The most admired women leaders in business 2021 vol 2

ISSUE 02 VOL 03
|
2021
WORK-LIFE
BALANCE
WORKING IN THE
NEW NORM
THE MOST
ADMIRED
Leaders
IN BUSINESS
2021
ANNA
HOMENKO
Personifying
Expertise,
Redeﬁning
Leadership
BEING
THE CHANGE
THE CHANGING
LANDSCAPE OF
WOMEN IN
LEADERSHIP

Redefining Success
S
uccess is different for different people. Most of them accept
it in terms of financial numbers, or career position attained,
or by number of years spent on the job. But women are
redefining this essence of success. By achieving work-life balance
they are being successful in both the spheres of their life.
A lot of ink has been spilled over the dilemma of women being
underrepresented when it comes to heading the business. Women
have already been successful in taking the charge and have taken
their businesses to the new heights. Not only this, but now they are
also making their marks in the male-dominated industries. It has all
become possible due to soft skills they carry. Today’s cumbersome
corporate world is in desperate need of leaders who are
empathetic, good listeners and communicators. Women are
believed to be grown with such skills which serve them well when
wearing the hat of leader.
CIO Look in its edition “Most Admired Women Leaders in Business
2021” has bring forward the stories of some exemplary women
leaders who are setting a striking instance of effective leadership.
Featuring on the cover of this edition is an ardent entrepreneur
Anna Homenko. As the Founder and Managing Director of
Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited, Anna has brought her 20 years of
experience, knowledge, and resources to the table.
Anna has cemented her reputation in Cyprus and abroad as one of
the most knowledgeable people in the administrative services
industry. Her passion for her work and constantly striving for
excellence in all that she does has made her the inspirational
leader she is today. Considered as a doyen in the industry, Anna
leads by example, taking a hands-on approach and inspiring her
teams to utilize all that they learn, create, and believe in.
EDITOR’S NOTE

Furthermore, she is a solution-oriented leader, who believes that there is never a problem that cannot be
solved. Instead of exploring obstacles, she believes in taking responsibility and focusing on the desired
outcomes.
Delve in to more such inspiring stories and lessons from many such signiﬁcant entrepreneurs in this issue
and reap the fruits of motivation. Let’s spread the word about their contribution in making this world a
better place.
Also make sure to scroll through the articles penned by our in-house editors and CXO standpoints which
will give insight into various leadership traits and qualities that global leaders possess. We hope this
edition would be a positive addition to your treasure of knowledge.
Happy Reading!
THE MOST
ADMIRED
Leaders
IN BUSINESS
2021

Anna Homenko
Personifying Expertise,
Redeﬁning Leadership
08
ARTICLES
COVER STORY
24
BEING THE CHANGE
The Changing Landscape
of Women in Leadership
Work-Life Balance
Working in the New Norm
36
48
Staying Connected in a
Disconnected Reality

16
20
28
32
40
44
Charikleia G. Stouka
A Passionate Leader Helping Buyers and
Sellers with their Real-estate Needs
Elizabeth Blount McCormick
The Great Love for Travelling
Leticia Latino
Personifying Proliﬁc Leadership
Mary Gehr
An Embodiment of Empathetic Leadership
Nagma Abbasi
An Inimitable Leader Bringing Transformation
in Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry
Stephanie Latorre
Assisting Clients in Designing
Most Efﬁcient Websites
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S

CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Rohit Chaturvedi
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Kushagra Gupta
Associate Designer Kartik Balapurkar
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives Andrew, Prathamesh, Maneesh
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
March, 2021
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Brief
Company Name
Nagma Abbasi
CEO
Stephanie La Torre
Director
Charikleia Stouka
CEO
Fatima Ribeiro
CEO
With 20 years of successful presence and experience in the
Greek Real Estate Market, Alma real estate offers immediate
and effective service, tailored individually to each of our
customers.
NextGen Life Sciences provides complete solutions in
Instrumentation, Reagents, Bioinformatics and Consumables
which researchers use in scientific investigation and diagnosis.
Stephanie LaTorre Designs help people and businesses create
websites that work for them.
Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK, with a vision
of a just world, free from poverty.
Cara Scharf
CEO
Fearless Media is a full-service NYC-based digital marketing
agency specializing in the entertainment, retail, education, and
technology verticals.
Fearless Media
fearlessmedia.com
ALMA REAL ESTATE
almarealestate.gr
Comic Relief
comicrelief.com
Anna Homenko
CEO
Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus) Limited is a “boutique” Cyprus
trustee and fiduciary services company with international
coverage.
Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus)
fiduciana.net
Leticia Latino
CEO
Neptuno USA is a company of heritage. An offspring of
Neptuno Group, a family owned business that counts with over
45 years of international hands on experience in the Telecom,
Broadcasting and Utilities industry.
Neptuno USA
neptunousa.com
Stephanie LaTorre Designs
stephanielatorre.com
Dimple Thakkar
CEO
SYNHERGY specializes in online marketing with a focus in
social media.
SYNHERGY
synhergy.com
NextGen Life Sciences
Pvt. Ltd.
nextgenlife.com
Elizabeth Blount
CEO
Uniglobe Travel Designers is a minority, women owned travel
management company offering over 40 years of experience in
the travel industry.
Uniglobe Travel Designers
uniglobetravel
designers.com
Mary Gehr
CEO
TPS's commitment is to provide best practices in attracting,
hiring, and nourishing talent for any size organization, whether
it be a start-up, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, public
sector, or non/not-for-profit.
Talent Platform Solutions
talentplatformsolutions.com
Featuring Person

Anna Homenko
Founder and
Managing Director
Fiduciana Trust
(Cyprus) Limited

A NA
Homenko
PERSONIFYING EXPERTISE,
REDEFINING LEADERSHIP
‘‘
‘‘
Take great care of
your team and they
will take great care
of your business.
C O V E R S T O R Y

I
n a world where everything has become digital,
personal touch is what customers seek. In the legal
service industry, it is observed that businesses
somewhere fail to maintain that personal relationship
with their clients. It was an aspiration to fill this gap that
led Anna Homenko to form Fiduciana Trust (Cyprus)
Limited, a ‘boutique’ Cyprus trustee and fiduciary
service provider with international coverage.
As the Founder and Managing Director of the
company, Anna has brought her 20 years of experience,
knowledge, and resources to the table.
Anna has cemented her reputation in Cyprus and
abroad as one of the most knowledgeable people in the
administrative services industry. Her passion for her
work and constantly striving for excellence in all that
she does has made her the inspirational leader she is
today.
Considered as a doyen in the industry, Anna leads by
example, taking a hands-on approach and inspiring her
teams to utilize all that they learn, create, and believe
in. Furthermore, she is a solution-oriented leader, who
believes that there is never a problem that cannot be
solved. Instead of exploring obstacles, she believes in
taking responsibility and focusing on the desired
outcomes.
Advising budding entrepreneurs in the legal services
and tax planning industry, Anna says “Be passionate
about what you do, be honest and committed to the needs
of your clients. Love the people you work with. Be practical
and invest time to nurture client relationships.”
Setting Benchmarks of Excellence
By combining its legal knowledge, fiduciary experience,
and business sense, Fiduciana ensures to consistently
deliver the best possible outcome for its clients. The
firm takes pride in the fact that it offers friendly and
personal service to its customers.
Operating as a ‘home office’, the company focuses on
offering the highest level of trust, corporate tax and
accounting services and solutions to its clients. The

‘boutique’ nature of the firm ensures that its clients’
affairs are kept strictly confidential and the most
personal approach is offered in the handling of all
matters.
Fiduciana’s team is passionate and dedicated
professionals from a diverse list of experts, chartered
accountants, lawyers, and paralegal administrators who
are high-caliber professionals, carefully recruited, and
suitably trained to not only to meet but to exceed the
needs of the most demanding situations.
Thefirmisevidentlyaleaderindeliveringaddedvalueto
its clients, where it provides directors expertise for
management of client’s company. It has the ability and
experience to understand the business of its clients and
thus conduct the entire business of the company, liaising
withthecompany’sownersonlywhereappropriate.
Overcoming Adversities
Anna’s journey so far has been full of undulating
moments. “Most of the entrepreneurs, business owners and
professionals around the world can attest that excelling in
any industry requires perseverance, commitment, and
discipline. But women have an additional task to do which is
to challenge accepted gender norms. This was no different in
Cyprus – an island traditionally dominated by men in most
areas of corporate and commercial business,” Anna
expresses.
But Anna never shies away from a challenge. There
have been additional difficulties along her way. The
unprecedented banking crisis of 2013 ushering Cyprus
into a recession was definitely one of the most widely
felt. However, Anna’s focus was always on delivering
impeccable client service by maintaining a flow of
communication and offering the highest level of
support, guidance, and advice to all her clients during
the most turbulent times.
We believe that the art of
Fiduciary services is to ensure
that there are no impossible
solutions... we have it down
to a fine art.
‘‘
‘‘

‘‘
‘‘
We aim to
deliver services of
the highest standard,
provide solutions and
guide our clients,
working together with
expert legal, financial
and tax advisors.
Another biggest challenge in today’s profession Anna
mentions, is staying abreast of the ever-changing tax,
legal, trust and regulatory landscape globally and
adapting Fiduciana’s practice to find a fit for Cyprus so
that it remains compliant but, at the same time,
competitive.
Upholding the Virtue of Gratitude
When it comes to giving back to the community,
Fiduciana looks at it as encompassing the transparent
nature of the work it does, the ethical nature of its
clients’ businesses, and how it can support the
community and fill the needs that arise outside its
doorstep. The firm supports a plethora of community
initiatives by providing resources, funding, and time
wherever possible with the intent of giving back, with
gratitude.
In this way the company leads by example – not only
through its day-to-day work, but by being an active and
involved member of its community. “A corporation can
only be socially responsible when it takes responsibility for
its own actions also – caring for our people, our planet and
raising awareness whenever we can,” Anna expresses.
Sustaining Competency
We asked Anna her opinion regarding the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on the Legal Services industry,
and how she and her team at Fiduciana managed to
overcome the challenges, to which she said, “the legal
and corporate services industry was greatly impacted as a
result of the pandemic. Most firms reported a significant
drop in new enquiries and a hold on existing transactions
and instructions across a variety of different matters.”
“The issue with transactions not being pushed forward
to completion and a lack of new instructions was the
jeopardizing of the pipeline of work with so much
future uncertainty. In fact, the start of 2020 saw the
slowest rate of deal making for seven years. There were
no new listings and M&As in the market and business,
globally. Also, local lockdowns and a restriction on
working on site raised many new challenges in the
industry.”
“Fiduciana has always been investing in top technology,
which in this case has helped the company to continue
working without interruptions from any part of the world
and/or home and to continue delivering its usual top-
quality service around the clock as it assisted its clients
during these turbulent times,” adds Anna.
Anna knew that flexibility and adaptability have
become cornerstones of any successful business during
these times and her team at Fiduciana did what they
could to ensure their clients had a range of options and
the ability to make decisions as quickly as possible to
ensure that their own businesses would be disrupted as
little as possible.
Voyaging towards New Horizons
“Fiduciana will continue to cement its place as a leader in
the provision of top quality corporate and business services
through the promotion of holistic business, conscious
management, and investment in our people,” Anna asserts.
To achieve this, the firm continues to work through its
growth strategy but with flexibility and adaptability at
the forefront. Anna mentions that current events have
shown her that every business has to be resilient,
flexible, and quick to pivot.
“Fiduciana is future focused but comfortable in letting go
whatever no longer serves the company and its clients, to
ensure that everyone keeps moving forward,” concludes
Anna.

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Charikleia G. Stouka
A Passionate Leader Helping Buyers and Sellers with their Real-estate Needs
ith the mission to empower their real estate
Wclients, through combined real estate
experience and resources and enabling
them to make the best-informed real estate decisions,
ALMA Real Estate was established in November 2001.
An inventive mind behind the company is Charikleia
Stouka. With her perseverance and roll-up-your-
sleeves leadership style, Charikleia is leading by
example.
Let’s shed some light on her undulating entrepreneurial
journey in an interview conducted between Charikleia
and CIO Look.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please brief our readers about your leadership
position at the company.
Everything happens for a reason and it was that reason
that led me to start a real estate business 20 years ago.
Today, CHARIKLEIA G. STOUKA -Founder and "ALMA
Real Estate Hellas", are the Winners of the “Global
Business Intelligence Awards 2020”, for the Categories:
“Outstanding Public Relations”, “Outstanding Entrepre-
neur” and “Outstanding Customer Service Initiative”.
Also, Charikleia has won many distinctions as well as
press and TV presentations.
What people, what books, what life factors have
influenced and impacted you?
My family, my parents and grandparents have influ-
enced me with their integrity, purity, morality, and
strong family bonds and taught me the ¨fair play”. The
books of Jay Conrad Levinson on Guerilla Marketing
Tactics inspired me. Obviously good health is first and
foremost. Making and supporting a family is of utmost
importance, freedom of time and financial, travelling,
helping the less fortunate, supporting delicate animals
and plants, exercising the body and mind, all these
factors have influenced and impacted me.
What were the challenges you came across since
founding the organization?
My journey was not an easy one. There were many
challenges on the way, lack of finance, no previous
experience, family obligations, the huge financial crisis
in Greece, my inner fears, the strong and growing
competition, now the COVID-19. But it was the staying
power of my intense, burning desire to achieve goals
which helped me to overcome everything.
| March 2021 |
17

Being an experienced business leader, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on your industry? And how has your
company managed to overcome this significant
challenge?
People and life will be much different from now on. Our
business has been affected by Covid-19 as their
operating model is being designed to serve customers
in their close vicinity. We are putting health and safety
first. The fact is that the world has become seriously
cleaner after this. Technology and application of safety
rules is the solution to this challenge.
Technology tools allow access to information within
seconds from any device anywhere, and strengthens
the organization of data, so we will be able to work
efficiently in remote environments and being closer
than ever. Virtual meetings replaced in person meetings
and results are being delivered. COVID-19 has been the
catalyst for the transformation of our way of working.
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive
work culture? In what ways do you implement it at
your organization?
A positive work culture and core values are the pillars
of our work culture. We devote our time to make sure
everyone is aligned, set clear targets for each one, we
continuously train them, we recognize and reward
employees for achieving outstanding results. A friendly
competition is recommended, also some fun time.
In what ways have you or your company contributed
to the community? If given a chance, what change
would you bring to help other companies? Is there a
better way to contribute to community than helping
others?
We support organizations who help those people who
need more, especially children, as well as pets. Commu-
nity involvement is quite necessary. We like to help
others and make the world a better place. To help other
companies, Collaboration is the key. The real estate
work is all about connections.
What would be your advice for aspiring and emerging
women entrepreneurs in your industry?
Real Estate career is very demanding, but it gives
flexibility and freedom, in a way that they will have
more free time in their life to support their family, take
better care of themselves and the community. At first,
they should make pillars of support, like family and
friends, always make plans and set goals, educate
themselves for life, have strong work ethic. In addition,
they should be able to work tirelessly until their name is
written in the book of Success.
‘‘
| March 2021 |
18
‘‘
Everything is
possible. Dream…
Believe… Act…
Achieve

Charikleia G. Stouka,
Founder,
ALMA Real Estate Hellas
| March 2021 |
19

Elizabeth Blount McCormick,
President,
Uniglobe Travel Designers
| March 2021 |
20

Elizabeth Blount
McCormick
The Great Love for Travelling
hether you are bringing the extended family
Wtogether, celebrating a milestone, or
enjoying a reunion of friends, you don’t need
to wonder for destination, Elizabeth Blount
McCormick is here to help and exceed your
expectations. She is the President of Uniglobe Travel
Designers creating fun and memorable experience for
you. Elizabeth and her team coordinate all of the details
to plan the destination wedding of your dreams.
In an interview conducted between Elizabeth Blount
McCormick and CIO LOOK assists everyone with their
travel arrangements. Below are the highlights of the
interview:
Please brief our readers about your leadership
position at the company.
I am the President and Owner of Uniglobe Travel
Designers (UTD), a travel management company
specializing in both corporate and leisure travel.
My mom purchased this business in the 90’s. I worked
in the business during my high school and college
summers and eventually moved back to Columbus in
2006 to run the business. Many people, who were now
my employees, had watched me grow-up and had to
adjust to reporting to me. We had to completely
revamp the culture. Additionally, my mother had grown
the business organically without any major focus on
marketing and technology. To compete and grow the
business we had to invest in marketing, social media,
and technology. There is a saying that you have to
spend money to make money, which was a challenge at
the time. But we shifted our priorities to position
ourselves as market leaders and to compete with other
travel management companies across the country.
Being an experienced business leader, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on your industry?
I own a travel management company and we specialize
in corporate and leisure travel. We have been
significantly impacted by Covid-19. Travel was close to
not existing from one month to the next. People are
hesitant to travel as a result of the pandemic. We are
seeing a slight increase in travel for our business and
leisure clients as a result of the vaccine distribution
throughout the world. Consumer confidence is being
rebuilt, but it’s going to take time.
And how has your company managed to overcome this
significant challenge?
We have continued bringing on new business despite
Covid-19. We brought on 22 new clients in 2020. We
continue to connect with prospective clients to build
relationships so that when they are ready to travel, they
will reach out to Uniglobe Travel Designers.
Additionally, we started hosting lunch and learns and
happy hours with our preferred suppliers who are
located all over the world. We want people to continue
dreaming about travel and we want to make those
travel experiences a reality when they are ready!
work culture?
A positive work culture is absolutely necessary to be
successful. I’ve had people who worked for me in the
past who were not aligned with my vision and we had to
part ways. A wise person once told me that I should be
able to enjoy having dinner with everyone who works
for me. This really struck me and I now make this a
practice when I am thinking about hiring someone. I
ask, “would I like to have a meal with this person”? If the
answer is “yes” I will most likely hire the person.
| March 2021 |
21

In what ways do you implement it at your
organization?
I always say, “As long as something is not immoral or
illegal, try it”. We do not micromanage people here and
the UTD team is empowered to do what is in the best
interest of the client without having to go through
multiple layers to get things done.
In what ways have you or your contributed to the
community?
We have a Vitamin D program and for every vacation
booked, we give a portion of our profit back to charity.
We also encourage our team to volunteer together and
champion causes they care about. Additionally, I
mentor young women and Black business owners
whenever I can.
If given a chance, what change would you bring to help
other companies?
Pay it forward. Give someone an opportunity who
doesn’t look like you. Be intentional about your
relationships and the people you work with.
Look at challenges as obstacles, not barriers. Take a
chance and put yourself out there. Know your worth
and do not sell yourself short.
Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause
of women empowerment ?
I mentor women whenever I can. I always champion
women and speak their names in a room full of
opportunities.
What people, what books, what life factors have
influenced and impacted you?
My Mom is my mentor. I mirror my behaviour after her
and I am successful because of it. I watched her actions
and I put those actions into place.
Books – What I know for sure (Oprah Winfrey),
Becoming – Michelle Obama, A Promised Land –
Barack Obama.
Not winning business has influenced me and made a
large impact on my attitude and approach to my
business. It has helped me understand I am not for
everyone. And that’s okay! You need to know your
worth and not compromise your value or integrity.
A leads
“NO”
to a
better
“YES”
| March 2021 |
22

WOMEN L
IN
THE CHANGING
| March 2021 |
24

LEADERSHIP
G LANDSCAPE OF
D
ecades ago, if you would have asked a small kid,
what do he or she wants to become after
growing up, the answer would have something
gendered. It is because the jobs were gender-
stereotyped and people were socially conditioned for
to believe in it. But that isn’t the case anymore. These
lines of gendered-stereotyped jobs have been blurred
with men stepping into female-dominated fields and
vice-versa. Now-a-days men can be seen in the roles of
nurses and flight attendants, while women can be seen
in the roles of pilots and firefighters. This certainly
opened doors to number of career opportunities for
everyone.
Even though women were accepted into male-
dominated industries, the scepticism of them being at
the helm was not erased completely yet. This was yet
the other dilemma on which lot of ink has been spilled.
But women with their fierceness and firm
determination are bringing the significant paradigm
shift in female entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Let’s consider technology sector. Tech was believed to
be the male-dominated space. When women stepped
into tech, they changed the scenario. By intersecting
their business acumen, technical know-how, and out-
of-the box thinking, they immensely contributed to
shaping the technological landscape and made their
mark in it. For instance, women like Sheryl Sandberg,
the COO of Facebook, Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of
YouTube, etc. are setting a striking example of sound
leadership with their exemplary leadership skills.
Now, as we are surging ahead with evolving
technologies and innovations, many women are
stepping ahead to contribute to technological space by
building top-notch solutions for businesses as well as
consumers. Now, women are not only being seen
earning coveted positions at the leading IT
organizations, but also venturing into their own tech
startups.
Many tech organizations, solely run by women, are
coming up with revolutionary solutions and
applications to make this world a better place to live.
Taking this into consideration, many tech leaders and
organizations are working to increase the number of
women in tech-centred careers. This is serving as an
inspiration for emerging women leaders to venture into
tech space.
The other factor that counts is diversity in the
workforce. To aptly reflect the importance of diversity
let’s consider the example of Apple. When Apple first
released its Health App with the intent of creating
almost every aspect of one’s body’s daily functions
quantifiable, there was no sign of a menstrual or
reproductive cycle tracker. This is something where
girls rely on a calendar since past times. After the
company found this instance, it immediately added
these features into the design. The fact still remains the
same that it had effectively forgotten about women.
This scenario demonstrates that no matter how much
money or resources the company has invested in a
problem, without a varied and diverse team, there is a
huge possibility of making glaring mistakes and miss
opportunities. Thus, the point has been made that
diversity encourages creativity and innovation. Besides,
it also ensures a variety of different perspectives, which
proves to be beneficial and of utmost importance for
planning and executing any business strategy.
Gradually, the future of the women in leadership is
improving. Even though it is progressing, there would
be challenges in the way. But as more and more women
are taking a plunge, change doesn’t seem too far. The
leaders of today can create a better tomorrow for
others.
Being the Change
| March 2021 |
25

Le cia La no,
CEO
Neptuno USA, Corp.
| March 2021 |
28

Leticia Latino
Personifying Prolific Leadership
erhaps, people are speculative about getting
Pinvolved in family-owned businesses, as they
want to earn their own achievements. Leticia
Latino, the CEO of Neptuno, was of the same opinion
until she joined her family business. Her father founded
Neptuno 50 years ago after immigrating from Italy to
Venezuela and discovering that the opportunities in the
Telecommunications sector were going to be endless.
In her early years, Leticia resisted the idea of going to
work for him, mostly because of the labels and
assumptions that went with it bothered her. She
wanted to be recognized for her own achievements, so
even before she graduated from Business School, she
was already working for Merrill Lynch in her home
country Venezuela. She then decided to interrupt that
career path to pursue a dual master’s degree from
University of Miami. Upon Graduation, she got a job
offer from Nortel Networks and that is how, ironically,
she started a career in Telecommunications, the very
industry she had avoided years earlier. After Nortel
started having serious financial problems, the massive
layoffs started, and in 2001, Leticia was out. She then
realized that she could add substantial value to the
family business, and after a couple of years back in
Venezuela learning all she could about it, she accepted
her father’s offer to return to the US, to found and run
Neptuno USA. He promoted Leticia to CEO 15 years
later, in 2017.
Let’s find out more about how Leticia headed Neptuno
to make it recognized in the USA in an interview
between CIO Look and Leticia.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
The main challenge I faced was to be able to make
Neptuno recognized in the US. Our company has a
strong brand and reputation in Latin America and the
Caribbean. We have been fortunate to work with
pretty much every Telecom Carrier and Infrastructure
Supplier there, but when we opened in the US, it was as
if that experience was worth less here, as if it did not
count at all. For instance, we had been a supplier to
Ericsson since the 1990’s, with my father signing the
Master Service Agreement in Ericsson’s Headquarters
in Sweden, yet it took us several years to get certified
by them in the US. These companies are massive, and to
navigate through their corporate structure, especially
when you are minuscule in comparison, is beyond
challenging. To think that we can provide customer
reference letters starting from the 1970’s and that
barely any value is placed to them, because they relate
to international projects, has made my job extremely
frustrating, so for a long time we just kept our
international focus. My first decisions as CEO included:
to commit to become an active player in the USA, to
help deploy 5G with innovative field services solutions
and to advocate for workforce development and
diversity and inclusion. The company became a Women
Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
Certified in 2017 with the vision that the WBENC
platform could help us penetrate some of the Key US
Wireless Players, provided that many of them have
committed to increase their diversity sourcing. This is
all playing out as we speak, so I hope to have an update
for you on that in the coming years!
work culture? In what ways do you implement it at
your organization?
I’m so pleased to hear this question, as it is indeed quite
important to us. I believe that family-owned businesses
have a clearer vision of the type of culture they want to
embrace. As a company, we are known to have
exceptionally low churn, we have multi-generational
employees of the same family and that makes us
incredibly happy. We see our employees as an
extension of our own family. We are big on building
trust, with the employees and the customers. We live
by the “old fashion honour code”, we keep promises and
put people first. One of the main things my father, who
| March 2021 |
29

at 86 is still active in the company, always highlights is
how the corporate world and our industry has
deteriorated from when he started working in it back in
the 1960’s. Price over quality, short term gain over long
term trusted relationship, misleading information over
truth and in some cases, even a strange pride in tricking
the customer. It has been hard staying true to our
company culture in times when you feel is not as
appreciated as it used to be or when it potentially
prevents you from getting the business you are
pursuing. The encouraging thing is that especially
during these pandemic times, and unfortunately
because a lot of companies are struggling, those ‘old
fashioned’ values seem to be having a “come back”. I
recently was lucky enough to interview Tami Simon,
founder of SoundsTrue for my podcast, and it was
refreshing to hear how she is not only a big believer but
a big promoter of the concept of “Conscious Business”,
which is all about conducting business with the purpose
of making a powerful contribution to the world. So for
us, instead of building telecommunications networks
the purpose should be about helping bridge the digital
divide. That mindset shift does change the way you look
at your business. If we all strived to increase
transparency in everything we do and focused on
leading and supporting businesses that have that
greater purpose philosophy, I am quite sure we would
all enjoy our jobs a lot more, and we would be helping
create not only a positive work culture but a more
positive world period.
I am a big dreamer and I like to make the impossible
possible. Entrepreneurship requires an ability to dream
big and not to be put off by the long list of “cons” that I
can assure you will surface when you decide to enter
the industry. These are exciting times for women, we
are achieving things that we have not achieved before.
Who needs more proof than having witnessed the oath
of the first Female VP in the history of The United
States of America? The journey is not easy, and you will
face huge challenges, but we have the attention now.
We must come forward and grab the microphone. It is
our time.
Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause
of women empowerment?
I like to think I have. I am a fierce advocate of Inclusion
and Diversity, especially because my industry still
struggles with some of the big flaws that exist around
this issue, so I get involved however I can to help raise
awareness and find ways to bridge the equality gap. I
also co-authored, with 13 other Women Owned
Company’s CEO’s, a Book entitled “Women in Business
Leading the Way”, which became a #1 Amazon Best
Seller in April 2020. The whole book revolves around
our own experiences and provides valuable advice to
others embarking on similar paths and industries. The
biggest takeaway that I provide in my chapter is that “It
is not about being one of the boys, is about being part of the
team”.
| March 2021 |
30
“I am on a path of
continued Growth and
I’m not journeying
towards a Finish Line,
so I approach life and
business with the
mindset of ‘The Best
is Yet to Come’.”

MARY GEHR
An Embodiment of Empathetic Leadership
f Mary Gehr, the Founder and Chief Talent Officer
Iof Talent Platform Solutions possesses an untapped
personal or business strength, good luck finding it.
The confident energy she exudes screams overachiever
(my word, not hers). Yet I can’t help but think that as a
business leader in a “most admired” list, she’s
uncharacteristically …kind.
Leadership prowess takes time, and Mary’s history
reveals “methodical planning meets divine
intervention”. Mary’s career and education in sales and
marketing began in her early 20s with various mid to
senior level leadership roles—and sound business
leadership decisions such as earning certifications as a
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt as well as her CAPM
(Certified Associate Project Management). Before and
since she unleashed her talent solutions expertise by
founding Talent Platform Solutions in 2006, she also
gained respect as a noteworthy public speaker.
Her current “most” status, Mary clarifies, reflects less
achievement and more motivation. “I noticed that critical
needs in talent acquisition and talent management
remained unmet on so many levels,” she says candidly.
“And I realized I had more power to influence the
business climate if I were spearheading the operation.”
Encouraging Diverse Team Culture
Cue the “You can lead a horse to water” cliché.
Ironically, the initial obstacles Mary faced at her
company’s inception 15 years ago haven’t been
completely eradicated. “I still come across leaders who
demonstrate gender, age, cultural bias, and inequality in
the workplace, overall.” She adds, though, that these
issues have seen moderate improvement.
Asked if she considers herself a moral seeker of justice,
Mary lets out a spontaneous, humble laugh. “TPS does
advocate tirelessly to spread values of equity
throughout the business environment. But it’s more
than just a constitutional or legal argument,” she
explains. “It’s about the magic that happens when a
diverse team contributes unique perspectives and
areas of knowledge…” She pauses, searching for the
words to do the ideal justice. “Find a truly cohesive
workplace that embraces common ground, and you will
find employees empowered to innovate, collaborate,
and respect.”
An Optimistic Approach
On to the next challenge: COVID-19. Most of us feel
overwhelmed—but not Mary. Why would she? A
leadership model for this challenging era, TPS has
helped displaced employees and decimated businesses
navigate unchartered obstacles faced worldwide due to
COVID-19. For optimists such as Mary, the glass
remains half full.
She quickly points out that, despite the upheaval this
pandemic has caused, global and small business alike
find themselves in the market for high quality talent.
The low-unemployment culture, candidate driven
market pre-COVID-19,” says Mary as she casually
reflects,“has shifted to an abundant pool of talent
options.”
With unemployment numbers staggeringly high and
businesses motivated to charge forward, TPS seems
created for just this situation: pairing associates with
businesses in ways that ensure compatibility and
productivity. With her confident grin, I cross off my next
question entirely. Mary and TPS WILL prove major
players in this post pandemic epic rebuild.
| March 2021 |
32

Let us champion the
empowerment of
women and be inspired
by our social, cultural,
economic and political
achievements around
the world.
“
“
Mary Gehr
Founder & Chief Talent Ofcer
Talent Platform Solutions, Inc.
| March 2021 |
34

Even more inspiring is that she passes this on—to her
community as well as the Next Gen of Female Career
Woman. There’s literally no place this leader would
rather be than somewhere that allows her access to a
door for change…a business, for instance, where she
might champion critical values for success--equity,
inclusion, and shared as well as diverse cultural
strengths. Mary’s vision remains resolute: to help
people and businesses define, attain, contribute the
most they have to offer in the most value-rich setting.
“It’s not rocket science” she smiles, rolling her eyes at
her own cliché. “Let us create a positive work culture
and a rich sense of community. Let us champion the
empowerment of women, let me share with these rising
stars and values-conscious companies the timeless
guiding forces that I too have drawn from for strength.”
As long as humanity evolves (or devolves), we can only
hope to find inspiring voices willing to lift us up and
show us new paths. Mary—TPS—may be that rare
bright light that combines knowledge, expertise,
genuine warmth, and energetic determinism—they
represent the leadership of the future.
Being a Bright Light
“It’s all about the power of choice,” says Mary,
uninterested in wasting even a moment of my time to
meandering. Mary’s defining characteristic may be
JUST this: She is NOT a leader to inadvertently miss
one opportunity. SO many execs say what they know
you want them to say: “It’s all about taking each
business down a healthy path; each leg of the journey
must nurture the body, mind, and spirit.” Mary truly
feels it—which is altogether different.
Of course, leading the business culture and the souls
whose peace of mind counts on equity requires forward
thinking not lip service (think families and legacies).
Mary’s forte has always been taming human bias one
step at a time…literally teasing it away from its
evolutionary origins. It takes steady, objective focus. It
takes an intense passion for humanity. And it takes
deep spiritual understanding of equality as a concept.
Perhaps her absolute clarity can (should) be attributed
to her “primary influencer” --God.
| March 2021 |
35

t wasn’t the case that the pandemic brought all the
Ichanges. There were murmurs all over the industry
due to rising costs with no-one being in a position to
bring change. And then like the proverbial bolt out of
the blue came the god-sent (alternatively devil-sent)
pandemic which pushed humanity right under the
carpet. With things going from days to weeks to months
and then a year, humanity as is its wont, started to
explore ways to do office work and enterprise while
being locked within four walls. What started slowly
with a few hours connected to the net while lying on
the bed has now become an established norm of
working. The Work from Home norm!
Habits formed over advantageous things that give
pleasure and/ or a sense of relief (if not release!).
Painful things conversely never lead to forming habits.
It’s for this reason that the norm of working from home
has caught on so tenaciously and in fact has been
accepted with its advantages and disadvantages. We
mention both below and tell you why despite some very
obvious good things, it might not be all that great-
unless some changes are introduced!
Advantages of the new norm of working from home!
Ÿ No travel! It helps save on time, and fuel costs. It
frees time for other things like hobbies, family time,
self-care including exercise and meditation.
Ÿ For employees, it helps save the time and hassles of
cooking and looking! If your face looks good on the
comp screen, you are good to go as it is. Same goes
for cooking and taking care of things which go out of
the window. You cook on a JIT basis and consume it
right there! Not left-overs that leads to savings and
eating afresh every time.
Ÿ For employees, this could be the first time that they
don’t need to own transport, itself a major expense
be it in buying or maintaining. We aren’t even
mentioning the hassles of parking and maintenance!
Ÿ For an organization too, work-from-home presents
interesting possibilities! No or low infrastructural
needs! Don’t need expensive real-estate either on
ownership or on rentals. Same goes for its
maintenance and upkeep. Offices are major guzzlers
of everything from electricity to water to even
toilet-paper! All these can be cut down drastically
(it’s a different matter that the same sees a
proportional increase on the home front of the
employees which in time the organization may have
to factor in with compensation). For the
environment too these present interesting
possibilities given that most large office have large
| March 2021 |
37

carbon footprints which when cut down to families
effectively dissipates.
Ÿ For an organization, there is another and as-yet not
very obvious advantage! Employee pool! At the
moment, employees mean the first and second
gender. The third in all its variations were effectively
excluded till now given the taboos and tags that
came along. In the relative anonymity of one’s home,
this entire lot is now accessible to an enterprise as
employees or contract workers. Same goes for
youngsters, retirees, housewife and so on who with
constraints can’t make it to an organization’s
physical location.
Ÿ Work from home can’t get disrupted any further! It
doesn’t get any deeper at the bottom of the barrel!
And humanity has hit its lowest! Disruptions in the
present seems to have found its match!
Ÿ Work from home is giving a fillip to some very
important industries including cyber security, home-
décor and home-maintenance besides UPS and
other saving devices! Cyber security shall remain on
top given that remote locations with their
connectivity to serves shall always present chinks
for the dark side to exploit.
If work from home could be a coin, it does have a
seamier side with its own set of challenges which
include:
Ÿ Issues of employee morale! If distance makes the
heart fonder, distance can also cause mistrusts.
Reading nuances and body language is nature’s way
of forming effective opinions. It just can’t get played
on a gadget screen irrespective of the latter’s size.
On top of that, connectivity issues which puts paid
to any efforts to understand the mood at the other
end. For an employer too it’s tough to gauge an
employee’s abilities given that distances can mask
abilities effectively for quite a while.
Ÿ Work-life balance going for a toss! In the new norm,
work starts the moment you open your eyes and
may continue till you flop down on the bed with
exhaustion. In the absence of physical barriers,
office is always on. Such an unending order can
upset the work-life balance- despite all its supposed
advantages of time and money savings.
Ÿ The feel of an office! Office is serious business and
needs the feel of the place. A desk in a corner of the
bed-room doesn’t simply suffice. The coffee-vending
machines, conference room, smoking corner,
parking lot chit-chat all add to the feeling of an office
which is also part of the bonding process helping
employees identify with an organization’s ethos.
Ÿ Data security! If the office as we have always known
it is a strong fort, the work from home set-up is a
sliver of an outpost manned by miniscule numbers
who for sure will buckle under an attack. While the
cost of an office might go down in WFH, the cost of
data security goes up exponentially despite which
data security shall remain an issue. Also, costs don’t
remain stable and keep increasing to fend off
concerted and often crafty attacks.
With the pandemic presenting a very real scenario of
disruption which going forward could be the new norm,
there are a few things industry shall be compelled to do
in order to gain the “best of both” advantage. These
include:
Ÿ Hybrid model of an office
With the home having proven its worth as an office,
the office itself can be scaled down with employees
reporting only on certain days and/ or hours. Such
places could hold ONLY essential services including
parts of Finance, HR and sales with the bulk operating
from home or remote locations. Such a thing could do
away with huge rentals, asset acquisition and
maintenance.
Ÿ Satellite office
Shared spaces were a rage in the pre-Covid days and
are seeing a resurgence as satellite office for large
companies. Employees coming from afar can cut short
their travel by relocating to offices in shares spaces
which themselves report to larger and more central
offices. Such a set-up is good in many ways. It has the
feel of an office and helps cuts on travel time. With
most office-related infrastructure including cloud
servers and security being provided on shares basis,
costs do go down to an extent- without the
compulsion of owning things that block resources.
Ÿ Back-office functions
Back offices don’t need a face and can effectively be
moved really far, sometimes into the hinterlands
where costs can sometimes be very low!
Ÿ Getting work-life into order!
Organizations should seriously think in terms of
holding classes for employees where work-life
balance, and time management are taught as part of a
curriculum. This could help employees appreciate the
time and freedom that the present order brings to
them, which remaining productive in every sphere of
life!
| March 2021 |
38

Nagma
Abbasi
eing the Founder and CEO of NextGen Life
BSciences Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Nagma Abbasi, is leading
the development and execution of long-term
strategies of the company with the vivid vision of
expanding the organization’s footprints across the
global market.
Established in 2014, NextGen Life Sciences major
objective is to be a leader in distribution of innovative
biological products and services for the life science
research and diagnostic market. The company provides
complete solutions in Instrumentation, Reagents,
Bioinformatics and Consumables which researchers
use in scientific investigation and diagnosis. Product
areas as well as Research Area include Cell Analysis,
Cell Culture & Transfection, Cloning, DNA & RNA
Purification, Gene Expression Analysis & Genotyping,
PCR, Protein Expression & Analysis, Real-Time PCR,
RNAi, Sequencing, Synthetic Biology, Cancer Research,
stem cell research, Drug Discovery and development,
Plant Sciences, epigenetics and custom designed
services.
From first Step to the Helm of NextGen
Dr. Nagma Abbasi attended IMT Ghaziabad, A.M.U.,
Aligarh and Indian Agricultural Research Institute,
Delhi for her studies in Business Administration,
Doctoral studies in Molecular Genetics and Post-Doc
studies in Molecular Biology. Her career spans over a
decade working with Esteemed Research Institutes and
leading Multinational companies in Life Sciences /
Biotech industry across various verticals like Product
management, customer segmentation, brand manage-
ment, and strategic marketing.
In order to cater the untapped opportunities in the
industry, Dr. Nagma Abbasi established NextGen Life
Sciences in 2014 with an aim to bridge the gap between
the needs and pains of researchers of the Life Sciences /
Biotech Industry and assist the scientists to gain insight
on the recent innovations and technologies, assuring a
sound knowledge of the subject matter. Henceforth,
with its augmented spectrum of products and solutions,
it is empowering the mounting realm of complex
analytical challenges. NextGen addresses a wide range
of requirements such as the sample, material character-
ization, and analysis to clinical diagnosis and biological-
based therapeutics handling.
Becoming Industry Leader By Achieving Clients’ Trust
Being a scientist herself, Dr. Nagma was aware of the
pain points of scientist in the Biotechnology, Life
Sciences and healthcare industry. Having this experi-
ence was beneficial for curating the services of
NextGen Life and turning it into a successful establish-
ment. However, like any other startup initially, the
company too had to face a few challenges like capital
investments, assembling a quality team, building a
customer base, and good relationship. “Today, with such
hard work and determination of me and my team we deliver
the best of services and solutions which are smart and
futuristic, and NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. has become
the most preferred brand for clients,” says Dr Nagma. The
key achievement for NextGen has been the consistent
growth for the last six years in terms of revenue and
profitability. The company has been successful in
attaining customer trust in a short period by providing
excellent services in the industry.
An Inimitable Leader Bringing Transformation
in Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry
| March 2021 |
40

Dr. Nagma Abbasi,
Founder and CEO
NextGen Life Sciences
Pvt. Ltd.
| March 2021 |
41

Collaborating, Creating and Catering
Dr Nagma assets “We collaborated with partners from
USA, Europe, Singapore and other South East Asia countries
for distribution business, manufacturing and R&D.” The
company’s aim is to achieve its objectives as a single
source facility, catering to the research needs of
scientists in the field of Molecular biology, cell biology,
immunology, health care, drug development, etc.
The team at the NextGen Life Sciences works very
closely with their customers and would like to gain
recognition, success and growth with a focus on
scientist's research needs and by following three
principle viz: value, service and support. The company’s
ultimate focus is to provide high quality and innovative
products and services at competitive price in a timely
fashion to customers.
Awards and Accolades
In 2020, Dr Nagma Selected as India’s Inspirational
Leader by WCRC. She Featured by Forbes India among
Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs of India 2020. She also
selected and featured as Decisive Women Leaders
2020 by Business APAC, featured amongst 30 Most
Influential CEOs by CIO Bulletin, selected as Winner of
India 500 CEO Awards 2020, awarded as Entrepreneur
of the Year Biotechnology and Healthcare Industry
2020 by Power Brands. Below are few more achieve-
ments from Dr Nagma’s journey-
• Listed as India’s Most influential CEO of the Year
2020 Life Sciences by Corporate Vision Magazine,
UK
• NextGen Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. is winner of India
5000 Best MSME Award 2020.
• Featured as "The Entrepreneurs beyond the bounds
of COVID19" by Business Connect magazine August
2020
• Featured amongst 50 Leading companies of the Year
2020 in USA leading Tech Magazine “The Silicon
Review “April 2020 issue.
• Entrepreneur of the Year in Trading Business
“MSMECCII Genentech Asia Awards 2020.”
• Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2019” by Business
Connect Magazine.
• Featured as Emerging Healthcare Solution Providers
to watch in 2019.
• Featured as Startup of the Year 2018 by The CEO
Magazine
• NextGen Life Sciences has been featured among “Top
20 Best Life Science Start-Ups” by Silicon India
Magazine in Year 2018.
| March 2021 |
42

Stephanie LaTorre,
Founder and CEO,
| March 2021 |
44

STEPHANIE
LATORRE
Assisting Clients in Designing Most Efcient Websites
t is essential for female entrepreneurs to remain
Iopen to embracing any change, taking some
calculated risks, and polishing one’s skills following
the technology. It has become imperative for
entrepreneurs to keep one’s skills relevant in this digital
era. Stephanie LaTorre is the Founder and CEO of
Stephanie LaTorre Designs.
Stephanie states that one might fail overnight, but one
is sure to reach even unimagined heights and realize
one’s dreams with resilience.
Stephanie believes her leadership is more oriented
towards inspiring her team to work better rather than
acting like a boss. She has been helping clients with web
designing for over a decade and ensured their business
goes a step ahead with every move they make. Putting
up a clear strategy and robust practices in her company
to assist clients in designing a website of their dreams
efficiently and cost-effectively is what makes Stephanie
content since creating a website comes as an utmost
responsibility.
Growing as an Entrepreneur
When Stephanie was setting up her business, the
guiding lines were very vague, and there was a lack of
awareness among women on how to support a family
and contribute to a company. The same was in her case,
and it took quite a while to acquire this knowledge
through different experiences and get things up and
running. But with each passing year, she started seeing
herself grooming as an entrepreneur and learn how
things work and how to make them work when odds
aren’t much in one’s favor.
Internationally Recognized Team Leader
Stephanie is a web designer who has been helping small
business owners around the world for the last 10 years.
She is google certified, hold a degree in Business
Administration, and has been recognised by magazines
and publications around the world for her work. She
has also been given the honour of becoming a Team
Leader for the internationally recognised Female
Entrepreneur Association. Her top values are following
one’s heart, making the most of everyday, and family
first. Her gifts are design, technology, listening,
strategy, and marketing.
People who know her say she is friendly, kind,
authentic, and down to earth. Ten years later, she has
built a business and a life that she loves. Now she
spends her days helping small business owners make
smart decisions about their websites to see massive
growth and results.
Adapting to Digital Transformation
There was so much uncertainty in the initial days of the
Covid-19 pandemic, and Stephanie LaTorre Designs
expected its industry would also have to face loss. But
as the weeks passed by and with the emergence of new
forms of remote working, the trend of digital
transformation in businesses spiked up since many of
these had to rely on websites. Stephanie LaTorre
| March 2021 |
45

Designs enabled many organizations to transform their
business into an online model in a limited time.
Stephanie LaTorre Designs has been practicing it for
years, helping them expand its horizons in these
dimensions. In Stephanie’s opinion, after the pandemic,
more companies have realized the importance of web
design, and almost every firm will be shifting to an
online platform gaining much popularity in industry,
with the surge in demand of well-reputed web
designing companies.
Maintaining Healthy Work Culture
One’s company culture is an amalgam of shared beliefs,
ethics, and practices that guide one’s organization, and
here at , everyone tries its
best to maintain a healthy work culture. This positive
attitude is reflected in how Stephanie LaTorre Designs
deals with its team members and clients and this sets
Stephanie LaTorre Designs apart from many other
organizations. Stephanie’s take for a positive work
culture in this organization is to boost the tour team’s
creativity and lessen each individual’s strain by
enhancing employee engagement. Stephanie LaTorre
Designs sticks to its core values even in downturns,
while honesty and dedication are the unmatched assets
this organization tops in client satisfaction.
Valuing Clients
Through an experience of many years driven by
passion, Stephanie has created a successful web portal
aiming to create ease for those frustrated by
technology and helping business owners,
entrepreneurs, and bloggers to work online while not
skipping out on precious moments at home. Suppose
she is given a chance to help other companies in the
industry. In that case, she will be glad to redefine web
designing not only as a first impression of a business but
as a journey to be delved or engrossed in, a journey that
clearly defines all the core values underlying its
strategies for client benefits. Stephanie considers her
clients to be the most valuable part of her journey.
They’ve trusted her with all the opportunities and
successes she has brought for them and her company.
Being Exemplary
Many of Stephanie’s clients are female, and they have
acknowledged that their websites have gained them
independence and freedom, allowing them to cherish
life even more. By assisting them in web designing and
learning new ways in technology and business,
Stephanie is not only making an example for them but
also their daughters, who reflect these strong women.
There is an entire generation watching their mothers
groom and prosper while cherishing home life without
office work boundaries. Bringing this social change and
helping female entrepreneurs as much in her capacity is
how Stephanie tries to contribute to the cause of
women empowerment.
Gratitude to the Most Important Inspirations
If Stephanie may, she will dedicate all her inspirations to
two persons who have been very precious to her. Her
mother, whom Stephanie has seen working with so
much dedication and excelling in her professional
career from her childhood. Her husband too, whom she
considers to be the biggest blessing, has provided with
his unconditional support when she wanted to quit on
this idea of entrepreneurship and instilled in her the
courage to continue. He believed in her even when she
had self-doubts and enabled her to keep up with a
positive attitude.
We should love
our work so
much that it
becomes a
natural part of
our lives.It
means
encouraging and
celebrating the
talent of each
individual within
the company.
“
“
| March 2021 |
46

Staying C
in a DISC
Leader’s Viewpoint
| March 2021 |
48

CONNECTED
Reality
CONNECTED
e are all ge ng used to the virtual nature of our
Wwork in organisa ons. We are slowly seeing the
impact, both posi ve and nega ve, that this can
bring to individuals, teams, and organisa ons.
We may find that the future is at best a blended work
practice between virtual and face-to-face, with employ-
ees attending the offices only for special meetings and
events, working at home for the majority of the time.
While convenient and ‘safer’, this brings a new chal-
lenge to organisations in terms of keeping their
employees connected. If surveys show that before the
pandemic 67% of employees were either disengaged, or
actively disengaged, then the likelihood is that figure
may have increased.
According to the Harvard Business Review, employees
today rank culture workplace environment above pay
and fancy titles (https://hbr.org/2020/04/build-a-
culture-that-aligns-with-peoples-values). Organisa-
tions will need to rethink their approach to company
culture.
What is culture? Simply expressed, it is the way we do
things around here. It is not what we put on the wall in
terms of our values. It is how we behave and do things
daily.
If you do not have a strategy around your people and
culture, then it will develop unconsciously. You need to
understand what type of organisation you want to be
and to ensure that you are building that every day in
every way.
What does that mean?
Start with some simple things:
1. You have a strategy underpinned by a shared
corporate vision and values. Who developed them? If
your people are not involved in the development of the
values, then they are not going to buy in to them. It
needs to be a consultation process. Once the values
have been selected there needs to be clear definitions
for each one. In this way you are creating a language
that can be shared by all and the behaviours that
support each value will be clearly identified.
2. Decide how you will recognise and reward the
individuals and teams that demonstrate these values.
The principle is that what you reward you get more of,
and so encouraging the right behaviours makes sense.
We suggest that you have a good look at your overall
reward system. If you say that you value teamwork, but
all the rewards and recognition go to individuals then
you are not being congruent. We refer to it as choosing
your heroes – who are the heroes that are celebrated
currently in the organisation? The mavericks, the
loners, or the team players?
3. How are your organisational values brought into
conversations? Are they reinforced in all areas of the
business? Is there any way for people to challenge
inappropriate behaviour?
4. Setting clear expectations for all roles in the
organisation with consistent standards is needed. Do
leaders and managers hold themselves to the same
values and behaviours? Does everyone know what is
expected of them? The importance of creating
| March 2021 |
49

alignment cannot be overlooked. Individuals need to
know where they ﬁt in to the big picture. They need to
have a sense of the vision living in the organisation,
being spoken about often and used to drive
accountability and performance. This conserves energy
and keeps the focus on the long-term objectives, whilst
delivering on the immediate requirements of the
business.
5. With the amount of virtual working that is needed
currently do you have a plan on how to use each
meeting to provide the necessary connection that
people need to start to engage, re-engage or stay
engaged?
6. Have you built a learning culture in your teams? To
encourage an openness where people feel that they can
trust the organisation, there needs to be a positive
approach to solving problems and challenges. Mistakes
need to be acknowledged as part of a learning process
rather than being covered up from fear of reprisals. To
do this there needs to be a level of trust in the teams
and organisations. Trust must be offered and earned, so
leadership is key here. The demonstration of trust and
transparency. Trusting the online workers are doing
what they need to do, not micromanaging them and
checking up on them. This is a sign of the
manager/leader’s insecurity and they need to develop
the skills of engagement and collaboration that invite
honesty and openness in response.
There are many other small things that an organisation
can put in place to build connections with their people.
They need not be expensive. They just need to be
clearly thought through in consultation with the people
as to what matters to them, and then consistently
applied. Many good intentions and plans fall down
because they do not have ownership at a high enough
level. Someone senior in the organisation needs to
really take on the Employee Experience and to drive it
as part of the strategic focus of the business.
We see the individual as the unit of change in
organisations. You need to engage them, involve them
and keep them close. The organisation is one of the
major communities that your people belong to, and
they spend a lot of time connected to their work, with a
major part to play in the success or failure of your
business.
We work with people who work with people! That is
our business. Why not let us help you to really make
your people your greatest assets!
| March 2021 |
50

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