Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2019

www.ciolook.com
August 2019
Anne Krog
Iversen
Being Mindful of the World around Us
Because
time matters
WOMEN
Leaders Making
a Difference
2019
Inspiring

Why, one Must?
‘Must’—this four syllable word holds enough optimism for
an individual to be decisive and to develop a strong grit to
achieve his or her desired goals. It inspires a person to
implicate efforts and commitment for the work that must
be done. This generates an ideology to give back to the
community; and to ’make a difference’.
There are almost 7.7 billion people in this world, of which
only 1 per cent come up with an act that disrupts the
customary practices initiating new trails for the upcoming
buds. This ’1 per cents’’ understand the signiﬁcance of
’must’ and commit themselves to provide the best of them
for a better personal as well as societal future.
The need of such concept is much required in the current
ever-evolving business world. With above ideology or
thought, one can easily overcome the obstacles and
penetrate the complex walls of a successful business
management. Though some are still striving to create a
difference, many have prevailed in achieving such stature
in their respective sectors. Such avid leaders and
entrepreneurs have proved themselves to wear the attire
of success in less time period.
In this special issue entitled, “Inspiring Women Leaders
Making a Difference, 2019”, CIO LOOK admire some
exceptional women leaders and appreciate their
contribution in the evolution of various industries that
falls into their specialization. Equipped with unique
ideologies and ’must be done’ attitude, these women have
EDITOR’S NOTE

immensely contributed in developing a stable structure in order to roll in the irregular paths of
businesses.
Here is the cover featuring Anne Krog Iversen—Chief People, DNA & Culture Officer of
TimeXtender. Her unorthodox belief on practicing mindfulness to strengthen one brain fitness,
emotional intelligence, and mental and physical well-being, is helping many employees of various
businesses. Prior joining TimeXtender, Anne was responsible for Human Resources and
Marketing. Over period of her service at TimeXtender, she has played an instrumental role in
growing the company globally and helping to attract more than 2600 customers throughout
various regions. This edition describes more about her vision and her goals in upcoming future.
Let’s unveil such alike, inspiring interviews and stories of many such significant women business
leaders in this special edition and spread a word about their contribution in making this world a
better place. Also, flip through the CXO standpoints presented by some of the leading industry
experts to taste the glimpse of industrial revolutions.
Enjoy the read.....
Bhushan Ghate
“Inspiration emerges from an entity that
portrays the true meaning of innovations. ”
Inspiring
Women
Leaders Making
a Difference

Anne Krog
Iversen Being Mindful of the World
around Us
COVER STORY
08

18
Alejandra Guzman
Globally Acclaimed Leader
in Business Management
24
Angela Alvarez
A Proliﬁc Leader with
an Innovative Vision
28
Laura Fleet
Leading Expert in
Health Care Industry
36
Sara Brown
Changing the World by
Changing People’s Minds
CONTENTS
32
Natalie Catliota
Exemplifying Proﬁcient
Leadership
40
Silvia Veronese
Decisive by Action,
Innovator by Heart

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August, 2019
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Anne Krog Iversen
Chief People, DNA & Culture Oﬃcer
TimeXtender

TimeXtender's purpose is
to give businesses instant
access to data, enabling
them to make quality
business decisions with
data, mind and heart.
COVER STORY

I contributed in helping us strategically grow
from a startup in Denmark to one of the
fastest growing private tech companies in the
world. Over the years, we've grown to more
than 3,000 customers worldwide and built a
comprehensive global network of partners to
help service our customer base. Six years ago,
we opened a second headquarters for North
America in Bellevue, Washington. It's been a
tremendous journey, but there's much more
to accomplish.
What was one of your biggest challenges in
managing this rapid growth?
As TimeXtender began to expand, we
experienced trauma by losing a key executive
and close colleague. Then, as the company
began to experience high-paced,
international growth, I determined we
needed a people program to cope with our
loss and help employees identify with each
other by sharing a common purpose greater
than work items, our ambitious growth goals
and life's demands.
In 2015, we rolled out our multi-faceted
corporate mindfulness program with The 7
Habits of Highly Successful People created by
Dr. Stephen R. Covey as a cornerstone.
Corporate mindfulness is now a chief
component of our corporate DNA and who
we truly are as 'X-People' (what we call
ourselves at TimeXtender), as our leaders and
employees daily aim is to create win-win-
wins.
The results of our mindfulness program have
been a game-changing journey for the
organization. Our employees have been given
a source of energy, focus and creativeness.
Being more mindful helps us become more
effective and gives us the life skill tools for
better self-management and decision making.
We encourage staff to practice mindfulness
daily, with only seven minutes a day needed
to keep your brain balanced, but we really
enjoy practicing mindfulness at work. We
host voluntary weekly recharge sessions for
employees that can include meditation, yoga,
breathing, mindful walks, or discussion.
Employees enjoy and look forward to weekly
recharge, as evidenced by up to 50% turnout.
On Fridays, we have team breakfast to
socialize and engage. We call our way of work
'calm effectiveness' as it helps us focus and
M
any of us actually devote more time
at work than we do at home.
And even when we leave work for the
comforts of home life, we often find ourselves
spending time on office work that we brought
with us. When we're done with corporate
tasks, we carry out household chores or
family obligations, leaving little time for
ourselves.
All this responsibility can be mentally taxing.
And while we typically look forward to
vacation to recharge, we now know that we
shouldn't wait for that annual getaway to
recover. Rather, we should soothe our minds
daily. And many of us are doing just that by
practicing mindfulness to strengthen our
brain fitness, emotional intelligence, and
mental and physical wellbeing.
But the challenge can be dedicating the time
to make it a daily occurrence. Despite the fact
that we recognize that we need to combat
how overwhelmed we are with life's
responsibilities, we just keep plugging away,
trying to keep up, with no relief in sight.
With that, progressive business leaders in the
corporate world are now tackling this
epidemic to help their valued employees
reduce stress, anxiety and low energy.
They're doing so by carving out time at the
corporate workplace to practice mindfulness.
One of those executives who's at the
forefront of this movement is Anne Krog
Iversen from TimeXtender. We spoke with
Anne to get an understanding about her
corporate mindfulness program and the
impact it has had on her colleagues.
Can you tell us about your background?
I'm the Chief People, DNA & Culture Officer
and co-founder of TimeXtender. At
TimeXtender, we inspire businesses to make
quality business decisions with data, mind
and heart. This can be done by using our
flagship technology platform Discovery
Hub®, a high-performance data management
platform. We do this for one simple reason:
because time matters.
Before taking on this responsibility, I was
head of both Human Resources and
Marketing. I'm happy to say that at that time,

calm to achieve our goals and deal with demanding
workdays. Offering mindfulness during work is
wonderful as it's a welcomed diversion from our daily
grind to help us heal, find inner peace and focus.
We also implemented a minute of silence to help
attendees regroup, recharge and refocus prior to
meeting commencement. The feedback from people
who participate in a minute of silence has been
overwhelmingly positive. I can't tell you how many
people have said 'thank you,' stating that participating
in that one minute of silence helped them find inner
peace and provided a boost. After witnessing the power
of silence, we've become strong advocates for telling
others about the health benefits derived from silence.
As part of our reinvigorated DNA campaign in 2015, we
spent a lot of time designing the interior of
TimeXtender offices to ensure harmony, peace and
tranquility. Our office artifacts and symbols foster a
more mindful business climate and support
effectiveness and innovative energy. I'm proud
to say that our interior design was named
‘one of the six coolest offices in Europe’
by Inc.com.
Because TIME matters.

Is TimeXtender's Discovery Hub®
and mindfulness congruent in any
way?
Interestingly, when people discover
that we have a corporate
mindfulness program they often ask
about our software ourvis-à-vis
mindfulness culture. The linking
factor is that Discovery Hub® and
mindfulness both free up your mind
and creativity so that you can make
superior business decisions closely
connected to your data, mind and
heart. Even more, both help you
become more productive and
efficient which is very important
because time matters.
TimeXtender's Discovery Hub®
reduces the number of tedious,
repetitive tasks, freeing up the
intellects of IT staff, developers and
enhances creativity by encouraging
divergent thinking and clarity.
What do you hope to personally
accomplish in the years ahead?
I’ve been fortunate to be able to
share my understanding of
corporate mindfulness on the global
stage. I’ve had the wonderful
opportunity to be a corporate
blogger, a contributor in various
magazines such as Forbes, and an
event speaker. I also network with
leaders in the mindfulness
community and host events for
employees. And employees also get
paid a ‘Karma Day’ to do charity
work.
We enjoy supporting community
initiatives and charitable efforts and
hope to do more in the future. While
there are many instances where
BI specialists so that they can shift
their attention to game-changing
initiatives that add greater value to
an organization. With this in mind,
TimeXtender has developed into the
software, as it’s automating the
coding, visible motivational quotes
such as ,’ or‘Time to breathe ‘Time to
praise a colleague’ and a lotus flower
that the user can follow while
breathing calmly.
Similarly, mindfulness removes the
clutter in your mind so you can be
aware of the present moment. It’s a
state of mind in which you're paying
full attention to whatever is
happening in the here and now and
it reduces the state-negative effect.
Mindfulness helps you filter out
mental chatter to better tune into
your intuition to make superior
decisions for your team,
organization, and yourself. It

time is king, there's no domain more
focused on time than motorsports.
It's for this reason that we sponsor
the Danish Motorsport driver,
Mikkel O. Pedersen, in his Porsche
Mobil 1 Supercup journey, as he
fights to be a Porsche Factory
Driver and to secure a seat at Le
Mans.
TimeXtender is delighted to support
this young talent in living his
heartfelt purpose in life in the
motorsport world where time really
matters. For TimeXtender, Mikkel is
not only a sponsorship, but a symbol
of our company's brand and the way
we view our partnerships,
technology and DNA.
In addition, Mikkel designed a
'Super Hero' troll to lend support to
those who need medical care.
And finally, we're pleased to
contribute Discovery Hub and to
provide technical support to the
nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
Direct Relief. With this donation,
we're able to assist Direct Relief in
their global efforts to help people
affected by poverty and emergency
around the world. We take great
pride in knowing that our
technology is part of a worldwide
effort to help others in need. And in
the end, isn't that what it's all about
... having a bigger purpose and being
mindful of the world around us?
the Danish Cancer Foundation.
These super hero trolls were a
childhood favorite of his, and
designing a modern troll truly came
from his heart. A number of
proceeds resulting from the
purchase of his troll have been
contributed to the Foundation. This
is a great cause and serves as a
pleasant reminder that we can all be
a superhero to someone in need.
We're proud to play a role in this
effort.
Every year, we also sponsor the
Danish Kids hospital clowns. This is
a wonderful program that helps
encourage and uplift the spirits of
Danish kids who are admitted to
hospitals. The power of laughing and
having fun can provide a source of
encouragement and healing for
With proper inner work you
can be an inspiration for others
and a force for change.
It all starts by being aware
of your thoughts, words and actions.

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Alejandra Guzman
Globally Acclaimed Leader in Business Management
When it comes to success, there is no such thing as
good luck, only hard work and preparation to seize the
opportunity when it comes knocking on your door.
attract new business and retain
talent in New Orleans, by aligning
our brand with the international
business community's increased
focus on diversity and inclusion to
drive innovation and enhanced
profitability. Our brand tag line:
Culture. Equity. Prosperity.
Describe some of the vital
attributes that every business
personnel should possess.
I would consider the ability of
balancing and blending technical
and relationship skills to be one of
most importance. To achieve this
one must be collaborative, empathic
and supportive which allows a
person to be team oriented and
socially aware. I think that the
success of most projects is multi-
dimensional and that relationship
skills influence execution.
As per your opinion, what
roadblocks or challenges are faced
by women in a corporate business?
And what is your advice in
overcoming them?
It is an unfortunate reality that
women still face challenges in the
n an interview with CIO LOOK,
IAlejandra Guzman, Vice
President, Performance
Management and Strategy at New
Orleans Business Alliance
emphasizes on her impeccable
contribution for her organization.
Her unique ideologies and methods
took her as well as the organization
in achieving many milestones in the
pathway.
Below are the highlights of the
interview:
Kindly take us through your
journey on becoming a proficient
leader.
The nature of the roles I´ve had in all
of my professional positions
required mastering the balance of
blending technical and relationship
skills. For example, working at the
New Orleans Business Alliance
requires an understanding of a
complex web of internal and
external relationships in which I
have to act simultaneously as a
diplomat, influencer, team player,
leader and listener. Economic
development does not occur in a
vacuum, so it is critical that we work
well with others to accomplish our
goals. In my position at Capital
Natural, a leading management and
administration firm for private
equity funds and real estate
investment projects operating in
Mexico, I had to lead a multi-sector
group of senior consultants to
design and execute an urban
development proposal that required
me to understand when to switch
from a leader to a follower. Although
I was ultimately responsible for
leading our project, it was critical
that I had the capability to step
aside and follow the lead of
technical experts to deliver a
successful project.
How do you diversify your
organization's offerings to appeal
the target audience?
At the Business Alliance, we are
focused on enhancing the economic
security of all New Orleanians by
accelerating the diversification of
the local economy, developing local
talent and expanding
entrepreneurial opportunity. We
| AUGUST2019 |18

real estate development. One of the
reasons I love this industry is for its
versatility and how it integrates a
wide variety of disciplines -
architecture, finance, community
development, landscaping,
engineering and many others. To be
up to date on trends in the industry I
have joined organizations such as
the Urban Land Institute and also
the U.S. Green Building Council.
These organizations are the perfect
platform to learn and stay up to date
on trends. Another great way to stay
up to date with industry trends is
attending key conferences.
What are your future
endeavors/objectives and where do
you see yourself in the near future?
Through the New Orleans
Businesses Alliance, I´m working to
develop a strategy that includes real
estate to promote development in
disinvested communities. One
particular program that we are
looking to leverage is Opportunity
Zones. This is a federal program
designed to drive investment to
communities that have lacked
critical investment. It provides an
incentive for investors to re-invest
their capital gains into financial
vehicles. I see a lot of potential in
New Orleans and my objective is to
have investors also see this and help
them find success in our community.
With the right projects in place our
local community will be able to
enjoy better services and a great
quality of life.
work environment including
obtaining equal pay, harassment,
and career opportunities. Although
to tackle these issues we must
advocate for societal and policy
change, I believe there are personal
tactics that we can take to navigate
through this harsh environment.
The first advice I would give is to
invest in your professional
development. It is important that as
professionals we have a clear
understanding of what are the skills
that we need for our next career
move. Finding an executive coach
can be a great tool to help identify
skill gaps and ways to address them.
A coach can also help with
preparations for salary negotiations
and to address issues at work that
have to do more with politics rather
than technical skills. Most
importantly, beyond being prepared,
it is key for women to find a sponsor.
A sponsor is that influential leader
that will advocate on your behalf to
open the door to new career
opportunities, promotions and great
assignments. To find your sponsor
go above and beyond at your job and
make yourself visible by taking on
projects that provide exposure.
Have you in any ways contributed
towards the cause of women
empowerment.
One of the favorite projects I have
worked on focused on helping
women to improve their quality of
life and promote economic activity
in their communities. We did this by
providing training opportunities so
they can acquire the skills to find a
job or set their own business. Also,
we supported them with loans so
they can buy building materials to
improve their homes and local
communities.
What are your insights on
developing a better environment
for women to evolve? And how it
could be helpful in growing
businesses?
It is a top priority for organizations
to make intentional efforts to bring
women to decision-making roles.
We can´t expect to create a better
environment for women without us
being involved in the decision-
making process. Also, it is wide
documented that diversity in
perspectives can only lead
organizations to better decision-
making dynamics that increases
profitability. Some strategies to
achieve this may include specifying a
target number of female candidates
for each leadership position or
having programs that encourage
women to express interest in
applying for leadership roles. These
practices can be applied in any type
of organization, public or private.
How do you strategize your game
plans to tackle the competition in
the market?
At the Business Alliance, we make
sure that all of our programs include
data driven solutions. In the case of
business recruitment, particularly
retail, we use the best consumer
analytics tools in the market to
prepare pursuit packages. We make
sure that when we recruit a
business, we deliver the reliable
data that will prove the probability
of success in our market.
How do you upgrade yourself with
volatile technological or business
trends to boost your personal
growth?
A big focus of my current work is
| AUGUST2019 |20

Angela Alvarez
CEO & Founder
Aglaia Capital
| AUGUST2019 |24

Angela Alvarez
A Prolific Leader with an Innovative Vision
F
or continuous career growth, everyone
needs to be passionate, curious and desire to
do better every day. In different stages of
professional or personal journey, people
need inspiration and an expert’s advice that
could help them to make things happen, and succeed in
their goals. , the andAngela Alvarez Founder Executive
Chairman Aglaia Capitalof , involved in a crypto
marketplace Blockchain project and a Venture Fund for
investing in Distributed Ledger Technologies
companies in seed stage, Vice Chairman and at the
Advisory Board at Fair Value Capital (UK) Ltd.,
Advisory Board at Scheme Investments Aleph Sicav plc
in Malta and Israel, speaker at economic forums and
mastermind groups, occasionally jury at industry
competitions and awards, featured as Top Fintech
influencer, is a deal maker which provides strategic and
financial advice in any corporate transactions and
corporate governance, keen in cooperating business
models with investing partners, and helping
organizations in creating value at the path of their
success. She is proud of being Tech oriented, but
believes that technology can go together with human
sciences which may help people to grow in this world of
new technology without losing humanity.
Following is Angela’s story in her own words, which
exemplifies her legit, potent and ambitious behaviour
towards success.
In the life of any person there are always people that
influence and mentor you, close people that you trust
and that usually know most about you, and also those
people you influence and mentor.
I think that keeping the equilibrium between these
three flows, makes a good combination for anyone’s
personal growth. Any leader should have dreams,
ambitions and beliefs, and have the courage to continue
when things seem not going so well, or others do not
share their vision.
The challenges and situations that I’ve had to face in my
life, having my own vision and opinions, and fighting for
things that I believe in, people that had helped me, and
people that I’ve helped, have helped me in my vital
growth as a person without losing my essence. I’ve
enjoyed diversity, challenges, new situations and
problem solving, and going out the comfort zone which
makes my journey richest.
I think that a good dose of authenticity, passion,
ambition, honesty, courage, generosity, resilience,
curiosity, appetite for knowledge, and vision have been
good companions on my personal and professional
journey, together with that inner impulse to start again
in the fails, being calm in the celebration of success, and
a desire of doing better every day, and making an
impact to make a better world.
I am currently involved in developing a new company
with the same activity I have been having along my
professional career to further apply my vision on it. My
business is about advisory Corporate Finance, M&A,
Investors and Family office services, and Private Equity,
focus on selected niche funds and investors, and off
market deals, oriented to be a trusted partner for
investing in Europe and in the Philippines mainly, and,
selectively, in Latin America, specialized in Financing
structures, and in Hotels, Real Estate, Financial
Services, Fintech and Blockchain.
I adapt myself to the trends and demands of the
moment, and am innovative and personalized in the
approach to the Transactions. Usually the clients or
investing partners are approaching me, or are a part of
my ecosystem, or I approach the ones that identify as
Aglaia Capital
| AUGUST2019 |25

suitable to join this trusted network.
I have a continuous dialogue with
them, and discuss the opportunities
that come to me and find those
which are appealing. The world and
industries are experimenting
fascinating changes, and I am
fortunate to be in a business like this
that can be a part of those. I usually
participate in economic forums, and
mastermind groups, which nourish
my global vision and creativity for
problem solving in the corporate
and business world.
I think that passion, ambition,
honesty, resilience, courage,
empathy, and vision are good
companions in business. These vital
attributes together with knowledge,
common sense and intelligence
make a great complement to these
vital qualities that I appreciate in
anyone.
I think that one of the main
challenges for women in the
corporate is not being considered as
a minority and statistics but just
professionals and at the same
conditions than professionals with
the same attributes that can be at
the first line. Any organization needs
capable people in any of the
positions, and diversity provides
richness to those, and to the
community.
Also we need to be aware of our role
in the society, and in the corporates,
and make elections accordingly.
Following the interests and the path
that consider appropriated without
thinking in gender would be a
sensible advice.
where I am creative in the
approaches to any Transaction. On
specific technological fields, I am
active in Fintech, fund raising in
Tech startups, and I am currently
involved in a blockchain crypto P2P
project, and in a Venture Fund for
investing in Distributed Ledger
Technologies companies in seed
stage. I think that Technology and
Human Sciences can go together so
we can face this new technological
world without losing humanity, and
those can be used as a tool also to
analyze some of the ethical issues
that technology can bring nowadays
in many fields.
I see myself in the near future,
thriving, continuing to face new
challenges with my new projects,
and contributing in sustainability,
and in transforming my industry.
I believe in doing business based on
balance and win-win situations, and
I would like to keep doing the same
to be making an impact and doing
sustainable businesses and
Transactions, where there will be
companies or groups of interests
exchanging or cooperating to
achieve the best alternative for their
mutual success.
Probably having leading positions
can be my biggest contribution to
women empowerment. I have also
been supporting female
entrepreneurship ecosystems and
mentorship initiatives in several
countries when I have been
requested in doing so.
It makes sense that top levels and
governance of the organizations and
companies have representation on
the people that they serve and
represent. More representation of
women in top positions and Board of
directors would reflect better of
what the society is currently made
of. Diversity in gender, ages,
background and nationalities
provide richness to companies, and
can be a valuable contribution to
understand better, and face the
challenges of a world in continuing
change, and with global
organizations.
I am usually where the business is,
and where the interests of the
clients are. I have the focus on niche
deals and clients, and in maintaining
long clients’ relationships based on
trust and mutual interest. That
trusted network of investors,
partners and companies is increased
with new lines of business, and
adapting to the newest trends and
interests. The own network and
ecosystem of deals, clients, and
industry nourishes my businesses.
Technological changes that are
happening nowadays are
fascinating, and I usually am keen to
go with them, and applying them
also when is possible in my activity,
Everything seems impossible until it is accomplished.“ “
| AUGUST2019 |26

LEADING EXPERT IN
HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
LAURA FLEET
| AUGUST2019 |28

Equally as important, I've also
learned what makes people both
effective and ineffective as leaders.
It is often said that employees don't
leave their job, they leave their
manager. I believe this statement to
be true, so I do my best to lead by
example, empowering individuals,
recognizing and rewarding their
personal growth and talents.
These experiences and the insight I
gained early in my career prepared
me to have the self-confidence to
design, dream, and launch
SendaRide. I am now in a position to
share my challenges and
experiences with my staff, enabling
each of them to learn, grow, and
share this wisdom with the next
generation.
to the target audience?
We've diversified our services after
learning from our customers what
they needed, rather than trying to
tell them what they needed. I
started SendaRide providing one
basic service: non-emergency
transportation to and from the
hospital. Very soon I returned to my
customers to learn what was
working, what wasn't and what else
they needed.
It was through these one-on-one
meetings with SendaRide's clients
that I began offering a more diverse
and personalized set of services. I've
learned that if you don't overwhelm
your clients with features and let
them describe their pain point to
you, a very successful product will
emerge.
personnel should possess.
Each of us have access to the
fundamental attributes to be
successful – it's how we understand
and develop these attributes that
determine our level of success.
very successful healthcare
Eleader needs a highly
developed understanding of
the industry, business competency
and interpersonal skills in order to
guide their businesses to success. A
great leader knows how to build
teams of talented employees with
decision-making capabilities and
how to further develop employee
skills and confidence. One such
leader is Laura Fleet the CEO and
Co-founder of SendaRide. Laura
leads by example, contributing to
the success of the team of dedicated
staff, providing a solution for many
individuals that cannot find
transportation to medical
appointments, a solution for clients
needing a safe alternative to
transport their patients, financial
freedom for the company's
contracted drivers and inspiring an
altruistic mindset both for
employees and drivers.
In an interview between Laura Fleet
and CIO LOOK we focus on her
success, barriers, and experiences
along her journey. Her sole focus is
on ensuring SendaRide's success as
a transportation service that
eliminates barriers to, and lack of
access to, medical care for everyone.
Below are highlights of the
interview conducted between Laura
Fleet and CIO LOOK:
journey to becoming a proficient
leader.
Early in my career, I started a
government relations consulting
firm. It was through this experience
that I learned to be very resourceful,
focused, and to trust my intuition.
When reflecting on the last twenty
years of my career as legal counsel,
lobbyist and Executive Director for
several nonprofit trade associations
I find that I have continually been
refining what it takes to be
successful, self-reliant and to
problem-solve quickly.
| AUGUST2019 |29

Those key attributes include being on time, prepared,
respectful, dependable, organized, and positive.
Regardless of your level of education or experience,
each of us have the ability to capitalize on and excel in
each of these fundamental attributes to success.
As per your opinion, what roadblocks or challenges
are faced by women in a corporate business? And
what is your advice in overcoming them?
I believe society is making huge strides in leveling the
playing field for women. We now recognize that men
and women often have very different innate methods of
dealing with conflict, victory and defeat. The challenge
for both genders lies in understanding these
differences and approaching our different styles with
grace, professionalism, humility, and respect for
everyone.
My advice to my younger self would be "through your
actions you are teaching people how to treat you". You
have the ability to set the standard because people
learn how to treat you based on what you accept from
them.
Have you in any ways contributed towards the
cause of women empowerment?
I was fortunate enough to participate in two
accelerator programs that have the mutual
goals of inspiring women and giving them
access to the tools they need to succeed.
These two accelerator programs were the
Women's Startup Lab and SpringBoard
Enterprises.
These two experiences have been life-
changing for me. Often, I felt isolated as
a female founder of a tech company in
the Midwest. These programs have
allowed me to develop a vast network of
fellow successful female entrepreneurs.
Each program – although very different –
has empowered me, given me self-confidence
and allowed me to learn from other very
successful women.
Through your actions you are
teaching people how to treat you.
| AUGUST2019 |30

I left these two programs with the commitment to
maintain the network and connections with the
community of women I met and to help other
entrepreneurs navigate the tumultuous startup world,
whether male or female, every opportunity I could.
What are your insights on developing a better
environment for women to evolve? And how it could
be help grow businesses?
I believe that developing a better environment for
women to evolve necessarily includes a better
environment for everyone to evolve. Setting a level
playing ﬁeld for everyone, irrespective of gender, race,
religion or sexual orientation demonstrates by example
that, we are all equal, and deserving of the same
opportunities.
How do you strategize your game plans to tackle the
competition in the market?
I continue to learn from my competitors. Each of them
wouldn't be successful if they weren't doing at least one
thing well. I believe there is room for success among
competitors because society wants to have more than
one choice for any service, product, or technology.
Choices allow diversity and compel us to constantly
review and improve our products and services to
remain relevant.
However, the competitive side of me that propels
SendaRide forward is always committed to offering the
superior service in the market and always being the
chosen provider of non-emergency medical
transportation for the healthcare industry.
What are your future endeavors/objectives and where
do you see yourself in the near future?
My sole focus is on SendaRide's success as a
transportation service that eliminates barriers to, and
lack of access to, medical care for everyone. One's
social status or geographic location should not limit
their access to high-quality medical care. SendaRide's
success will provide an alternative solution for access
to medical care and contribute to the overall health of
our population.
My goal is that SendaRide's accomplishments will lead
by example, contributing to the success of our team of
dedicated staff, providing ﬁnancial freedom for our
contracted drivers and inspiring an altruistic mindset
among both our employees and our drivers.
Provide a one-line quote that best describes your
approach to business and vision.
"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious
triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to
rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor
suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that
knows not victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt
SendaRide
| AUGUST2019 |31

R
ecent years have marked a tremendous
paradigm shift in the entrepreneurial
ecosystem. The winds of change seem to have
arrived as women are finally making remarkable
progress heading companies. Women entrepreneurs
are making their mark with their exemplary leadership
skills, and CIOLook appreciates such leaders. Amongst
those, Natalie Catliota, the Chief Operating Officer of
NetCentrics,is one such proficient leader.
NataliejoinedNetCentricsinApril2010.Atthetime,
NetCentricswasgeneratinglessthan$15M/year.She
startedatthefrontdeskwithnorealtitleor
responsibilities,buttooktheopportunitytolearnby
gettinginvolvedineverythingshecould–marketing,
HR,compliance,finance,businessdevelopment–
whatevershecouldgetherehandson,andtooka
specificinterestinbusinessprocessdevelopmentand
improvement.
Between 2010 and now, Natalie has held almost every
position in the company. As she built the Operations
andgrewintoherroleasCOO,shecametodevelopher
own leadership approach. She learned the valuable
lesson that being everyone’s friend is not nearly as
valuable as earning their trust. She also learned that
what makes a great leader is the ability to share one’s
vision with the team and gain their buy in. She believes
the key to successful operations is balance: the balance
between structure and agility, balance between
investingwithoutover-spending;andbalancebetween
settingboundarieswhilestillfosteringcreativity.
Natalie believes every organization must tailor their
service offerings to what they are best at, monitor
human and market trends, and evolve their services to
meet growing demands or changes. As an IT service
provider, this means it is critical that we stay on top of
trends in technology. She has a fundamental belief that
businesses must remain fixated on providing more
value to their customers than their competitors,
constantly evaluating the services they provide,
looking for ways to improve the user experience.
Rather than focusing on their competition,
NetCentrics prefers to focus on continuously
reviewing its business practices looking for ways to
improve relationships and seek opportunities to add
valueineveryinteractionithas.
To stay updated with technology and business trends,
Natalie reads anything and everything that challenges
her thought process and loves to ask lots of questions.
She has a genuine interest in the industry and the
solutions NetCentrics provides and says working with
an incredible team who is just as passionate, inspires
hertostayinvolvedandupdatedwithindustrytrends.
According to Natalie, leadership is not the same as
management; it is about getting people excited to
follow you, and sometimes being the follower yourself.
Self- awareness, decisiveness, enthusiasm, and
integrity are some of the vital attributes every leader
must possess. Business leaders must be able to
leveragetheirstrengthsandbuildteamsthatfillintheir
weaknesses, striving and build teams that compliment
their weaknesses, striving to create a culture that is
comfortable collaboratively discussing the good and
thebadearlyandoften.
Nataliealsobelievesthataneffectiveleadermustbe
Natalie
Catliota
Exemplifying Proficient
Leadership
| AUGUST2019 |32

NetCentrics
—Natalie Catliota
COO
NetCentrics
“
“
Transforming ideas,
forward thinking
concepts, and
company visions
into results.
| AUGUST2019 |33

abletosynthesizeavailableinformationtomakesound
business decisions quickly and confidently. She
subscribes strongly to Jeff Bezos’ “Two Way Doors”
concept, believing most decisions are “Two-Way
Doors” and often times there is no one right decision.
Sheasserts,“Asaleader,onceyouhavesetthepath,unless
of course new facts arise that significantly alter the path,
stickwithitandseewhereittakesyou.”
Talking about enthusiasm, she says, “If you want people
to enthusiasticallyfollowyou, you have to lead by example.
If you are excited about your vision, show it in everything
youdo.Passionisinfectious–thistrait,aboveanythingelse,
iswhatmotivatesteamstoperformgreaterthanthesumof
theirparts.”
And about integrity Natalie opines that leading a
businessishardwork.“Toooftenweseeotherscutcorners
andevenearnshorttermrewardsasaresult.Integrityisnot
just about doing the right thing, it is about standing for
something bigger and setting the precedent that others
must do the same. Peers and employees see how you treat
othersandrespondinkind.Itiscriticallyimportantthatyou
earntheirrespectthroughyourownactions”.
Whenaskedabouttheroadblocksfacedbywomenina
corporate business, Natalie says, “First impressions are
generally made on physical characteristics. Being young
and female, I recognize that I carry certain physical traits
that may lead to an initial bias. My advice is to never walk
into a situation assuming what the other person thinks of
you. Look at every interaction not as a challenge that needs
tobeovercome,butratheranewopportunitytoshowwhat
value you can bring. You are in your role for a reason. You
have the combination of capabilities, knowledge, and
experienceneeded,soleavehistory’sbaggageatthedoor.”
In her opinion, women’s empowerment must start with
human empowerment. Natalie believes that
empowering women and creating an environment that
encourages women is not about setting specific
programs or policies that separate women, but rather
by encouraging all employees to be the best version of
themselves. She finds the best way to do this is by
focusing on traits that are not gender-specific; work
ethic,knowledge,teamworkandaccountability.
Integrity is not
just about doing
the right thing,
it is about
standing for
something bigger
and setting the
precedent that
others must
do the same.
‘‘
| AUGUST2019 |18 | AUGUST2019 |34

Sara Brown
Vice President of Marketing
MultiTech
| AUGUST2019 |36

Sara Brown
Changing the World by Changing People's Minds
T
he Internet of Things (IoT) is
creating new customer
experiences and unparalleled
economic value, while improving
quality of life for countless people
around the globe. By providing
products and services to connect
“things” to the Internet, MultiTech
delivers deeper understanding to
businesses, governments,
organizations and individuals.
MultiTech products have the power
to transform the way we live and
work. That's the message Sara
Brown, Vice President of
Marketing is priviledged to share
with the MultiTech team, its
customers and partners, and the
world at large.
CIO Look admires work of such
leaders and believes in featuring
them in Making a Difference issue in
order to spread-a-word about their
journey on achieving their real-time
stature.
Below are some of the highlights of the
interview conducted between Sara and
CIO Look:
leader – but I'm not so sure how
reliable their accounts really are. In
my experience leadership comes
from three things:
Ÿ A willingness to ask questions
and simply listen to the answers.
This skill is essential to the
discipline of journalism.
Ÿ Knowing what you don't know
and comfort seeking out and
building relationships with the
people who do and can ﬁll in the
gaps for you. I learned this
throughout the years of
executive communications and
public relations work during
which the worst bumbles (in my
experience) happen when an
executive tries to come off as
knowledgeable on a subject
matter he or she knows nothing
about.
Ÿ Empathy and its partner respect
– You cannot lead people
effectively without a) genuinely
caring about them and b)
respecting what they bring to the
table and, perhaps more
importantly, how dependent
your success is upon that.
leader.
I started my career as a reporter on
Capitol Hill and later in the trade
press covering mergers and
acquisitions in the broadcast
industry during deregulation in the
1990s. After moving "home" to
North Carolina, I switched to what
my editor liked to call the "dark
side"– namely public relations and
marketing. I started at the bottom of
the electronics food chain, pitching
resisters and capacitors and
gradually making my way up to
computers, servers and software,
before scaling back to critical
components and communication
systems. I have been marketing
technology for more than twenty
years, ﬁfteen of which have been
focused exclusively on the Internet
of Things – having provided either
in-house or consulting support for
hardware, software and services
across the entire value chain and a
wide swath of supported industries.
As for leadership, I've been told by
doting parents that I was born a
| AUGUST2019 |37

the target audience?
We spend a lot of time researching
the marketplace and, more
importantly, working directly with
customers to understand both their
unique needs and the commonalities
across businesses and vertical
industries. This tailors our offerings
to the best fit, regardless of
communications protocol, form
factor, or carrier or cloud platform
preference.
person should possess.
Curiosity: I think a natural curiosity is
critical to succeed, particularly in
tech. Curiosity about the technology
itself. Curiosity as to what's
happening in the market. And most
importantly, curiosity about how to
overcome the 'big picture' problems
of our world.
Creative problem-solving: It begins
with the belief that even the most
challenging problems can and will be
solved. From there, the ideal tech
individual can draw the "stick-to-it-
iveness" to try and try again until a
solution is found. As Edison said, "I
haven't failed. I just found 10,000
ways that won't work."
Business acumen: Technology cannot
succeed in a vacuum. It needs to
address real, quantifiable needs,
deliver true, fit-to-purpose
performance and accomplish real
results. However, true success
comes from tailoring your offering
to address the pain points of your
target customers and (as a marketer,
I have to say) getting the word out
that their problem has finally been
solved.
Thoughtfulness: All of the previous
If I were to give advice to my
younger self, or to any women (or
man) of any age in any industry, I'd
strongly recommend focusing first
on relationships, particularly with
people who "get" and understand
what you bring to the table. For me,
the time invested in that effort alone
has been my most valuable
investment in my career.
Have you in any ways contributed
empowerment.
This is a big topic. Obvious
contributions include multiple
women I've mentored over the
years and women's educational and
professional development programs
I have supported personally and
through companies I've worked for.
Still, I think the most compelling
contribution lies in the nature of my
business itself. The impact of
computing and the Internet on
global wellbeing (not just for
women, but for all), has accelerated
the advancement of the human race
faster than at any time in human
history. The Internet of Things, on
which I've focused for the past
fifteen years, holds even more
three can be neatly rolled up in this
statement that anyone on my team
will recognize: "We think for a
living." Without the brain work, no
amount of tactical activity, whether
in engineering, marketing,
production or finance will be
anything more than keeping busy.
As per your opinion, what
roadblocks or challenges are faced
by women in a corporate business?
And what is your advice to
overcome them?
First of all, everyone faces
roadblocks and challenges in their
career, and not just women.
That said, working 20+ years in
engineering and technology-focused
industries, I think the combination
of frequently being the only female
in the room with my focus on
marketing, which is often
considered a frivolous discipline,
didn't do me any favors in terms of
gaining respect and advancement.
Nevertheless, performance and
professionalism always breed
respect.
| AUGUST2019 |38

promise, for women and for all, to improve sanitation
and healthcare, feed the hungry, reduce pollution, and
safeguard our children. The list goes on and on.
I'm very lucky. There was a time in my life when I didn't
understand the importance of my work to the global
economy. Today, I can see that, while I cherish the
women whose names I know and whose lives I've
touched personally– the opportunity to impact the lives
of women around the world on a macro scale is its own
reward.
What are your insights on the necessity of 'Women in
position of power'? And, how could it bring out a
change in traditional male dominated industries?
I'd reframe this question to one of leadership and not
power. Leadership can come from any level of the
organization and, as I said before, performance and
professionalism breed respect.
That said, when anybody, in any position irrespective of
its gender, race or sexual orientation, demonstrates
leadership, there need to be both the right people and
the right processes in place to elevate that person into
a position where he or she can achieve their potential
and bring up others with them. In fact, that to me it is
the ultimate power for good: the ability to develop job
skills, creative skills and leadership skills for whatever
comes next.
How do you strategize your game plans to tackle the
competition in the market?
Competitive differentiation requires constant vigilance.
It helps a lot to be the first, which we have been able to
do more frequently in the past few years. It also
requires an intimate knowledge of your customer set –
which is really my role – to be the voice of the customer
in everything we do.
Finally, it is important to acknowledge what your
differentiators are, as well as those of the competition.
I've been known to redirect prospects to competitors
who I knew were a better fit for their application. Doing
so promotes trust and pays off in the end as both those
prospects and competitors come to acknowledge what
you're best at and return the favor.
What are your future endeavors/objectives and where
do you see yourself in the near future?
Right now my focus is on MultiTech and our customers'
success. Beyond that, I intend to promote the success
of my team and the broader network of industry folks
who have become not just colleagues but friends over
the years. Finally, I intend to continue contributing to a
better future, wherever that future finds me
Performance and
professionalism breed
respect.
| AUGUST2019 |39

There is no growth,no achievement,
no success if there is no affinity in a team.
“ “
Silvia Veronese
SVP of Global
Customer Success
Guavus
| AUGUST2019 |40

Silvia Veronese
Decisive by Action, Innovator by Heart
C
omprehending technological
advancements and having the
know-how to successfully
implement them is the most crucial
responsibility of a leader. Today,
many leaders strive to offer services
based on market demands, while
only a few focus on facilitating
customer-centric, game-changing
products. This leadership style and
focus sets an example for others
and, in turn, inspires other leaders
to follow suit. One such leader is
Silvia Veronese, SVP Global
Customer Success at Guavus, a
Thales company.
CIO LOOK admires such leaders
and appreciates their contribution
in evolving the business as well as
the technology sector. We are proud
to feature inspiring leaders like her
in this issue.
Below are the highlights from an
interview we conducted with Silvia:
leader.
I believe that becoming a leader is
synonymous with becoming your
true self. It's a journey that's
modified each day by every decision
I make. From the drawing room to
the board room it's an ongoing
process that can be derailed at any
moment. It's easy to order people to
do a project or task, but that's not
leadership. Being a leader means
guiding people, fostering their
strengths, and helping them reach
their full potential. One of the most
important lessons I've learned is to
recognize the strengths of each
member of my team. When people
patience to ask a lot of questions
and truly listen to the answers.
When you're working within a small
team this is easier to accomplish;
however, when you move into a
higher level position, and your team
grows larger, this process can
become arduous. Still, one must
always remember that the most
important task is listening to team
members, peers, and customers
because this will provide a clear
picture of where your business
stands and the issues that need to
be mitigated in order to make your
company flourish.
In your opinion, what roadblocks or
challenges are faced by women in
business? What's your advice for
overcoming them?
I can't stress enough that complex
challenges in business are
commonplace and encountered
daily. At any given time, there are
problems both big and small that, if
left unattended, can pile up and
become insurmountable.
Occasionally there's ample time to
address an issue, but more often
than not there isn't. Still, a decision
must be made to rectify whatever
the issue may be. In this scenario,
fear of making the wrong decision
and failing is one's worst enemy. As
women in corporate business we are
asked to prove ourselves and our
value beyond any reasonable doubt.
We can complain about this or we
can confidently take advantage of it,
using innovation and expertise to
create solutions that successfully
take a business to the next level.
know that they are valued by their
leader, they become more confident
in their individual capacity. Being a
leader means making decisions in
real-time -- often with incomplete
information. Under stressful
circumstances, the worst thing for a
leader is inaction. You must keep
moving forward with confidence,
knowing you have a supportive team
backing you up and the expertise to
make prudent choices.
to your target audience?
It's not about trying to sell
customers what they don't want or
what they should want. It isn't about
marketing your own brand, rather
it's about producing a product we
know is excellent for our targeted
customers. The foundation for any
business is the commitment to
making great products that fulfill a
known or unknown need. Obviously,
to accomplish this, it's imperative to
understand the market in which we
participate by researching its needs
and creating products to fill those
voids. Like that great quote of
Henry Ford, right? “If I'd have asked
my customers what they wanted,
they would have told me a faster
horse.”
attributes you believe every
business person should possess.
Among others, some of the most
important attributes every business
person should embody are
resilience, curiosity, understanding,
and sharp instincts. Perhaps the
most fundamental attribute is the
| AUGUST2019 |41

Have you in any way contributed
empowerment?
I believe that women empowerment
is a cause to which we can all
contribute daily. Women today are
paving the way for women of
tomorrow, the same way our
mothers and grandmothers did for
us. With this in mind, every time I
look at a young female colleague
just entering the business world it
reminds me of my own daughters
and the future they will inherit. I
think that having more strong,
intelligent women in business and
the political arena will improve our
society overall. Each woman and
man should be committed to an
equal society because tomorrow's
world will have challenges that can
only be overcome if we actively
support everyone's strengths and
gifts.
What are your insights on
developing a better environment
for women to evolve in the
workplace? And how could it be
helpful in growing businesses?
I feel strongly that respect is the key
to making an environment fertile for
everybody's growth -- not just
women. There is no preferred
gender when it comes to evolving as
We are the first customers of our
company, the first one to fall in love
with it and believe in it. The market
today is changing fast and
competition is challenging, but I
truly believe that the foundation of
success is hard work, an open mind,
and the ability to adapt. Besides
that, one must choose a vision, be
faithful to it, know when to pivot,
and always be ready to modify a
project or product if it doesn't
entirely satisfy one's standards. You
have to learn how to react under
pressure and to challenge your
limits because the biggest enemy in
business is complacency.
With all the new technologies and
changing business trends, how do
you upgrade your skills to address
these and advance your personal
growth?
I think that growing as an individual
is a matter of choice. We can all
upgrade our skills and our
knowledge on a daily basis. From the
moment we wake up, we make a
decision about what our day will
look like. We can choose to sleep
late, or be more productive by
setting the alarm one hour earlier to
make a to-do list, check the news,
and go for a run. The best way to
keep growing as an individual is to
view each day with an open mind
and can-do spirit, seeing every task
as an opportunity to learn or a skill
to improve.
What are your future endeavors
and where do you see yourself in
the near future?
Society is changing very quickly --
within a few decades the way we
live could be quite different. I
believe that progress in technology
and science are opening the way for
discoveries that will not only result
in innovative products, but also in
new ways of learning, living and
growing. That said, I'm prepared to
face any challenge the future throws
at me with a positive attitude and
unlimited passion.
a human-being. We all must do our
part in this world in order to become
the best version of ourselves. I
believe that people can achieve this
by respecting each other and
understanding that despite
apparent differences; we are in
reality very similar to one another.
We have the same fears and dreams;
we all experience sadness and joy. I
would stress that with regard to
business, one thing is clear:
cooperation is the foundation of a
healthy company. There is no
growth, no achievement, no success
if there is no affinity as a team. I
believe that today's society is much
more open-minded with regard to
business than it was in the past. I
also feel optimistically that though
there is much more that needs to be
done, we are on the right path.
Currently the technology and
science sectors are paving the road
with a multitude of highly talented
and capable women who are
integral to its future success.
How do you strategize your game
plans to tackle the competition in
your market?
I believe in what I do, the company I
work for, and my projects. I would
like to stress that this is the best way
to tackle any kind of competition.
| AUGUST2019 |42

Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2019

Inspiring Women Leaders Making a Difference 2019

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