrepreneurial drive, Gelber Group evolved to
become a highly profitable global algorithmic trading firm with over $100 Million in capital and more than nine data
centers in three different countries. I sold my ownership stake in 2011.
In 2015, I launched and provided seed funding for ReallyColor.com where we built patented technology that lets
you turn your photos into coloring pages and custom coloring books. The company is still around today and going
strong. ReallyColor is a popular draw for large businesses creating their own custom ReallyColor coloring books to
use as unique and effective marketing tools. We’ve also sold physical and digital gift cards in Toys "R" Us, BJ's
Wholesale, Sam's Club, and others.
In 2019, I joined RoboSig as Chief Technology Officer and, in 2021, was asked to lead as CEO.
The Words of an Adept Leader
Dieter is an experienced
technology entrepreneur
who gets great sa sfac on
from inves ng in, crea ng,
and managing the teams
needed to carry out
crea ve ideas.
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18. Awoman's ability to lead is
only constrained by the
constraints placed on her by
her surroundings. Women are asked
what they want to become when they
grow up when they are still youngsters,
suggesting that there is only one thing
they can be (just a wife, just an
entrepreneur, or just an athlete).
A woman may be anything, which is
something that many people fail to
realize. A woman may have it all—be a
devoted wife, a successful business-
woman, a talented athlete, and a caring
mother. The actual barrier to many
women's success is stereotypes.
Because of this, Alice Veglio's
company and everyday mission are to
show that women shouldn't give up on
their goals and that they can be
anything they want to be in life. One of
the best-known international personal
trainers and an advocate for women's
empowerment in Italy and internation-
ally is Alice Veglio, CEO and
Founder of Bright & Fit Fitness
Program.
Additionally, she has walked the
runway at the most significant fashion
events and posed for companies and
photographers all over the world in
prominent locales like Paris, Dubai,
Rome, the Maldives, and Qatar, to
name a few.
Her face is well-known for having
hosted significant events that were
broadcast across all of Italy, for having
participated in some of the most
renowned fashion weeks worldwide,
and for having appeared in countless
commercials and music videos,
including those for The Kolors and
Shade in 2018.
Early Beginnings
From an early age, Alice started to
pose for fashion brands for kids, and at
the age of 15, she had her modeling
debut in her first fashion show for
Vogue. Her profile also lists her work
as a Moto GP and Juventus spokesper-
son up until 2014, when she gained
entry to the Miss Italy final. In 2016,
Alice finished second at Miss
International Model, and the following
year, she finished second at Miss
Europe. In 2017, Alice also won the
Miss Earth Italy Air title.
In 2019, Alice reached 2nd place at the
Miss Multiverse World Finals in Punta
Cana: the first beauty, intelligence,
fitness, and entrepreneurship
competition in the world for 21st-
century women. She began her career
as a blogger and influencer in 2016,
and she now has over 210,000
followers on social media.
Parallel to the world of entertainment
and world-class modeling, Alice has
achieved important successes in her
studies: a double Italian French
graduation, a degree in Holistic health
sciences (top of her class), a second
degree in economics and business
management, certification as a personal
trainer, a Nutrition Science degree
(Stanford University), life coach
international certification, and
apprenticeships at prestigious United
Nations offices (FAO, WGEO) and
Dubai government offices.
A Renowned International Personal
Trainer and Women Empowerment Activist
The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
16
19. Alice Veglio,
CEO and Founder
Bright & Fit Fitness Program
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
17
20. Alice was a project assistant and then a
sustainability journalist for the Dubai
Carbon Center of Excellence. She was
also the United Nations Office's junior
project manager for WGEO.
A Challenge that Initiated Change
Alice Veglio, born in Italy on July 6,
1995, has had to overcome a serious
health disease since the age of 13: a
diagnosis of a dangerous vertebral
rotation that would have forced her to
give up physical activity for the rest
of her life. Alice has been a ballet
dancer since the age of 3, and this
diagnosis led her to lose all
security and hope in a free and
happy future.
Alice found herself immobi-
lized with a cast on her back,
which made her unable to
even tie her shoes, and,
thanks to the help of valid profession-
als, she managed to avoid undergoing a
dangerous operation. Following the
removal of the plaster from her back,
Alice's life's goal was to enroll in the
top universities, acquire reliable
mobility aids, and dispel her phobia of
being immobile once and for all.
For this reason, in addition to a degree
in marketing and economics from a
university, Alice also holds a number
of certifications in the field of wellness
and health, including a certificate in
holistic sciences for health, a special-
ization in nutrition sciences from
Stanford University, a personal trainer
certificate, a yoga teacher certificate,
and a certificate in bioenergetic manual
techniques.
At the end of her studies, Alice had the
information she needed to see her body
healed, changed, and finally able to
move without risk to her spine. This
amazing outcome consequently made
Alice want to spread the word about
the technique that had enabled her to
get back into excellent shape, boost her
self-esteem, and go beyond the
boundaries she had previously believed
she was capable of. Alice's dual degree
in two crucial fields, economics and
health, attracted the attention of
various government agencies, includ-
ing Dubai Carbon and the Dubai
government office dedicated to the
green economy.
She first worked as a project assistant
and later as a sustainability journalist
before moving on to the WGEO office
of the United Nations. At the young
age of 23, Alice began working at the
UN WGEO Dubai office in the position
of junior project manager. Despite the
enormous satisfaction she had working
for these significant organizations,
Alice felt a growing urge to be able to
contribute to the world on her own
terms while continuing to use the
From an early
age, Alice
started to pose
for fashion
brands for kids,
and at the age of
15, she had her
modeling debut
in her first
fashion show for
Vogue.
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
18
21. method that had improved her health
and physical appearance years earlier.
In 2018, she launched her fitness
program, and within the first year, she
had over 30.000 members in Italy and
around the world. In addition to
providing high-quality, verified
information on fitness and health, Alice
works hard to empower as many
women as she can to realize their full
potential. This quest's origins can be
traced back to Alice's childhood, when
a terrible and fatal spinal condition was
discovered in her.
With the first 100% Italian fitness
program application available on the
major stores (Apple and Android), the
ambitious "Bright & Fit Fitness
Program" initiative seeks to introduce a
cutting-edge idea of digital wellness
and women's empowerment to Italy.
It is therefore for this reason that Alice
officially launched in January 2019 in
the United Arab Emirates her first start-
up dedicated to holistic fitness and
female empowerment, which today has
more than 35,000 women registered
and in its first two years has reached
over 1 million dollars in turnover:
Bright & Fit. Today, Alice is a highly
in-demand motivational speaker for
women's empowerment events, a
successful businesswoman and fitness
teacher renowned for reinventing the
fitness industry, and an international
athlete competing in Ironman races and
fitness competitions.
Virtual Fitness Offerings
Bright & Fit is a company founded by
a woman for women with the deep
desire to enable even those with
limited time, who are unable to train in
a gym, or who do not have access to
fitness equipment, to train with the best
results in 15 to 30 minutes per day
without the need for equipment and
just by using their smartphone. Bright
& Fit is the first online holistic fitness
program with medical certification in
Italy.
Today, women from all over the world
can have everything they need in one
click to keep active and happy thanks
to Bright & Fit's cutting-edge native
app, which is currently accessible in
the Apple and Google stores. Bright &
Fit is not just a fitness program, it is a
personal transformation tool that aims
to help women redesign their percep-
tion of their limits and help them
through home fitness, mindset
exercises, and nutritional advice to
regain self-esteem and a better quality
of life.
Currently, Bright & Fit has a team of
over 25 people who are solely focused
on the project, and the amazing
outcomes that participants have
experienced have prompted numerous
publications and television networks to
feature Alice, including: Forbes Italia,
Forbes India, RAI 3, La print, Thrive
Global, Yahoo Finance, the California
Herald, and London Daily Post.
Alice was recognized as a successful
case study for the world of female
empowerment in November 2021 on
the stage of WomenXImpact, one of
the most significant events of
entrepreneurship and female empower-
ment at the international level. In
December 2022, Alice won the
healthcare leadership award in Dubai
during the international event Health
2.0.
On Mission to Improve Women
Health
Alice’s greatest ambition in her
everyday life is to be able to make a
concrete difference and make an
effective contribution to the lives of
women regardless of their physical,
geographical, and social conditions.
She states,
“My main goal is to allow people to
live better, reconsider their potential,
and become aware that anything is
possible in life. This vision character-
izes every innovation and initiative in
the company." It’s for that reason that
in June 2021, she and her team started
an important charity project called
"Bright & Fit Cares," through which
we offer concrete help to women with
physical or social difficulties. She adds,
“Our first initiative was to support
ANDOS, one of the most important
breast cancer prevention and treatment
organizations in Italy.”
Vision for the Future
In the coming years, Alice wishes to
see herself at the peak of her profes-
sion as an entrepreneur, coach, and
athlete. Alice aspires to influence
change in the fields of female fitness
and women's empowerment in the
future. The first film or documentary
on Bright & Fit's life is being released
this year, and she will be participating
in more live events with hundreds of
women from Italy and other countries.
Every day, the team strives to make
Bright & Fit a business that can stand
for innovation, quality, and the ability
to influence the online fitness industry.
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
19
23. everal business organizations struggle to
Simprove the situation in the organization. A
change in the leadership approach can be an
effective alternative. A new approach to
transformational leadership has emerged as a game-
changing methodology that has brought about the
change internally across the departments changing
the complete work culture through enhancements in
quality, services, communication, employee
efficiency, and increase in customer satisfaction.
Several business organizations have effectively
implemented transformational leadership and have
reached higher levels of success.
Quality Enhancement
The new leadership approach aims at implementing
process optimization systems that identify and
record the present work structure and highlight the
areas of improvement by bifurcating the activities
and the time taken. Defining the quality levels, the
teams are directed in working with care, focus and
responsibility to reduce errors and operational
losses. It also guides people in minimizing the
wastage of raw materials, consumables, and product
damages during operational procedures. Employees
are involved in product development activities
where they can contribute with greater involvement
and efficiency. The team members are encouraged to
participate in enhancing the product attributes from
the basic utility purpose to refining the aesthetics,
look and feel and packaging as well.
Better Service
Service plays a vital role in the modern business
world. Several businesses become complacent with
the sales figures brought in. However, the sales
demand prompt and enthusiastic customer service.
This includes product delivery, demonstration,
installation, client orientation about the product, and
all the details. The service includes attending to
customer queries, doubts, and complaints (if any)
with an open and patient attitude. Good customer
service helps in understanding product performance,
ascertaining the functional aspects, and generating
customer goodwill. Prompt and timely service helps
calm the aggressive and demanding customers
eventually making them loyal well-wishers of the
organization.
How
Transformative
Leadership
Approach Enabling
Betterments
ModernIndustry
inthe
?
is
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
21
24. The service category has the potential of raking in
approximately 17% of repeat orders and 12% of orders
from the references of satisfied customers.
Inspiring Values
People join business organizations for working for their
livelihood and for learning some new aspects of the
industry. But what retains them is the captivating code of
ethics. Companies that have a strong foundation of values
create a sense of oneness with the employees. The
workforce feels organized, motivated and rightly
channelized. Working on their specific departmental KRAs,
the employees bond with the organization emotionally and
psychologically. The vision statement showcases where the
company is aiming at and so the employees too work with a
motivated mindset. Mission statement and the quality
policy instruct and guide the employees, associates, and the
industry on how the company is going forward with its
implementation of the plans.
Goal-based Mindset
Everyone works for their KRAs but the prominent
contributors are those who go beyond the basics to achieve
the extraordinary. Not just through a handful of ambitious
performers, transformational leadership puts forth a clear
goal-based work model for guiding the employees in
working in the right direction. The goal-based thinking
helps employees to prioritize their tasks and work
efficiently. This leads to better team bonding and team spirit
for working together and completing the scheduled targets
collectively. It makes everyone accountable and responsible
with a higher value for the time. The major reason why the
sales teams are very efficient departments is basically due to
their goal-based forward thinking.
Good Communication
Customers need to be communicated about the product and
services clearly. The next follow-ups regarding the
maintenance, service renewal, accessories and part
changeover, and feedback from the clients are very
necessary. Regular communication helps in several aspects
of conveying the requirements, getting to understand the
customer needs, Customer Relationship Management
(CRM) has emerged as an important function that has added
to approximately 27% of the business from the old and
existing customers. Steady engagement with the customers
aims to fulfill their requirements, address their queries, and
-KedarBorgaonkar
build trust in the organization. Consistent communication
has attributed to the success of the business over the
competitors offering similar brackets of products or
services. Even the vendors and associates value
communication and strive to enrich the association with
their valuable inputs, ideas, and contributions for new
market opportunities.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
The entire culture of the organization undergoes a
fundamental change of attitude toward looking at the work.
With the steady rise in product quality, service, and
efficiency, the customers get their expected returns within
the committed time frames. Their purpose getting fulfilled,
and customers feel valued and respected.
This valuable customer satisfaction proves very useful in
creating a league of loyal customer base. Satisfied
customers offer valuable references of other clients thereby
contributing to the growing business. The word of mouth
publicity happens through satisfied and happy customers
who have been associated with the organization for a long
period of time.
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
22
25.
26. The Torchbearer for
Women in Transportation
With a passion for creating a more gender-diverse
culture in the transportation industry and
looking for opportunities to serve at the director
level on corporate boards, Ellen Voie has shifted tides on
the business world's perspective.
As the President & CEO of Women In Trucking, a non-
profit organization, Ellen aims to encourage women's
employment in the trucking industry by promoting their
accomplishments and minimizing women's obstacles in the
industry.
We caught up with Ellen and discussed her increasing
business performance, innovation, and newer perspectives.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please enlighten our readers about your company
highlighting its significance in the modern industry.
The Women In Trucking Association, Inc. is a non-profit
trade/professional organization with the mission to increase
the presence of women employed in the trucking industry,
address obstacles these women might encounter, and
celebrate their successes. We were the first organization to
provide a voice to women in the trucking industry. Whether
in the cab of a truck or the corner office, women are
underrepresented in transportation careers. We have
changed the industry by telling stories of these women who
have been pioneers and trailblazers. Today, we represent
nearly 8,00 corporate and individual members in ten
countries. Fifteen percent of our members are men who
support our mission. We are the largest and most influential
organization to give women in the trucking industry a
voice.
Tell us about yourself and shed some light on your
professional tenure in the niche.
My journey starts in a small town in central Wisconsin. My
father was a business owner, and my mother was a
homemaker. They encouraged me (and my four siblings) to
pursue our dreams, regardless of gender stereotypes. In high
school, I pursued industrial arts instead of home economics,
so I learned welding, woodworking, drafting, and engine
maintenance. This led me to a drafter position at a steel
fabricating plant, drawing material handling equipment. I
was then asked to move into the traffic department and
given the opportunity to earn my diploma in Traffic and
Transportation Management. I was then promoted to Traffic
Manager and managed all inbound raw steel materials and
outbound material handling equipment, as well as our three
trucks and drivers. This was my start in the trucking
industry.
From there, I used my training to become a transportation
consultant for eighteen years while I raised my family.
During that time, I also earned my bachelor's and Master's
degrees in communication. I wrote my Master's Thesis
about the "Complex Identities of Women Married to
Professional Drivers.”
The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch
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February 2023
24
27. We have
information to
provide these
occupational
areas regarding
increasing
women's
presence in their
industries.
Ellen Voie,
President & CEO
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
25
28. In 2000 I accepted the position of Executive Director at a
non-profit organization called Trucker Buddy International.
In 2006, a large Midwest carrier hired me as Manager of
Retention and Recruiting Programs.
What inspired you to venture into this niche?
I was working for a large trucking company in the Midwest,
and my role was the manager of retention and recruiting
programs. This involved corporate-level initiatives to attract
and retain non-traditional groups, which included women. I
did my research on why women enter the trucking industry
and why they leave. At this time, I was working on
obtaining my private pilot's license and belonged to a
women's aviation organization. It occurred to me that there
wasn't a similar group for women working in the trucking
industry, so that is why I formed Women In Trucking. I
invited a group of influential women to help move the
mission forward, and in our first year, we attracted 500
individual and corporate members.
Tell us about your company's services and solutions to
its clients.
As a non-profit association, our members look to us for
information. So, we conduct many surveys, white issue
papers, and have benchmarking opportunities. They want to
know how to attract more female drivers, advance more
women in leadership, and retain and support their female
employees. We gather their best practices and share them
with our members. We also conduct much research to
provide data and statistics our members can use to increase
their gender diversity efforts.
What initial challenges did your company have to
overcome, and what are the challenges now?
The biggest challenge we had to overcome was establishing
our credibility as an organization that would deliver what
we promised. The first-year people would join because they
wanted to believe in us, but beyond that, we had to prove
that we were providing the resources they needed to create
a more gender-diverse industry, or they wouldn't renew
their membership. The other challenge was that we were
formed in 2007, which was the start of a recession that
affected the industry for the next two years. It was a very
challenging time.
Under your staunch leadership, what is the vision and
mission of your company in the ever-evolving modern
industry?
We want the Women In Trucking Association to lead the
industry in gender diversity. This includes embracing the
LGBTQ+ community, as many professional drivers find a
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
26
29. home in the trucking industry where they are able to do
their job without enduring scrutiny or stereotyping. We also
provide data on everything related to gender, from turnover
rates to safety to customer feedback, and women are
leading the way!
We are also focused on helping our members leverage data
to create change in their organizations.
Please share your valuable opinions on how advanced
automated technology is reshaping the modern industry
and how your organization is leveraging these emerging
technologies to enhance its services and operations.
Those outside the trucking industry see an autonomous
truck in the news and believe that the role of the
professional will be eliminated. My response is that while
the role might change, it won't go away. Even a commercial
airplane with autopilot capabilities continues to require two
pilots in the cockpit during a flight. Autonomous vehicles
add safety features that remove more potential driver error
but still require a human in the event of construction,
inclement weather, or a blown tire. We embrace the
technology but don't believe drivers will disappear in the
near future.
What would you like to advise the budding aspirants
willing to venture into the niche you are catering to?
I advise anyone looking at a trucking career to ask many
questions. Do your homework. Make sure you know what
the role requires and whether it fits you well. There are
many resources, such as our website
(www.womenintrucking.org), to find information and ask
questions. Get a mentor! The trucking industry is a male-
populated environment so expect to be the only female in
the room for a while. We're changing this, but it will take
time to create a more gender-diverse trucking industry.
How do you envision your organization eventually, and
how do you plan to enhance its operations and services
concerning its future goals?
I anticipate the Women In Trucking Association will
continue to grow. This growth will occur geographically in
more countries around the world. We currently have
members in ten countries, but we expect that to expand in
the coming years. We also anticipate growth in other
trucking-related industries, such as towing, final mile
deliveries, warehousing, etc. We have information to
provide these occupational areas regarding increasing
women's presence in their industries.
In 2022, Ellen Voie was named one of the 10
Most Visionary Business Leaders of 2022 by
Fortunes Crown, one of the 10 Most Inspiring
Women Leaders to Follow in 2022 by Insights
Success Magazine, Most Influential Business
Women to Watch in 2022 by Business Berg
Magazine, Leading Light: Most Inspiring Women
Leaders 2022 and Awe-inspiring: Extremely
Impressive Personalities to Watch for 2022 by
The CIO Today, and was featured on the Mid-
America Trucking Show Wall of Fame.
In 2021, she was appointed to a two-year term on
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's
Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, was
recognized in CIO Look's "Empowering Women
into Most Powerful Positions," profiled in
Insights Success: 'A True Inspiration for
Emerging Woman Entrepreneurs' and 'Inspiring
Women Leaders Making a Difference,' named to
Aspioneer's 2021 Elite Women in Business list,
named Most Diligent Businesswomen to watch in
2021 by The Enterprise World, named one of the
Inspiring Business Women to Watch in 2021 by
Business Foster Magazine, and World's 10 Most
Successful Entrepreneurs Making a Difference in
2021 by World's Leaders Magazine.
Awards & Accolades
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
27
31. From several factors that have contributed to the sustenance and
success of organizations is effective business leadership. Guiding
the employees, spreading awareness, and motivating the workforce
towards focused and efficient working, today’s business leaders have
steered organizations to become successful even in challenging situations.
Several entrepreneurs who ambitiously begin their business ventures have
often succeeded due to their inspiring leadership abilities. Let’s analyze
the interesting traits of inspiring business leaders that have led to the
success of their business organizations.
Competent Team Leaders
With a deep understanding of the work process and the role of people in
its execution, leaders communicate very easily and effectively. Talking to
everyone by their name, they build a good team spirit and encourage role
play by delegating tasks to different team members. By imbibing the
importance of working together, they guide and motivate the employees in
effective task execution. Conveying the importance of team effort, the
leaders smartly get several tasks done through their instructional
leadership.
Vision-Oriented
Effective leaders have a vision, and they plan all their business activities
according to the vision. A vision helps to keep the focus and motivates the
employees to work in the direction of the central objective. The workforce
feels the importance of working for the organizational purpose and helps
in self-planning and analysis in their day-to-day schedules. Organizations
with a well-set vision are always focused and mobilized in the required
direction. A proper vision clears all misconceptions and binds everyone
toward the organization’s objectives.
Understanding the
Essential Elements
of Organizational
LEADERSHIP
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February 2023
29
32. Laser-sharp Focus
Regardless of several distractions and challenges propping
up, the leaders work with a laser-sharp focus. They keep a
well-defined approach to tracking every working thread
happening in the process. Besides the individual team
feedback and reports, they develop their own individual
observation about different projects and draw inferences
about the quality, service, time consumed, material and
other parameters. By preventing the change of flow and
possible reduction in momentum, the leaders develop
specific work schedules that set a perfect pace of execution
across the departments.
Passionate Professionals
Modern leaders are passionate professionals who work with
enthusiasm and involvement. Without working in a time-
bracket mode, they focus on doing the work effectively and
with greater dedication. Setting examples through their own
working style, they set a wonderful pattern of working.
Leaders walk up to different teams and ask about their work
progress. They offer to work together teaming up with
different groups making the employees feel valued,
identified, and motivated. They initiate group discussions,
brainstorming sessions, and team bonding activities.
Humility
With their in-depth knowledge and solid domain
experience, the leaders are never boastful about themselves.
They are humble and silent in group activities. Always kind
and humble in their approach. The leaders always allow
different team members to come forward and contribute to
the sessions. This quality of the leaders makes them popular
among the employees, customers, associates and the
industry as well.
Patient Listeners
Listening helps in knowing what others know more than us
and gives them the opportunity to voice their expressions
clearly. When someone listens with interest and enthusiasm,
the individual or the group feels heard, attended and given
the deserving importance. Leaders are patient listeners who
display their uniqueness despite their seniority. Leaders in
fact convey the message that listening patiently can help in
gaining the trust of others and encourage a cohesive
dialogue.
- Shreyasi Shelke
Assertiveness
Business leaders have displayed exceptional assertiveness.
Using polite and respectful language, they put forth their
points that are focused on creating deeper understanding
and acceptance. Even their rejections are not sharp and
offensive, but they emphasize more on the suitable
alternatives. Smartly changing the focus of the discussion,
the leaders effectively tone down the anger or discontent
and help in arriving at mutually beneficial solutions. A large
number of employees cannot comprehend the challenging
scenarios, where the business leaders smartly level things in
the organizational interest.
Empathy
Talking only after proper scrutiny, the leaders adopt a
patient approach to understanding the situation and hearing
individual concerns. This approach of empathy makes them
humane leaders with unanimous support and respect as the
people’s leaders. This capacity to understand or feel what
another person is experiencing from within their frame of
reference, that is, the ability to place themselves in another's
position, makes them popular leaders. Several occasions
pose challenges in the lives of people, the leaders act as the
necessary cushion to comfort and understand their
concerns. They also go to the extent of offering them
support in times of need, giving them the feel of being
members of a big family.
Strict Disciplinarians
Highly organized and time-bound, business leaders are
known for their disciplined routines. If they commit to a
meeting or a training session, they make sure that they
organize their schedules to accommodate the new
commitment. They expect all the board members and the
senior managers to follow the office rules strictly. One of
the crucial traits that makes them effective go-getters and
result-oriented professionals is their quality of self-
discipline. They are tech-savvy and equipped with all the
tools and accessories required for the meeting. Adept in
communication and meeting protocols, the leaders ask
questions randomly and clarify the process for its efficacy.
-KedarBorgaonkar
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
30
35. An ambitious individual who
developed himself in
corporate and maritime law
with solid communication,
interpersonal skills, strategic thinking,
and the ability to inspire trust and
confidence in others, Ibrahim Can
Narin has proven himself to be a
spearhead leader in the business world.
As the Partner at Küçükislamoğlu |
Narin & Partners, he oversees
compliance, legal risks, and ethical
process of several companies and
achieving success for the firm.
KN & Partners provides an innovative
service in the face of developing and
changing legal regulations, alongside
its ability to correctly and
comprehensively respond to the
necessities of the fields.
We caught up with Ibrahim and
discussed his professional journey and
goals.
Below are the highlights of the
interview:
Please enlighten our readers about
your company highlighting its
significance in the modern industry.
Küçükislamoğlu | Narin & Partners is
one of the leading law firms, which has
more than 80 colleagues who are one-
by-one experts on different practice
areas of law. Küçükislamoğlu | Narin
& Partners is one of the outstanding
law firms which has partner offices in
28 countries and has proven itself
significantly in many National and
International Ranking Lists of Rating
Agencies. Küçükislamoğlu | Narin &
Partners services through its dynamic
and experienced team who has been
working on the law practice areas
containing insurance, finance,
accounting, and audit, and has reached
numerous local and international
companies- clients in a short time.
provider in the field of law by finding
solutions to insurmountable problems
related to the subjects I specialized in
the field of law, together with the
approach provided by the training I
received.
Tell us about your company's
services and solutions to its clients.
With its dynamic, expert, and
experienced team, Küçükislamoğlu |
Narin & Partners serves local and
international clients and has earned
professional recognition for its legal
work. The success of our law firm has
been proven by the many authorities
that have rated the law firms. We
protect our clients' rights best by
preserving the confidentiality of their
personal data, especially in the fields of
insurance law, enforcement law, and
commercial law. We provide the most
effective solutions to our clients
regarding the solution of their
problems, and we adopt the problems
of our clients as if they were our
problems. We ensure a safe
environment for our clients so their
concerns will be resolved because they
chose us.
What initial challenges did your
company have to overcome, and
what are the challenges now?
Quality must always be at the forefront
wherever you are and whatever job you
do. The difference our clients have
seen with us so far is the quality of our
service. Everyone learns from their
difficulties and mistakes. This has a
significant role in making our office
what it is today. As the legal
community knows, there is no room
for errors. At the slightest mistake, you
can harm your client. Everyone can
make mistakes, but our job is to predict
and minimize the result of the mistake.
Stress is an indispensable element in
the legal sector. Even on very stressful,
sleepless, and sick days, you should
continue to help your clients.
In total, Küçükislamoğlu | Narin &
Partners provide services to its clients
with more than 50 employees gathered
under one roof.
Küçükislamoğlu | Narin & Partners
integrate the knowledge and
experience of its employees, who are
experts in legal and industrial fields.
This way, it offers its clients the best
legal consultancy service in the
industrial area.
Tell us about yourself and shed some
light on your professional tenure in
the niche.
Ibrahim completed the Marmara
University Faculty of Law in three
years. During his studies, he
specialized in corporate and maritime
law. He upgraded his investing and
purchasing operations after
successfully managing 14 firms'
compliance, legal risk, and ethics
processes.
With his success, persistence, and
entrepreneurship, Ibrahim Can Narin
has become an indispensable part of
the legal sector. In addition to these
responsibilities, he handles more than
100 local and international enterprises'
compliance processes under the
Personal Data Protection Act. Ibrahim
Can Narin has received "Most Valuable
Personal Data Protection Attorney" by
Leaders In Law and numerous awards
in the legal sector. He is still working
as a partner at KN & Partners and as a
mentor at Marmara University.
What inspired you to venture into
this niche?
The fundamental reason I decided to
focus my career path on insurance,
corporate, personal data, and maritime
law is to establish a connection
between people and law in the fields
specified when we take the fields of
international law as a basis. As a result,
I have become a quality service
The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch
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February 2023
33
36. Therefore, this is the biggest challenge
our company has overcome so far. In
any case, communication is our job,
and experiencing communicative
problems is the problem of our age. I
believe that we will overcome this
problem with the dedication of our
team.
Under your staunch leadership, what
is the vision and mission of your
company in the ever-evolving
modern industry?
Our deep-rooted, dynamic and
innovative team continues its success
with its current system.
Küçükislamoğlu | Narin & Partners has
established based on the motto
"Altogether, to the farthest," and
continues its research and studies
regarding its innovative ideas and
passion, which has adorned with
productivity and established its service
understanding on these basic
principles.
Please share your valuable opinions
on how advanced automated
technology is reshaping the modern
industry and how your organization
is leveraging these emerging
technologies to enhance its services
and operations.
The junction point of technology and
law is communication. For this reason,
we benefit from technological solutions
within the team and our working
system with our clients. Our office
layout and working environment are
improving as technology develops.
Since we have a large team, we use
different software systems to ensure
that the legal systems used in our
country are accessible to each team
member. In addition, we have other
software systems for meetings, etc., in
order to provide ease of access to our
clients.
Considering that the approach we have
adopted so far has not misled us, we
will exhibit the same approach more
successfully from now on. Thus, since
our successes have increased visibly up
to this point, we continue to work to be
more successful and serve our clients
better from this day forth.
Please give us a few testimonials of
your clients/customers and a list of
awards/recognitions that accurately
highlight your organization's
position as a prominent company in
the sector.
We provide legal consultancy services
to the leading big founding companies
of Turkey. We represent Turkey's
leading insurance company, Turkiye
Sigorta A.Ş, the Magdeburger Sigorta
A.Ş, and the Güvence Hesabı under
state protection by proxy. Petrol Ofisi,
Albayraklar Holding, and many
leading fleet companies are among our
important clients.
In 2018, Küçükislamoğlu | Narin &
Partners was deemed worthy of the
"Most Innovative and Global Law
Firm Award" by Global Legal Matters.
The Founder and Global Managing
Partner Mehmet Burak
Küçükislamoğlu were nominated from
Turkey to be on the list of Who's Who
Legal (WWL). In 2019, he was
awarded the "Most Valuable Contracts
Law Attorney" by Leaders In Law. The
other partner of KN & Partners,
Ibrahim Can Narin, has received "Most
Valuable Personal Data Protection
Attorney" from Leaders In Law.
What would you like to advise the
budding aspirants willing to venture
into the niche you are catering to?
I recommend they try to adapt to the
modern world's conditions. They
should be bold in making revisions and
taking proactive steps, especially
regarding mission and vision, when
necessary in the ever-renewing and
changing sector conditions. They
should adopt a solution-oriented way
of thinking and develop themselves in
the field they have determined instead
of turning to the areas where everyone
is in demand, trying to create issues
that still need to be discovered with the
development of technology.
How do you envision your
organization eventually, and how do
you plan to enhance its operations
and services concerning its future
goals?
Our deep-rooted, dynamic and
innovative team continues its success
with its current system.
Küçükislamoğlu | Narin & Partners has
established based on the motto ''All
together, to the farthest'' and continues
its research and studies regarding its
Innovative ideas and passion, which
has adorned with productivity and
established its service understanding
on these basic principles.
Küçükislamoğlu Narin
& Partners is one of
the leading law firms,
which has more than
80 colleagues who
are one-by-one
experts on different
practice areas of law.
www.thecioworld.com
February 2023
34
37.
38. Stephanie
Darvill
Making Education more Dynamic and Accessible by Providing
more Equitable Learning Opportunities
The combination of learning
science, technology,
management, and a strong
passion can lead to great success in any
field. Science and technology provide a
solid foundation for innovation and
problem-solving, while management
skills allow for effective decision-
making and organization.
With a passion to build a learning
platform that drives individuals to
pursue their goals with dedication and
determination, Stephanie Darvill co-
founded Aline, a data-driven learning
app to drive your career and
organization with efficiency and
curiosity.
Stephanie is a driving force behind the
company’s operations and business and
product development. She has over 9
years of experience working in
business strategy and building teams
internationally (in Spain, Chile,
Germany, Austria, Sweden, the U.K. &
Zambia.) Stephanie is motivated by
changing the way "we learn, grow, and
develop.”
been driven to start a company, and she
feels that her diverse life experiences
have equipped her well for the thrilling
adventure of entrepreneurship.
Stephanie has always been
entrepreneurial in spirit, even while
working in corporate jobs. The projects
that most motivated and enthused her
at work were those that involved
challenging the status quo,
collaborating with colleagues, and
seeing ideas come to fruition. When
she met her co-founders, they shared a
common belief in lifelong learning and
felt that the current education system
was flawed and prevented many
individuals from reaching their full
potential in their career and getting the
opportunities they deserved. They
recognized that possessing a degree
does not necessarily reflect one's true
knowledge and passions. This
realization led to the creation of Aline.
The world is ever-changing, so a
degree obtained 15 years ago is also
not very useful in the workplace if the
individual hasn’t updated their
knowledge since then.
Stephanie, the co-founder of Aline,
holds a degree in International
Management and Spanish from the
University of Bath, U.K. She has
extensive experience in business
development, particularly in the travel
industry, with a focus on consumer
insights and market research. Her
background and expertise have been
instrumental in launching the new
product.
Born in London, U.K., Stephanie
currently resides in Malmö, Sweden,
and is fluent in English, and Spanish,
and has a strong command of Swedish.
Her inquisitive nature leads her to
delve into understanding people's
behavior and attitudes, and she is
committed to continuous learning and
growth. These qualities inspired her to
start Aline with her two co-founders.
Joining Entrepreneurial League
Stephanie is an ambitious and daring
individual with a background in
competitive Taekwondo and
kickboxing for 11 years and a wealth
of travel experience, having lived in 7
different countries. She has always
The 10 Most Inspiring Business Leaders to Watch
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February 2023
36
39. During this
discussion,
Stephanie
realized that a large
portion of her
previous career in
consumer insights was
focused on knowledge sharing
and trying to encourage more daily
and informal learning amongst her
colleagues. She asserts, "My main
purpose in the company was to
research and understand industry
trends, our customers, and give
recommendations on how to adapt our
business development." She further
adds, "This also included trying to
work out the best way to distribute this
information, and make sure that teams
were interested in doing their own
research and finding new information
about our customers and users
themselves.”
Stephanie had firsthand experience
with the issue being addressed by
Aline. With the ongoing trend of "The
Great Reskilling," there are millions of
people transitioning from one industry
to another, and their resumes do not
accurately reflect their efforts and
acquired skills in their new careers.
This
is where
Aline comes
in to bridge the
gap. Stephanie believes
that Aline will solve this problem by
offering a structured, informal learning
platform which optimizes goal setting,
personalized recommendations and
above all, evidence and validation of
these learning efforts. The app allows
individuals to showcase their learning
progress and acquired skills by sharing
their Aline public profile, effectively
acting as an upgraded, and more
accurate, version of a traditional
resume, or CV 2.0.
Data-Driven Learning Platform
Aline is a data-driven learning
platform that is transforming
professional development. Its app is a
one-stop shop for discovering new
content, curating a personal library,
Stephanie says,
even though
startups are
always short on
resources, they
can never be
short on ambi on
and drive.
Stephanie Darvill,
Co-founder & COO
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February 2023
37
40. collaborating with peers, and providing
evidence of learning efforts. The
company has two main offerings: the
Aline app and the dashboard. The
dashboard, exclusively for Aline's B2B
clients, provides a comprehensive view
of the activity on the Aline app,
allowing organizations to better
understand the learning goals and
preferences of their employees in order
to support them in their growth
journey. Stephanie says, "As we know,
people learn better in a social context,
which is why we have spent a lot of
time developing our app with a focus
on knowledge-sharing and
community." On the dashboard,
companies will also see an overview of
who shares similar learning objectives,
so they can connect, and learn better
together.
Modernizing Learning Process
Aline is a game-changing platform that
helps people and businesses attain their
learning objectives through digital
means. Recognizing the limitations
faced by individuals in accessing
professional development opportunities
due to a lack of traditional education or
outdated skills, Aline is dedicated to
promoting equitable learning
experiences. Its app provides a
structured approach to learning, linked
to specific goals and the capacity to
showcase progress, and is at the
forefront of the Great Resignation and
Great Reskilling movement. Stephanie,
Innocent, and Emanuel founded Aline
in 2021 and have since been dedicated
to refining the platform, ready to
welcome its first users.
Bringing Innovation in Front
Stephanie always says that even
though startups are always short on
resources, they can never be short on
ambition and drive. That is the number
one challenge: financial resources, skill
resources, time resources, headcount
resources and everything else one can
think of. She states, "We have such big
and innovative ideas that I know will
reshape the lifelong learning industry,
and make Aline a success, but working
out where to start and what your core
focus should be is difficult." She
further adds, "You don’t want to limit
yourselves by being too niche and
hindering your growth prospects, but if
you try to achieve everything at once,
you most often will achieve nothing."
So, this is something Stephanie and her
team have to look at every day. They
work with OKRs (objectives and key
results) so that they have a strong focus
to go back to whenever they feel they
are veering off their direction. Aline
also has a quarterly Founder’s Day
where the three founders spend a
whole day, away from devices and day-
to-day responsibilities to review what
they did and didn’t achieve in the last
quarter and what their focus and efforts
need to be in the next quarter and
ahead.
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February 2023
38
41. On a Mission to Fulfill Learning
Needs
At Aline, Stephanie’s mission is to
create more equitable opportunities for
learning by changing the way the team
showcases and validates skills and
knowledge. As a company, the team
values curiosity, adaptability, and
growth, and it is something it reminds
itself of daily.
• Constant Learning and
Curiosity - Aline interal team run
learning sessions for each other to
share knowledge, set our own
learning goals, and then tie those
goals to business objectives.
• Adaptability - We need to have a
willingness to change and adapt
quickly, be prepared to kill our
darlings, and help each other out
when necessary.
• Growth - Make sure one is
always making progress, it
doesn’t need to be in leaps and
bounds, but 1% better each day
leads to a huge amount of growth
and development over time.
• Aligned Autonomy - Something
Aline believes very strongly in is
having "aligned autonomy,"
which means the ability to own
its own projects and run with
them in the way you deem best,
while still being aligned on the
same objectives and goals.
Words for Learners
Stephanie encourages aspiring
entrepreneurs to go after their passion
and not be afraid of the outcome. She
emphasizes the importance of taking
care of one's physical and mental
health and avoiding the harmful "hustle
culture" that is often associated with
startups. She advises keeping the
product aligned with the original
mission and always keeping the
customer in focus, with the product
being just a means to an end. She
suggests considering the value brought
to customers, not just the product's
features.
Heading to Be Leading Learning
Platforms
Stephanie's vision for Aline is to
establish it as a leading global informal
learning platform in the next 5 years.
She believes that technology will play
a crucial role in achieving this goal.
Stephanie wants to ensure that the
company objectives are well-defined,
clearly communicated, and supported
by the entire team. To achieve this, she
focuses on being structured, organized,
and effective in her approach to her
work as COO. Her aim is to keep the
team motivated and simplify processes
to achieve the company's goals and
vision.
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