Cameron Barrett is the CEO of Field Safe Solutions, a company that provides health and safety software and digitizes field operations to connect workers. Since becoming CEO in 2018, Barrett has grown the company significantly through his focus on people, commitment to safety, and leveraging of new technologies. Barrett's combination of industry expertise, focus on clients, and passion for using technology to improve safety has helped Field Safe Solutions achieve transformative results.

1. VOL 06 | ISSUE 02 | 2021
Achieving Great
Heights
Leading With Courage,
Competence,
Composure, and
Cheerfulness
CAMERON
BARRETT
An Unbeatable Combination of Industry and Safety Expertise
and Focus on People Help this CEO Make a Difference
FEATURING
The
10
Most
Successful
Business Leaders
to Follow 2021

4. It’s all About
Working Your
Fingers to the Bone
hat does it take to be successful? You all might have got
Wthis question at least once in your life.
Today, people those who are known to be successful or
extraordinary, at some point in their past they were merely seen as
ordinary individuals. They might not even have been picked as
‘people who are likely to be successful’ in their high schools. While
some have been born leaders, some might not even have had
enough resources like others but still managed to make it.
Did they have any recipe to be successful? Obviously, No.
Coming from different walks of life, all these leaders have had their
own obstacles or challenges, which were not the same as of others.
They might have had witness different failures to be known as
successful today. They would not have made it if they didn’t have
the required perseverance and patience in them. They certainly
would have followed their own instincts, overcame every obstacle
and failure, and built their own path to reach where they are today.
This clearly indicates that there is no such defined path or way that
will ensure success. You will have your own failures, own obstacles,
and own experiences. You may end up building your own recipe of
success, which may not work for others.
If there is one thing that you can count on, it is studying their
leadership styles and approaches and inculcate the same in your
professional tenure. Probably, they might have done the same.
EDITOR’S NOTE

5. In this edition of “The 10 Most Successful Business Leaders to Follow 2021”, we have handpicked those
encouraging leaders who created their own successful sagas with their dedicated endeavors, grit, and
determination.
Featuring on the cover of this edition is Cameron Barrett, a personification of Accountability,
Commitment, Teamwork, Innovation, Ownership, and Nimbleness.
When passion meets expertise, the results achieved are transformative. Mr. Barrett and his accomplished
team at Field Safe Solutions exemplify this statement. Since coming on as CEO in 2018, Mr. Barrett has
brought together a skilled team to build an organization that is making a difference in the health and
safety of workers and experiencing tremendous growth while doing so. It’s Mr. Barrett’s passion and focus
on people that have fueled that growth and his company’s success.
Let’s unveil more alike and inspiring stories of such inspiring leaders and spread the word about their
contribution in making this world a better place.
Lastly, you might come across the articles written by our in-house editorial team and CXO standpoints of
some of the leading industry experts to have the know-how about the industry. Make sure to scroll
through them, while flipping through the pages,
Let’ get on board!
1
THE
BUSINESS LEADERS
MOST SUCCESSFUL
to Follow, 2021

6. Cover Story
CONTENTS
Cameron Barrett
An Unbeatable Combination of Industry and
Safety Expertise and Focus on People
Help this CEO Make a Difference
08

7. ARTICLE
18
Achieving Great Heights
Leading With Courage,
Competence,Composure,and Cheerfulness
Bianca Shakinovsky
An Astute Leader
Committed to
Deliver Innovative
Flooring Solutions
Raissa and Joyce
de Haas
Uniting Love for
Drinks with Scientific
Training for Enhancing
Drinking Occasions
Stephen Petasky
Making the
Journey of
Travelers Enjoyable
14 22 32
CXO 28 Pharma in the Times
of Covid-19 Crisis
What Lies Ahead?
Leader’s Viewpoint

8. CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Sharad Chitalkar
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Shubham Dali
Associate Designer Kartik Balapurkar
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives Andrew, Maneesh, Prathmesh
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
June, 2021
Copyright © 2021 CIOLOOK, All
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9. Brief
Company Name
Suzanne Huber
CEO
Videsha Proothveerajh
CEO
Mary Strazzeri
CEO
Raissa and Joyce de
Haas,
CEO and Co-founders
Safety First Consulting Professional Corporation provides a
total solution service to the clients.
Suzanne Huber Inc develops digital marketing programs that
accelerate business growth.
LexisNexis Legal & Professional is a leading global provider of
legal, regulatory and business information and analytics.
Double Dutch is the taste sensation, it’s a whole new world of
premium soft drinks.
Cameron Barrett
CEO
Field Safe bridges the field data capture gap to help the clients
save time, save money and save lives.
Field Safe Solutions
fieldsafesolutions.com
Safety First Consulting
safetyfirstconsulting.ca
DOUBLE DUTCH DRINKS
doubledutchdrinks.com
Bianca Shakinovsky
CEO
Pentafloor's main aim is to supply affordable, high quality,
flexible access flooring solutions, together with superior quality
floor finishes, to a wide range of projects of all sizes in the
commercial, hospitality and residential sectors.
Pentafloor
pentafloor.co.za
Rich Moore
CEO
CyberSix provides organizations with applicable solutions
within the Information Assurance, Cybersecurity, and Cyber
Risk Management space.
CyberSix
cybersix.com
Lexis Nexis
lexisnexis.co.za
Marisa López-Teijón
CEO
Institut Marquès is an international reference center in
Gynecology, Obstetrics and Assisted Reproduction.
Institut Marques
institutomarques.com
Suzanne Huber
Incsuzannehuber.com
Magda Wierzycka
CEO
The Sygnia Group is a specialist financial services group
focused on the provision of multi-management, index-tracking
and administration solutions.
Braavos Investment
Advisers sygnia.co.za
Stephen Petasky
CEO
The Luxus Group specializes in customizing world-class real
estate and lifestyle experiences to connect dreams, passions and
real estate investments.
The Luxus Group
luxusgroup.com
Featuring Person

10. Cameron
Barrett
An Unbeatable Combination of Industry and Safety Expertise
and Focus on People Help this CEO Make a Difference
No Shortcuts,
No Excuses
‘‘
‘‘

11. Cameron Barre
CEO
Field Safe Solu ons
Cover Story

12. When passion meets expertise, results
achieved are transformative. A proficient
leader, Cameron Barrett and his
accomplished team at Field Safe Solutions exemplify
this statement. Since coming on as CEO in 2018, Mr.
Barrett has brought together a skilled team to build an
organization that is making a difference in the health
and safety of workers and experiencing tremendous
growth while doing so. It’s Mr. Barrett’s passion and
focus on people that have fueled that growth and his
company’s success.
Field Safe’s corporate values spell ACTION:
Accountability,
•
Commitment,
•
Teamwork,
•
Innovation,
•
Ownership and we are,
•
Nimble.
•
Mr. Barrett is the personification of these values. Since
2018, he has moved at light speed to put the
foundational pieces in place that have turned Field Safe
into the industry leading organization it is today. He has
accomplished this by focusing on people (the Field Safe
team, its clients and its shareholders) and through his
commitment to ensuring Field Safe can nimbly respond
to changing market conditions and client needs.
Mr. Barrett asserts, “Building a great company never
takes place without surrounding yourself with team
members who share your passion.” This recipe has
allowed Field Safe to maintain its growth trajectory
despite the economic uncertainty brought on by the
global pandemic and the challenges of building a new
company.
Connecting with Employees A High Priority
Communication and connection with his team are
priorities for Mr. Barrett. He recognized very early that
the pandemic would make that even more important.
He engaged his network of peer leaders and other
experts to incorporate their advice and best practices
into Field Safe’s efforts to engage a fully remote
workforce to ensure their safety and that business
commitments continued to be met. Field Safe’s massive
growth and need for additional headcount was another
challenge he and his team had to learn to manage
remotely.
Events such as biweekly town halls, fifteen-minute
video chats over coffee with staff, and rewarding the
outstanding contributions and behavior of all team

13. members are some of the initiatives he has
implemented.
Change is expected and inevitable at a company that is
growing as fast as Field Safe and Mr. Barrett has
challenged his team to take chances and “improve 1%
every day”. Failure is ok… but use that failure to learn
and improve.
Mr. Barrett believes that leadership is a privilege, and it
is important that all leaders take that responsibility
seriously. Mr. Barrett leads by example and has set a
personal commitment higher than 1% improvement per
day. He engages his peer network to support his growth
as a leader and thanks his closest allies for their
support.
Experience in Software and Technology Companies
Mr. Barrett’s 25+ year career includes national and
international sales leadership roles within industry-
leading software and technology companies. Prior to
Field Safe, Mr. Barrett was President of Computer
Sciences Corp. (CSC) Canada where he was acting
president of Canada with over 800 employees. Mr.
Barrett holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, an
MSc (Law) from Abraham Lincoln University and an
ICD.D designation from Rotman School of Business. He
also served as a Board Member of the Information
Technology Association of Canada and currently sits on
the Board as Chair of Governance and Nominating
Commitee of the Huntington Society of Canada and as
Independent Director and as a member of the Board of
Directors for headversity. Giving of his time to support
worthwhile causes is another passion and the
Huntington Society is particularly important to him. He
is dedicated to making a difference here, as well.
Leveraging Technological Trends to Improve Safety
Technology has been both personally and
professionally rewarding for Mr. Barrett. He says that
the passion and excitement that technology offers
individuals to be creative and to take chances is unlike
any other industry in the world. Field Safe has provided
the greatest opportunity of his career to exploit that
passion and build technology that truly makes a
difference.
Field Safe’s priority is to SAVE LIVES while also saving
time and money. Each day its team is tasked with
improving the field worker experience and it does this
by leveraging technological trends like the Internet of
Behaviors. Mr. Barrett believes technology and
digitization affords the best opportunity to
continuously advance the safety culture of all
organizations, but those solutions must be easy-to-use,
and connect workers.
Field Safe and The Connected Worker
Field Safe’s easy-to-use safety application and smarter
workflows methodology digitizes the field to connect
workers. This resolves the field data gap and enables
instant communication and information sharing. Ease
of use increases user adoption and forms completion
and submission which in turn increases the amount of
data collected. That data is then shared in real-time
across all team members and head office. The improved
access to data allows leadership to make data informed
decisions that improve safety, optimize operations and
lower costs.
No deal is real until
goes into the ditch
three times.
‘‘

14. Field Safe’s all-in-one health and safety system does
away with the inefficiencies of multiple systems and
paper-based processes. Smarter workflows reduce the
touch points that slow down the transfer of
information. Emerging threats are identified
immediately, and corrective actions implemented fast.
Solving Real Business Problems for Enterprise Clients
Field Safe has a unique market position servicing the
very largest enterprises in North America. With more
than 10 Fortune 1000 clients and partners, Field Safe
continues to evolve its market leading position based
on a scalable, secure, and stable digital platform. Field
Safe again looks to people (its clients and its partners
especially) to ensure its research and development
investments will continue to result in an industry-
leading application that creates value for the market
and continues to solve real business problems.
The Road to Zero Incidents
In the opinion of Mr. Barrett, both Artificial Intelligence
and Machine Learning provide tremendous
opportunities to impact technology advancement to
help drive business outcomes that improve safety and a
company’s bottom line. Through trusted advisor
relationships with its clients, and strategic partnerships
with leading organizations like IBM and TELUS
combined with the team’s unrivaled industry and safety
expertise and its best-in-class digital solutions, Field
Safe has been successful moving companies nearer
their goal of zero incidents.
Field Safe and all of its executive including Mr. Barrett
are actively engaged with key associations to stay
current with health and safety market drivers. It is
honored to regularly receive recognition and awards
from a variety of industry organizations.
Learning from the Past While Looking to the Future
Under Mr. Barrett’s leadership, Field Safe applies the
learnings from its past to continuously improve and is a
stronger company because of it. Mr. Barrett sees
failures as an important tool to learn and grow. It’s okay
to take chances but you must make educated decisions
that are based on data… a message he applies internally
and shares when presenting to clients or at executive
and industry events.
But at the same time, you must maintain focus on your
core values and your corporate goals. This can be
difficult, especially in the early days of a start-up
organization but Mr. Barrett cautions that it is critical
to maintain this focus.
Day-to-day activities can often make it difficult for a
leader to stay on top of market trends that may signal
new revenue stream opportunities, as well as emerging
threats which if ignored could be very dangerous to a
young business and young leaders. Once again, Mr.
Barrett looks to his people to help him stay informed.
Mr. Barrett has helped Field Safe maintain its market
leading position in a very competitive industry thanks
to his people-centric philosophy and encourages all
leaders to do the same. He advises aspiring
entrepreneurs to get started, find a mentor, and do not
quit.
The world
runs on a
clock.
‘‘
‘‘
www.eldsafesolutions.com

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16. Bianca Shakinovsky
CEO
Pentafloor
| June 2021 |
14

17. L
eadership is not about title or position; it is about
responsibility of empowering others. Successful
leaders believe in making a difference in the lives
of others. The same leadership when it’s paired with
passion, can turn vision into reality. An embodiment of
one such exemplary leadership is Bianca Shakinovsky,
the CEO of Pentafloor. Bianca started Pentafloorin
2005 with Larry Shakinovsky, with the main aim to
supply affordable, high quality, flexible access flooring
solutions, together with superior quality floor finishes,
to a wide range of projects of all sizes in the commer-
cial, hospitality and residential sectors. Since 2005, this
venture has grown exponentially.
Keeping Everyone on the Same Page
The journey of Bianca has not been a walk in the park
by any means. She says that to have one’s fingers on the
pulse of the business is of utmost importance. There are
many aspects to the running of Pentafloor. Although
she has competent managers in each department, she
still has a day-to-day feedback on all projects, knowing
that clients are satisfied with Pentafloor’s service is key.
She finds it imperative to a hold management meeting
on a weekly basis to ensure everyone is on the same
page.
Being Limitless and Contagiously Passionate
Bianca believes that as an entrepreneur, one should not
limit oneself to working 8 to 5.
According to her, entrepreneurs are all about passion in
what they do, and time does not play a part for them.
“Your passion should be so strong that it rubs off on
everyone you come into contact with,” she expresses.
She adds, “Giving your best at all times, and letting your
clients know that you have their best interests at heart,
after all they are what makes your company successful.”
Being Determined to Stand One’s Own Ground
In every business, one will come across challenges.
Bianca believes that what matters is how one chooses
to take on those challenges and deal with them. For
Bianca, it has been finding the balance between running
a home with four children and being on top of her game
at work.
Secondly, working in a male dominated industry has
been especially challenging for her. As a woman she was
not always taken seriously and had to become hard and
fight for her right to be accepted. Her determination to
win has paid off and she is thankful for the resources
she has earned by standing her ground.
Bianca
Shakinovsky
An Astute Leader Committed to Deliver Innovative Flooring Solutions
“Pentafloor is the
largest manufacturer
and importer of
access flooring in
Africa.
15
| June 2021 |

18. Putting the Needs of the Clients First
From the very start of Pentafloor, it has been the
company’s policy to ensure the needs of the client is
being put first. To achieve this, Bianca has gone from
just a purely supply outfit to a complete turnkey
operation. This was achieved by acquiring similar
flooring companies over a period of time, making
Pentafloor the largest raised access flooring companies
in Sub Saharan Africa and the sole distributor of the
Shaw Carpet range in Africa.
Being Accessible to Staff
As for Bianca ‘s style of running the company, she takes
an open-door approach. Although she states that this
may at times disrupt her day’s planned activities, she
has also found that potential problems have been
prevented by swift decisions. The open-door policy
shows she is not unapproachable, and this is important
as it gives the staff a sense of belonging.
Remaining a Leader in the Industry
Sharing her views on the pandemic, she says the
pandemic has affected many lives and businesses. She
feels in many ways people have become more under-
standing and empathic. As for driving the company,
Bianca says the joint efforts of all her employees are
making a concerted effort to insure Pentafloor remains
a leader in the industry. Putting safety on top of the list
of priorities goes without saying.
Trusting Principle of Reciprocity
Giving back to the community is important and some-
thing Bianca holds dear to her heart. As a company,
Pentafloor is continually involved in projects that help
the less fortunate. They offer their services in which
they supply and install flooring to help individuals as
well as NGO’s. SPCA, homes for unwed mothers,
families whose homes have been destroyed by fire and
to churches , to name but a few.
Being Courageous and Fearless
As Bianca mentioned this is a male dominated industry,
and thus, to the up-and-coming women out there, she
first welcomes them for taking the initiative to better
themselves. She advises them to never accept no for an
answer and allow to be put down or intimidated. She
says that the industry is changing, and they need to be
part of this change. “Go out there and show what you are
made of. Getting your hands dirty is part of this industry, I
have never been afraid to work on site side by side with my
teams,” she adds.
Being Best in the Industry
Bianca’s vision for Pentafloor is simple, “Be known as the
go to company.” When it comes to expansion, the
company has always looked at the international market
as a target it has set its eyes on. Bianca feels with her
company’s unique approach to business and its superior
and diverse range of products, it will be able to reach
this goal and more. “With our mindset and talented staff
nothing stands in our way,” she concludes.
16
| June 2021 |

19. 17
| June 2021 |

20. Courage, Compete
Composure, and Ch
Leading With
O
ne gets only those things in life that one dares
to ask for. Choosing to be an entrepreneur is
not a walk in the park but it means to live on
the edge of success and failure. If one has sufficient
courage, boldness, and enough nerves, then
entrepreneurship is the right path for such people.
Entrepreneurship is a battleground for those who are
interested in playing the game of risk and reward.
Those who have the courage to pursue the path of
entrepreneurship and those who have great
competence to turn their innovative ideas into a reality
can accomplish significant success in their business.
One’s greatness has to be established by one’s ability to
thrive even in tough times. The challenges reveal the
substance of great leaders. To run a successful business
even in challenging times is possible for courageous and
competent leaders. The two qualities of courage and
competence are contagious. The courage and
competence in the leaders is passed on to their team
members and that truly helps them to manage their
business effectively. With courage and competence,
one can crossover challenges and will be able to drive
the growth of the organization and its clients.
Business leaders have to accomplish certain things or
skills in this world to earn a sense of the
trustworthiness of clients. By delivering high-quality,
upgraded, and innovative solutions to the clients
business leaders are able to gain the trust of the clients.
To deliver high-quality, upgraded, and innovative
solutions to clients, business leaders need to have
sufficient talents and skills. Nothing worthwhile comes
easily. No great results are achieved by mediocre
efforts. Business leaders need to pay the price of
sacrifice, hard work, dedicated and consistent efforts to
make a worthwhile contribution to the industry. They
need to be free from distractions, inertia and they need
to divorce themselves from negativity and focus on the
positive. It is essential for leaders to replace negative
with positive.
Nothing substantial in life or business can ever be
accomplished by playing safe. The comfort zone is the
greatest killer of progress. It may be safe but no sort of
growth ever happens in the comfort zone. One has to
break the boundaries to be successful and to make
one’s ideas into reality. Transforming ideas into reality
is the hallmark of entrepreneurship. One should be
18
| June 2021 |

21. ence,
heerfulness
prepared to go beyond the trap of comfort zone and
stretch one’s limits. Being a successful business leader
takes a lot of self-discipline, determination, sincere
efforts, and hard work. To be an effective business
leader one needs to have a vision and goal-oriented
approach to make a substantial difference in the
industry.
Exemplary leadership is about creating a positive
environment with a purpose that matters and a plan
that delivers results. Those who practice impactful
leadership know that it is critical that the team
members embrace the problem or opportunity ahead,
help develop the solution, and internalize the approach
to win. The right attitude and the right mindset are
important for leaders.
Leaders should inspire, encourage, and drive the teams
to deliver exceptional results. To do that, leaders need
to have sufficient good qualities in themselves to be
able to inspire, encourage and lead others. Business
leaders need to be decisive; they should be able to take
high-value decisions. They should challenge the status
quo. They should practice active listening and should
resolve the issues by having a considerate and solution-
oriented approach. They should have a great sense of
problem-solving skills to be able to confront issues.
Performing to the fullest of their potential is the
hallmark of great business leaders. They don’t want to
confine themselves to any limits. It is a characteristic of
leaders that they are motivated by the spirit of
contribution to society by using technological
advancements and all assets. That is what makes them
greatly influential. Giving back and serving the
community is in the conscience of business leaders.
Such leaders want to be part of something great by
making a worthwhile contribution to the
community/industry.
Accomplished business leaders respond intelligently
than reacting impulsively or instinctively. The advanced
conscience and intuition of such leaders help them to
be more in tune with their inner voice. They have the
courage to follow their conscience and intuition and
they don’t get distracted by the noise of others. They
drive the successful growth of the organization by
leading with courage, competence, composure, and
cheerfulness.
Achieving Great Heights
19
| June 2021 |

24. Raissa and Joyce
de Haas
Uniting Love for Drinks with Scientific
Training for Enhancing Drinking Occasions
Raissa and Joyce de Haas
Co-Founders
Double Dutch Drinks
22
| June 2021 |

25. I
t gives great satisfaction to the entrepreneurs to
create something that will increase the joy of their
customers. By combining one’s passion along with
adapting scientific approach, entrepreneurs like to
deliver something that enhances the experiences of the
customers. Along with this, their background also plays
a significant role. The Dutch background of Raissa de
Haas and her twin sister Joyce de Haas gave them an
innate love for quality drinks which united with their
scientific training to produce a twin powerhouse of
innovation and extremely good taste. Therefore, they
started Double Dutch Drinks in 2015. At Double
Dutch, the finest ingredients, the latest scientific
research, and the craft of mixology are combined to
create soft drinks that intensify the flavor of spirits and
thrill the palate when drunk alone.
Doubling People’s Enjoyment by Delivering Highest
Standard Drinks
Drawing on their Dutch heritage of creating great
alcoholic drinks like gin, the twin sister’s ambition is to
double people’s enjoyment by bringing their soft drinks
up to the standards of the world’s finest spirits.
Double Dutch is a brand built on a belief of maximizing
flavorful drinking, creating unexpected pairings that
enhance every adult drinking occasion – whether
served with premium spirits or savored solo. The
company continues to position itself as the key
challenger brand in the tonic water & premium mixer
category, offering a fresh, healthy, and innovative
proposition to the market.
Having Innovation as a Core Principle
Double Dutch was the first mixer brand to launch
quinine-free tonic, to focus on double paired flavoring
for mixers and use the art (and science!) of molecular
gastronomy for recipe development. Since it has
launched with its Cucumber & Watermelon, and
Pomegranate & Basil, it has expanded its range to 12
flavors including an Indian Tonic Water which has been
awarded best tonic globally, a spicy Ginger Beer.
Recently, it has launched its cocktail soda range with a
Bloody Mary and Cucumber Margarita soda. Its entire
range is low in calories and uses natural flavorings.
With innovation at its core, Double Dutch is proud to
have won over 40 awards to date.
Having Faith, Passion and Perseverance
Any successful company usually starts with an idea,
which developed from a passion and Raissa thinks this
is hugely important. She states that passion will help
entrepreneurs through all the hard times and every
entrepreneur will need to make the sacrifices in their
journey. She says, “Greater the passion leads to stronger
the perseverance. As an entrepreneur you have to believe in
yourself and your product. Being convinced of yourself, your
passion, and your idea, also ensures you can inspire others
around you.”
23
| June 2021 |

26. Learning from Mistakes
Raissa states that in any leadership role it’s important
to inspire and encourage everyone in the team to be
their best self and believe in the bigger picture of what
one’s company is trying to achieve. She says that it
starts with listening carefully and creating a culture
where mistakes are allowed to happen.
Raissa personally believes very much in trial and error
whilst building any company. She thinks, at Double
Dutch Drinks, they have learned a lot more from the
mistakes they made in the past than they have from
their successes. In terms of leadership style, being a
Dutch founder of a UK-based company Raissa thinks
there are certainly some challenges to be overcome.
Most importantly they both ( Raissa and Joyce) are
naturally quite direct whilst their experience of
working with the British is that they tend to be a little
more diplomatic, so that’s definitely something they’re
working on!
Striving for Highest Quality Product
Double Dutch is reliant on its suppliers, all the way from
its raw ingredients to its final packaging while striving
for the highest quality product. Finding the right
partners that can grow with Double Dutch, but also
offer the best level of quality, has been challenging for
the company. Raissa feels that this is something she
needs to monitor, adapt, and improve upon.
Besides, other challenges have been growing the
production itself, finding new and better partners that
can bottle and produce its drinks to the standard it
expects, and that are able to grow with the company. As
a smaller company Double Dutch was lucky to be nibble
and implement quick changes during the pandemic. For
example, it was able to launch its direct-to-consumer
web shop within 4 days of the announcement of
lockdown in March.
Driving Sustainability by Being Carbon Neutral
As a company, doing business the right way is an
important principle for Double Dutch and it is trying to
build a culture that helps to make change. It has a
strong female representation at all levels in the
business, and a clear policy in place to support diversity.
They both (her sister Joyce and Raissa) feel strongly
about the fact that women need to support women –
but without excluding men. They have recently
Double Dutch’s
totally natural,
low-calorie, UK-
produced soft
drinks can be
found in 35+
countries
across Europe.
‘‘ ‘‘
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27. launched a scholarship and mentoring programme for
female bartenders to support women looking to build a
career in the industry.
Double Dutch is also exploring new ways to drive
sustainability through its supply chain. For example, it is
looking to leave a positive impact on the environment
by ensuring the brand is carbon neutral by the end of
2021.
Prioritizing Validation and Feedback from Customers
Raissa advises aspiring entrepreneurs to get out and
start selling quickly, get real market validation and then
tweak their business based on real market feedback.
She advises them to not commit a mistake of
postposing market launch of a new product by
attempting to make it perfect. She also adds that the
customer is always right and therefore, it is valuable to
get direct feedback from customers than rounds and
rounds of internal discussion.
For female entrepreneurs specifically, Raissa thinks
there is so much positive changes happening with lots
of incentives and events for female entrepreneurship
and encourages them to make the best use of this. She
believes that hard work really does pay off!
Sparkling Sociable Drinking Occasions
Double Dutch’s vision is to be the flavourful drink of
choice for spirit savvy sippers as well as no/low
enthusiasts and become known globally as the mixer
brand for creative flavours and sparking sociable
drinking occasions. To achieve this, the company is
putting a large focus on international expansion. It is
now available in over 35 countries and is building plans
for its core 10 markets, as well as a US expansion
planned for later this year.
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30. PHARMA IN THE TIMES OF
What Lies Ahead?
C VID-19 CRISIS
With increasing globalization, it seems that the
world is shrinking. Pharmaceutical industry
has been quick to adapt to this philosophy
and accommodate rising demands for advanced
medicines across the globe. With the set-up of product
R&D and manufacturing centres around the world,
pharma supply chain has become global. While this
allows businesses to leverage local resources and reach
diverse populations, under the present dynamic world
economy, it has also made them face the brunt of
financial, organisational and technological crisis. The
pitfalls of this interdependent economic ecosystem
have been apparent with the current coronavirus
pandemic which has affected over 200 countries and
resulted in about 4 million fatalities thus far. The
unprecedented drop in trade & economic activity due
to lockdown measures to contain the virus has crippled
businesses and left millions jobless. There’s no doubt
that the $90 trillion global economy is experiencing its
worst crisis ever since the Great Depression of 1930’s.
Can there be a light at the end of this seemingly endless
tunnel? I believe there is.
While all businesses have been forced to pivot in order
to stay relevant in the current economic scenario,
needless to say pharmaceutical sector has been at the
epicentre of this turmoil. Travel and import bans
disrupted their supply chain, affecting manufacturing
capabilities; uncertainty in trade due to global
economic volatility reduced revenues and slowed
growth. Even when these challenges disrupted the
industry, pharma innovators led the charge in the fight
against Covid-19 crisis. All resources were mobilized
towards finding diagnostic, preventative and curative
measures. The result- scientific innovation propelled at
a pace which was unheard of. The best example for this
can be seen in vaccine development timelines. The
fastest that a vaccine has ever been developed is four
years, when mumps vaccine was approved in 1967. In
contrast, in December 2020, less than a year into
development, Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine became the
first to be approved for emergency usage by FDA.
Interestingly, this is also the first vaccine developed
using mRNA platform, a technology never previously
been approved for general use. The validation of this
new technology and the accelerated speed with which
it was tested has changed the future of vaccine science.
Many more vaccines using different platforms have
since been approved. Could this have been possible
without the crisis situation that created a sense of
urgency? I don’t think so.
Besides vaccine development, pharma companies are
working round the clock to develop therapeutic
resources for Covid-19. As per US-FDA data, 10 drugs
and biological products have been given emergency
usage approval and over 620 other drug development
programs are in Pre-IND stage. These programs belong
to diverse categories including antivirals,
immunomodulators, biologics, gene and cell therapy.
Production of medicines in high demand, like
antipyretics, analgesics and multi-vitamins, has also
been increased. Additionally, as part of their
humanitarian outreach, several big pharma companies
like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim,
to name a few, are making in-kind and financial
Leader’s Viewpoint
28
| June 2021 |

31. About the Author
Dr. Parul Ganju
Co-founder and CEO
Ahammune Biosciences Pvt. Ltd
29
Dr. Parul Ganju is the Co-founder and
CEO of Ahammune Biosciences, a drug
discovery company working to develop
new treatments for skin depigmenting
disease, vitiligo. At Ahammune, Parul
leads R&D, product development and
investor relations. After completing her
PhD in Skin Biology from National
Institute of Immunology, Delhi she was a
DST-Inspire Faculty at CSIR-Institute of
Genomics and Integrative Biology
(CSIR-IGIB). She has extensive
experience in the area of dermatology
with specialization in vitiligo
pathophysiology. She has unique insights
into development of animal models for
dermatological conditions to aid in drug
discovery research. She has published
her research in leading journals like
Proceedings of National Academy of
Science and Nature Chemical Biology
and has filed for multiple patents.
| June 2021 |

32. donations to vulnerable communities. Companies like
Gilead and Eli Lilly have signed non-exclusive licensing
agreements with generic pharmaceutical
manufacturers to increase availability of their Covid-19
drugs throughout the world.
As borders blur, there is increasing realisation that
global well-being across all nations is the only way out.
Indeed, the pharma sector has delivered on its promise
for a quick global response during this pandemic by
forging ahead at war time speed. But what lies ahead?
While the fear of next phase of pandemic still lurks,
data analysis thus far indicates that chronic, pre-
existing medical conditions have played a critical role in
driving mortality due to Covid-19. An increase in ageing
population and lifestyle changes are contributing to a
steady increase in such chronic diseases which include
diabetes, cardiometabolic conditions, arthiritis etc. The
pandemic is expected to worsen these statistics and
increase pressure on health systems. Patients’ demands
for chronic care needs thus are expected to be a major
burden on the pharma sector in the near future. This
calls for a complete strategic restructuring of pharma
businesses in order to cater to requirements of
accurate diagnostic solutions and safer and affordable
drugs for long-term needs.
Traditionally, considered a sector averse to risk in terms
of adoption of new technologies, pharma companies
have now started to focus on discovery research, digital
transformation and new modes of customer
engagement. A massive revamp with increased R&D
investment is thus in store with the adoption of new
and emerging technologies to navigate the companies
efficiently into the future. Infact global R&D for this
sector is poised to increase from $165 billion in 2017 to
about $203 billion in 2024. Few technologies that will
drive this pharma revolution are listed below:
Ÿ Artificial intelligence (AI): AI is digitally
transforming every facet of pharma industry- from
disease diagnosis, to discovery R&D and drug
manufacture to patient care. The biggest impact
that AI aims to bring is to ease the process of
identifying and validating new drugs by predicting
drug-target interaction at the molecular level. By
making drug design process more efficient, AI is
poised to reduce the cost of developing new drugs,
which currently stands at a staggering average of
$1.3 billion.
Ÿ Organ-on-a-chip (OOAC): One of the biggest
challenges in drug discovery is to accurately predict
drug responses in the context of human physiology.
Animal models do not always reflect human disease
physiology, making data extrapolation inaccurate.
OOAC offers alternative to this traditional animal
model testing. It is a biomimetic system of human
organ built on a microfluidic chip. These devices
recapitulate the structural and functional
characteristics of human organs and hence provide
precise insights into human health. Better
prediction reduces failure rate and enables faster
and cheaper drug development. Considering its
potential game changing impact, OOAC was named
amongst Top 10 Technologies of 2016 by the World
Economic Forum.
Ÿ Digital Medicine: Internet of things (IoT) revolution
has swept through the pharma sector and is
changing the way patients engage with their
healthcare system. From wearable biosensors that
monitor your vital signs to insulin pens and
connected inhalers, digital medicine allows for
remote health monitoring and gathering real-time
analytics to generate actionable insights. With tech
giants like Apple, Samsung and Google in the race to
demonstrate their commitment to assist in health
monitoring, digital medicine is going to be
transformative for patients, especially for chronic
illnesses.
Ÿ 3D Printing: Customized pharmaceutics is no longer
a thing of fantasy. Pharma companies are beginning
to move away from “one-size fits all” model of mass
production towards a more personalised mode.
Thanks to 3D printing, a technique which acts as a
versatile tool for producing individually designed
dosage form and tailor made prostheses for patient
needs. It allows for the production of small, patient-
centric batches of different shapes, sizes and release
characteristics of drugs with high precision. With
better automation, reduced wastage and possibility
of easy modifications of a product at a designed
level, 3D Printing is an easy to use and cost-effective
alternative to conventional manufacturing methods.
Can pharma businesses sustain “Operation Warp
Speed” for new drugs and medicine development? It
remains to be seen. What the last few months have
shown us is that with inclusive partnerships of all
stakeholders- governments, regulators, academia and
industry- innovative solutions can be accelerated for
benefit of the people. With the uncertainty about how
long the covid-19 crisis will last, the pharma industry
needs to work with a sense of purpose, now more than
ever, to improve healthcare which will enhance living
standards and save lives.
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| June 2021 |

34. Stephen Petasky
Making the Journey of Travelers Enjoyable
All human beings are shaped by some striking,
formative, and transformative moments in life.
These once-in-a-lifetime moments create
impressions in our memory, and they play a key role in
deciding the trajectory of our lives. The most wonderful
experiences helped shape Stephen Petasky as a young
boy travelling to Disneyland with his parents and sister,
learning many incredible lessons along the way.
Following that return from Disneyland, he was
incredibly lucky to watch his parents buy a business and
witness all of the struggles and successes that come
along with entrepreneurship.
That was the year in his life that fostered this passion
and ultimately put him on a lifelong path of
entrepreneurship, travel and helping people.
Fortunately, 'The Luxus Group' allows him to do all of
these at one time. Stephen is the President at The
Luxus Group, which offers a range of tailored lifestyle
and real estate investment strategies to help people
achieve global diversification. Its unique position allows
it to identify, access, develop and manage all aspects of
emerging, high-quality opportunities on behalf of its
clients.
Making Vacation Experiences Incredibly Memorable
Much of the inspiration for Luxus came from his love of
travel and the incredible memories he made while
travelling with family. Over 15 years ago, Stephen
recognized a void in the travel industry and worked
hard to develop a concept that would bring these
experiences to more people. In 2007, he founded The
Luxus Group, creating an experience that combined the
consistency of a luxury hotel with the size, comfort, and
sense of ownership that a private vacation home offers.
This offering grew to over 50 properties worldwide and
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| June 2021 |

35. Stephen Petasky
President
The Luxus Group
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| June 2021 |

36. led to the expansion of new elements of its business,
including the launch of Luxus Restoration, restoring
ancient Tuscan ruins for discerning buyers.
It now runs a multi-disciplined company with several
brands offering management, development and service
of lifestyle and real estate assets. The Luxus
Developments side of its business focuses on boutique
luxury projects in vacation destinations such as Hawaii,
Mexico, California, and Las Vegas. Helping more people
buy, build, co-own and/or manage their super cool
vacation properties around the world is Stephen's
mission. His wife Carrie and their kids have certainly
appreciated these services, making their vacation
experiences incredibly memorable! Stephen wants
more people to experience the power of spending
dedicated time away with the ones they love.
Creating Efficiencies at All Levels
With significant investment of both time and capital,
Luxus developed custom software ideal for managing
shared inventory. After ten years of perfecting its
system, it now has a product that best serves both the
consumer and the operator, creating efficiencies at all
levels of its business. Technology has changed its ability
to operate assets remotely, not only from a booking
perspective but in the property management aspect of
its business. Its system connects remote vendors to its
booking system and manages ongoing property-related
maintenance, cleaning programs and consumer
feedback.
Facilitating Private, Safe, and Secure Vacations
With in-depth knowledge of the vacation home
experience, from buying and selling, syndicating usage,
ground-up development and restoration, and
continuous management of the assets, The Luxus
Group has expertise in all aspects of this industry. It
provides a different level of service for its consumers
because it understands all the pieces and can manage
each project more effectively.
The demand for private, safe, and secure vacation
homes has increased substantially over the past 14
months due to the pandemic. A trend that was already
on the move is accelerating and is likely here to stay. It
doesn't mean that people won't choose to travel to
hotels, but it does mean a more significant market share
of people choosing to travel to a private vacation home.
Whether someone decides to buy their own home, joins
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37. a co-ownership or rents a comparable property, there
are many options to explore.
The Luxus Group has been helping its clients buy
vacation homes as a safe alternative throughout the
pandemic. As a direct result of COVID, it is launching an
official advisory service that it sees growing
significantly based on people's desires to travel in safe
and responsible ways. It is taking away the barriers to
some of the most incredible experiences in life, owning
and taking care of a vacation home.
The advisory service will help people through the
experience of making a lifestyle investment in vacation
real estate. The Luxus Group takes away the fear and
uncertainty, making the journey as enjoyable as it
should be!
Sharing Experiences, Knowledge, Mistakes and
Learnings
A healthy industry is good for everyone! With the
launch of The Luxus Group's new advisory service, it
wants to share its experiences and knowledge about
the industry to both the consumer and to those wishing
to start something of their own. The advisory offering is
in its infancy, but Stephen truly believes that knowledge
is power, and he wants to get as much content out as
possible. He plans to put it out there through various
social channels so that people can learn through their
experiences- their mistakes, their wins, and their
learnings along the way!
Meeting the Changing Travel Demands
Stephen has always had a strong entrepreneurial
mindset and passion for creating solutions for travel
and real estate investments for clients. Like most
entrepreneurial journeys, The Luxus Group has had
many ups and downs over its nearly 15-year history.
The learnings are invaluable. It will use them to grow as
an organization and best serve its two existing co-
ownership offerings: The Premiere Collection and Ena
Lake Lodge Private Fishing Club. The Luxus Group will
also launch new product offerings over time to meet
the changing travel demands created by COVID-19.
Without a doubt, COVID-19 has dramatically
accelerated the demand for travel to private vacation
properties, and Luxus Group is looking forward to
serving this niche for many years to come.
A Precious Note to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
As all entrepreneurs would say, one just has to start!
Stephen advises budding entrepreneurs not to let
perfection paralyze them. A small business is versatile
and will eventually require more complex processes as
it grows. Overcomplicating one's business will make it
confusing for the end-user, hard to implement and
execute. He advises them to keep it simple and don't let
perfection stand in their way - just start!
“The Luxus Group helps
people live healthier, happier,
more fullling lives. It
specializes in customizing
world-class real estate and
lifestyle experiences for
people who want to connect
their dreams, passions and
investments.”
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