Worlds Impactful Women Leaders Revolutionizing The Tech Industry, 2023.pdf

www.worldsleaders.com Vol. 08 | Issue 20 | August 2023
A Mental Health
Advocate Behavioral-
Science Powered
Marketer and
Philanthropist with a
Passion for Improving
Access to Care
Dr. Natanya Wachtel
Worlds Impactful
WOMEN
Leaders
Revolutionizing The Tech Industry, 2023

Worlds Impactful Women Leaders
Revolutionizing The Tech Industry, 2023
In the following decades, the tech world has gone
through many changes, like mobile to smartphone and
automobile self-driving cars. But the biggest change the
world has seen in the tech world is its leadership
transition. Once, the industry was completely dominated
by male executives; today, we can see that there are
many women visionaries who have made their mark on
the sector.
Now, having a woman executive is not a big thing to
celebrate. But what we have to focus on is what they are
changing. Women are proving themselves a worthy
competitor in tech board rooms, where they are not just
leading a vision but also making big changes with that
vision.
World's Leaders latest edition “Worlds Impactful
Women Leaders Revolutionizing the Tech Industry,
2023” has featured success stories of renowned women
business leaders from across the world whose expertise
in leadership is echoing globally.
The cover has Dr. Natanya Wachtel, a seasoned customer
science-driven marketing strategist who has a
background in life sciences and wellness innovation.
After leaving the corporate world, she sought out
projects with organizations dedicated to making the
world a better place. With extensive experience in the
healthcare industry, particularly with big healthcare
brands, Dr. Wachtel writes and speaks on topics related
to wellness, HealthTech, EdTech and customer insights.
Apart from her professional work, Dr. Wachtel is also a
writer and speaker who has dedicated herself to
addressing the healthcare disparities faced by
marginalized communities. She is particularly passionate
about improving access to care, education, and healthy
food. Dr. Wachtel is the host of the popular podcast
'Insights Out' on an established health network hosted by
The Outcomes Rocket Network. Through this platform,
she interviews leaders in customer-centricity in the
health and wellness industry about trends, best practices,
and watchouts. She is also a frequent guest on podcasts,
television, and radio, speaking about wellness, customer
science, transformation, and mental health.
Also, while you ﬂip through the pages, don't forget to
read the articles created by our in-house editorial staﬀ
and industry experts.
Leading to Making
an Impact
Have a lovely read!

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AUGUST 2023

08
Dr. Natanya
Wachtel
A Mental Health
Advocate Behavioral-
Science Powered
Marketer and
Philanthropist with a
Passion for Improving
Access to Care
Cover
Story

Danielle Solomon
Dr. Arti Santhanam
Jen Du Plessis
Tracy Valko
Nita White-Ivy
Lindsey Gamell
Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes
Jess Evans
Cecilia Camillucci
54
50
46
40
36
32
26
22
18

Dr. Natanya
Wachtel
A Mental Health Advocate Behavioral-Science
Powered Marketer and Philanthropist with a Passion
for Improving Access to Care
worldsleaders.com | 09

Dr.Natanya Wachtel
is a seasoned customer
science-driven marketing
strategist who has a
background in life sciences
and wellness innovation. After
leaving the corporate world,
she sought out projects with
organizations dedicated to
making the world a better
place. With extensive
experience in the healthcare
industry, particularly with big
healthcare brands, Dr. Wachtel
writes and speaks on topics
related to wellness,
HealthTech, EdTech and
customer insights.
As the Founder of the New
Solutions Network, Dr. Wachtel
leads a socially conscious,
cause-driven collective of
companies committed to
improving the world. She
works directly with The Chopra
Foundation Institute to
promote the integration of
holistic and functional
medicine into mainstream
western science and to raise
awareness of the Chopra
Library among younger
generations.

focus on creating meaningful impact in
people's lives. This led her to transition
to nonprofit work, philanthropy, and
working with start-ups in the wellness
and MedTech space.
Apart from her professional work, Dr.
Wachtel is also a writer and speaker
who has dedicated herself to
addressing the healthcare disparities
faced by marginalized communities.
She is particularly passionate about
improving access to care, education,
and healthy food. Dr. Wachtel is the
host of the popular podcast 'Insights
Out' on an established health network
hosted by The Outcomes Rocket
Network. Through this platform, she
interviews leaders in customer-
centricity in the health and wellness
industry about trends, best practices,
and watchouts. She is also a frequent
guest on podcasts, television, and
radio, speaking about wellness,
customer science, transformation, and
mental health.
Redefining Business with Human-
Centric Values and Philanthropy
New Solutions Network is a group of
innovative for profit and nonprofit
companies dedicated to making the
world a better place. They prioritize
creating businesses that put people at
the center and prioritize philanthropy,
which marks a significant change in
traditional business models. The
company provides specialized services
for behavioral science informed
commercialization and marketing,
including cutting-edge customer-
centric and science-driven marketing
and commercialization solutions.
The New Solutions Network is
committed to keeping up with cutting-
edge technologies and digital tools to
improve impact, growth, efficiency and
provide innovative and meaningful
solutions to customers. They help
companies build stronger customer
relationships and deliver seamless
customer experiences.
Operating as a collective of like-
minded leaders, New Solutions
Network partners with companies to
drive positive impact for individuals,
organizations, and communities on a
large scale. The New Solutions
Network is devoted to building
businesses and growing revenue while
prioritizing human-centric values.
Work Experiences
Dr. Wachtel is an experienced mental
health advocate who has been working
with families and exeuctives for over a
decade. Along with her clinical work,
she is also a health educator and
marketing strategist with expertise in
behavioral science. Dr. Wachtel has
spent more than 20 years in the pharma
and biotech industry, working on major
healthcare brands, before and after
founding New Solutions Network. In
2019, she left the corporate world to
12 | AUGUST 2023

Promoting Health Awareness
and Accessible Care
One of the core areas of wellness and education that Dr. Wachtel champions is nutrition,
and the gut-brain connections. As strategic advisor to the gut health optimization app
called Better Meal ai, she is able to help promote education about the need to focus on
gut health, the value of personalized medicine that is affordable and beneﬁcial for disease
management, mental wellness and overall health.
Dr. Wachtel's long-term goal for her company is to promote a greater awareness of the
impact of small interventions and daily habits on one's health, leading to an improved
quality of life and increased longevity. New Solutions Network is already collaborating
with partners in various countries, including the UK and India, to provide accessible
education, care, and tools for better health to a wider audience. She aims to expand these
efforts even further on a global scale. Ultimately, she hopes to create a world where
everyone has access to the resources they need to live a healthier, happier life.
14 | AUGUST 2023

Secondly, Dr. Wachtel wants to raise awareness about ways
to use technology for good, particularly in regard to the
mental health of young people. She aims to prioritize the
development of technologies that enhance our well-being,
rather than contributing to its decline. Given that social
media use has been linked to higher rates of depression,
anxiety, and loneliness, Dr. Wachtel is involved in several
projects, such as evrmore and REJU that seek to improve the
way we interact with technology to enable better health
outcomes for all.
In her work as Director of Education for the Women 40+
Wellness company THOR (The House of Rose), she
facilitates the curriculum centered on personal
From Corporate to Entrepreneurship
Dr. Wachtel considers leaving the corporate world to start
The New Solutions Network as the greatest risk she has
taken in her career. The decision was not an easy one, and
required months of careful consideration and planning,
given the uncertainties involved in starting a new venture.
Despite the challenges, Dr. Wachtel believes that the journey
has been worth it. It has taught her valuable lessons, brought
personal and professional satisfaction, and has tremendous
growth potential both personally and professionally.
Empowering Women of Color and Promoting Diversity
in Leadership
Dr. Wachtel is actively involved in Women Who Create, a
mentorship and scholarship program for women of color,
where she serves as Board Chair. Through this program, she
is able to directly impact the career trajectories of young
women and strengthen her own leadership skills. She also
co-founded evrmore, an Empathy AI™ powered mental
wellness app for GenZ , from whom she learns a lot about
the changing dynamics and culture across generations.
Dr. Wachtel believes that diversity and representation are
crucial to the success of any organization. She celebrates the
different cultures, gender identities, and other affiliations
that make up the world and strives to ensure that they are
well-represented at all levels of the organizations she
partners with.
As a leader, Dr. Wachtel believes in being open and
transparent about her struggles and journey throughout her
life and career history. She understands that self-doubt is a
common issue among many leaders, leading them to
underestimate their abilities and shy away from taking risks.
She believes that building resilience is crucial in the face of
setbacks and failures, which are inevitable in leadership
roles. She utilizes various tools such as journaling, self-
affirmations, and reading to promote mental wellness and
self-confidence.
Addressing Societal, Tech, and Personal Wellness Issues
Dr. Wachtel has identified three areas in society that she
would like to improve. Her first goal is to reduce the wealth
gap and improve access to basic needs such as food,
education, and healthcare, which are currently a struggle for
millions of people.

providing her expertise as a strategic
advisor to various companies. She
attends or gives talks at conferences
and seminars about a variety of topics,
where she is able to meet and
collaborate with industry leaders and
then bring back those learning to her
clients and teams. She serves as a
bridge between the science and the
marketing for emerging and
established brands and helps forge
strategic partnerships that enable
exponential growth.
Despite the many responsibilities, Dr.
Wachtel finds the most joy in helping
brands launch and grow. This is the
happiest part of her workflow, as she
derives great satisfaction from using
her skills and experience to assist
companies in achieving their goals.
Emphasis on Collaboration and
Continuous Learning
Dr. Wachtel seeks candidates who
possess several key qualities. Firstly,
she values flexibility and open-
mindedness, recognizing that these
transformation and healthy habits and
behavior change in both nutrition and
fitness so women can realize their ideal
self and live the life that makes them
the happiest and filled with purpose.
Finally, Dr. Wachtel is committed to
improving people's self-perception,
particularly regarding confidence and
self-esteem and possibility
development. She aims to inspire and
motivate others to realize their
potential, unlock hidden talents, and
pursue their dreams. Ultimately, Dr.
Wachtel believes by unlocking the
superhero within us, individuals can
accomplish great things. This is also
the focus of her upcoming book , based
on years of successful workshops
based on the same.
Inside the Day-to-Day Workflow
As the Founder of NSN, Dr. Wachtel is
responsible for a variety of tasks
throughout her day. These
responsibilities include overseeing the
hiring of staff, leading teams to
develop effective strategies, and
traits are essential for collaborating
effectively with others. Secondly, she
seeks individuals who are eager to
expand their knowledge and skills, and
who are willing to take on new roles or
tasks quickly. Given that NSN operates
in a fast-paced environment, the ability
to adapt and keep pace is highly
valued.
Additionally, Dr. Wachtel looks for
candidates who can contribute to the
growth of the team by bringing unique
perspectives and experiences. She
recognizes that everyone has
something valuable to offer, and that a
diverse and inclusive team is essential
for achieving success. Ultimately, Dr.
Wachtel seeks individuals who are
willing and able to work
collaboratively, continuously learn, and
help each other grow.
Impact of Technology on Healthcare
Dr. Wachtel recognizes technology as
one of the most significant changes in
the healthcare industry. The emergence
of electronic health records (EHRs),
telehealth, DTx, wearable technology,
and most significantly, AI, have
transformed healthcare delivery,
improved patient access, care
coordination, and patient outcomes.
With these technological
advancements, the healthcare industry
is continually evolving in a major way.
Dr. Wachtel is excited for what is next
to come and anticipates that future
technological developments will bring
even more benefits to patients and
healthcare providers alike.
16 | AUGUST 2023

National Healthcare Leader
At FORVIS
22 | AUGUST 2023

After graduating with an accounting degree from the
University of Illinois and passing the CPA exam,
Danielle Solomon accepted a job at an international
accounting firm. She was intrigued by healthcare and
wondered how her efforts in public accounting might
benefit society. After 15 years in public accounting, she
took an opportunity to work for a health system where
she gained essential knowledge and extended her
horizons beyond accounting and finance to the trends,
strategies, and innovations that will drive the industry
forward. Her experience in that job led her to FORVIS
(previously BKD), where she now has the privilege to
lead FORVIS’ healthcare industry team across the
country.
When Danielle first met her colleagues at DHG (now
FORVIS), she was struck by how well the business’s
healthcare practices complemented one another and the
opportunities as a combined firm. She commented
everyone she has met from legacy DHG has been great,
and she sees a genuine passion for healthcare and a drive
to provide exceptional service to the firm’s clients
throughout the merged workforce.
Danielle asserts, “The growth potential is exponential
and that excites me—both for our clients and for our
teams and professionals. The number of opportunities
that have already surfaced as well as increased inquiries
for new engagements and activity both firms are seeing
is exciting. “She sees her work as the leader of the new
firm’s merged industry as a tremendous opportunity for
her, and she is humbled and honored to lead this bright
and committed team of 950 professionals strong.
FORVIS
Beginning June 1, BKD CPAs & Advisors and Dixon
Hughes Goodman (DHG) merged as equals to create a
Top 10 national firm now called FORVIS. The name
FORVIS—a combination of the words FORward and
VISion—reflects the firm’s unique focus on what is next.
Danielle says, “Our combined vision builds on BKD’s
and DHG’s strong foundations and legacies.”
Business today is moving faster and with greater
complexity than ever before. The past two years have
certainly shown the world that it can change instantly,
and you can never be too prepared for tomorrow.
According to Danielle, FORVIS is driven by its forward
vision because they do not see tomorrow as something to
deal with later; we see it as something to prepare for
today.
As one firm, FORVIS is even stronger, with greater
resources, enhanced capabilities, and an expanded
national platform—and its commitment to exceeding
client expectations and providing exceptional value
remains the same.
According to Danielle, FORVIS’ combined practices
complement each other well. It will truly be a healthcare
provider powerhouse. The core services of audit and
regulatory reimbursement consulting are what both
legacy firms do very well and are known in the space.
Both legacy firms also have a strong commitment to the
power of leveraging data analytics and technology tools.
Danielle has been very impressed with the digital
solutions DHG (now FORVIS) developed, and clients
and users of these digital solutions have expressed that
they are extremely valuable for decision making. And
then there are the advisory and consulting services that
each of FORVIS’ firms provided that really round out the
service offerings to its clients. All of this will come
together to be more than the sum of its parts as FORVIS.
FORVIS comprises more than 5,400 team members and
more than 530 partners and principals with offices in 69
markets in 27 states, as well as in the United Kingdom
and Cayman Islands. Danielle shares, “This merger of
equals allows us to better serve our healthcare clients as
well as other healthcare providers across the care
continuum by broadening our expertise, deepening our
resource pool, and offering more specialized solutions.”
A

Dr. Arti
Santhanam
A Collaborative Scientist’s Passion Helps Build a Top-Five
Tech-Based Entrepreneurial Community
“As someone who had been both a patient and
a scientist, I knew both sides. I have always
been passionate about bringing aﬀordable
healthcare to all and accelerating innovative
solutions from bench to bedside; my work at
MII does just that.”
26 | AUGUST 2023

Ar Santhanam, PhD
Execu ve Director,
Maryland Innova on Ini a ve
TEDCO

What does the Zulu word “ubuntu"
have to do with a successful science
and tech fund at Maryland's TEDCO?
To start, it's been a guiding force for
that fund's leader.
The Maryland Technology
Development Corporation (TEDCO)
has an important mission in Maryland:
“enhance economic empowerment by
fostering an inclusive and
entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem.
Identify, invest in, and help grow
technology companies in Maryland.”
As the Executive Director of TEDCO's
Maryland Innovation Initiative (MII),
Dr. Arti Santhanam plays a key role in
delivering on that mission. She leads
the MII fund investing in
commercialization and start-up science
and tech companies spun out of five
participating universities: Johns
Hopkins University, Morgan State
University, and the University of
Maryland's College Park, Baltimore
and Baltimore County campuses.
Established in 2012, MII has invested
$47.5M that has resulted in 144
startups, $692M in follow-on funding
and 7 exits to date.
Dr. Santhanam knows that success
would not occur without collaboration,
one of the core values at TEDCO. For
her, collaboration brings to mind the
word "ubuntu." Archbishop Desmond
Tutu defined the Zulu word "ubuntu"
as "My humanity is caught up, is
inextricably bound up, in what is
yours.” In the simplest terms, Ubuntu
means “I am because we are.”
Ubuntu is much more than just a
word—it's a philosophy, a world view,
and a framework for how we relate to
and work with others. While the
concept of ubuntu has spiritual
connotations, it has practical
applications as well. As a socio-
economic ideology, ubuntu encourages
equity and equality as a means of
generating shared wealth, promotes
collective responsibility for the greater
good, and fosters appreciation for each
individual's unique talents.
At TEDCO and within the MII
program, ubuntu manifests itself
primarily in the core value of
collaboration: “We focus on building
trust and credibility across the
organization and with our customers.
We are transparent in the exchange of
ideas and our encouragement of one
another. We value teamwork in our
pursuit of supporting innovation and
entrepreneurial excellence.” Driven by
this value, we embody ubuntu both
internally and in our service to
Maryland's diverse entrepreneurial
community.
TEDCO has worked hard to knit
together an entrepreneurial ecosystem
that connects like-minded
entrepreneurs, subject matter experts,
academics, legislators, and business
leaders from all corners of the state.
They weave together a diversity of
thought, variety of skills, and myriad
needs of Marylanders to build a vibrant
tech-based entrepreneurial community
that's consistently ranked in the top five
in the United States.
A Childhood Illness Shapes a Career
Path
Dr. Santhanam's journey to becoming
both a scientist and a visionary tech
leader began as a girl in her native
India, when she was diagnosed with a
childhood cancer.
An insightful doctor near her village in
India understood she needed special
W
28 | AUGUST 2023

care; based on his advice, young Arti spent a portion of her
childhood traveling 2 hours by bus from her village home to
a city hospital that had the resources to treat her. She had
many interactions which helped her understand both the
disease and how important it was for her to be in a space
with the best treatments available in her region.
A wonderful, influential science teacher also made her want
to be a scientist. The teacher's passion for the topic and
Santhanam's own experience surviving childhood cancer
inspired her to work in this space of scientific discovery
very early on.
A PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics from
Rutgers University in New Jersey followed a Master of
Science in clinical biochemistry from the University of
Madras in India. After completing a postdoctoral study at
the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Santhanam worked as a
senior scientist and subject matter expert for MITRE
Corporation and later for her own consulting firm,
collaborating with partners at DOD to address global health
concerns. She then joined TEDCO where, prior to taking
the helm as executive director of MII, she served in a
number of capacities, including that of investment analyst
for the Maryland Venture Fund and director for the Life
Science Investment Fund.
MII proved to be the perfect fit for Dr. Santhanam's many
skills. She could see ground-breaking science and tech
happening at institutions where they weren't thinking about
getting it to market. At the same time, there were patients
desperately hoping to access those discoveries for
themselves or their families. She saw the solution.

Jen Du Plessis
The Impact Mentor, Leading Expert in Building World Class Teams
36 | AUGUST 2023

Jen Du Plessis
CEO
Kinetic Spark Consulting

In the relationship between a leader
and their employees, integrity and
trust go hand in hand. Employees
rate leaders on their character and skills,
and they equate integrity with kindness
and having altruistic goals rather than
self-interest. Leaders must develop
scripts and put plans into place for
responding to the frequently cited
justiﬁcations for dubious behaviors in
order to take values-driven action.
Integrity in leadership is also a crucial
component in resolving these conﬂicts of
values. As the CEO of Kinetic Spark
Consulting (KSC), Jen Du Plessis
prioritizes integrity in both her personal
and professional life. As a result, every
decision she takes, whether
professionally or personally, is guided by
this decision-making process.
"When I'm dancing, I will make sure that
I'm acting with integrity; that the dance
will not diminish my integrity." -says
Jen.
Bringing KSC into Being
Jen Du Plessis worked in the mortgage
industry for four decades as a processor,
manager, underwriter, branch manager,
district manager, regional manager, and
national manager. She also had her own
brokerage for nine years. For half her
time in the industry, she was an
originator. She also was a managing
member of BNI (Business Network
International), and that's when she began
expanding her coaching practice. Many
people approached her and enquired
about how she had accomplished so
much. The concept was that, after being
asked by multiple people, she realized
there was a need. The questions made
her realize that, in the long run, after 30
or so years in the mortgage loan
business, it was time to branch out in
38 | AUGUST 2023

order to have an even greater impact on people. That resulted in Kinetic Spark
Consulting (KSC).
Kinetic stands for kinetic energy, which is the change of mass from sitting to
movement. A spark plug is just that—a spark. You need a spark to get things
rolling. Jen established KSC so she could coach Realtors first, independent of
her mortgage company. And from there, the focus shifted to educating loan
officers, C-suite executives, sales managers, and sales teams, which in turn
paved the way for diversifying beyond the mortgage industry.
KSC's Specialties
Kinetic Spark Consulting mentors residential mortgage loan officers, realtors,
and investors to live their legacies while growing them. The high-level
mentorship offered through her masterminds is one of KSC's main services.
There are also several coaching and mentorship programs available to clients
who are making six figures and are feeling stuck moving up to seven figures, or
who are making seven figures and are striving to reach eight figures.
Additionally, KSC publishes two podcasts. One is known as Mortgage Lending
Mastery. With 3,000–7,000 downloads per week, it has been the longest-
running podcast in the mortgage sector for the past ten years which helps
mortgage loan officers, realtors and investor with sales mastery leadership and
priority management. Additionally, they have a podcast called Success to
Significance: Life after Breaking Through Glass Ceilings where they discuss the
struggles and triumphs of those who have faced and overcame various types of
glass ceilings in their lives and businesses.
Female Leader. No, A Leader!
Jen Du Plessis prefers to respond to questions about how she grows as a leader
rather than as a female leader. She uses personal development daily to advance
as a leader, participating in masterminds, reading, attending conferences,
conducting conferences, coaching others, speaking on stages, and listening to
podcasts.
Jen has a staunch belief in living your legacy while creating it. Playing with
passion is possible when you work with purpose. She has two masterminds:
Impact & Make Your Mark. She discovered that participating in and running
masterminds helped her business five times over. She has dramatically grown
more over the past four years than she had in the prior ten years combined.
She is setting the way for women as leaders, enabling others to stand tall. She
accomplishes this by acting with integrity, one of her core values. She never
intends to take any action that will diminish her credibility as a capable leader.
She desires to serve as an inspiration to both men and women, she regards
leadership as exhibiting a strong will, combined with flexibility.

JESS
EVANS
Driving a Culture of Innovation,
Operational Efﬁciency,
and Prioritizing Collaboration
to Empower Teams
40 | AUGUST 2023

IT Chief Operating Ofﬁcer and Deputy CIO
Arizona State University

The history of women in the
workforce is one of triumph and grit.
Women have played a significant role
in helping to advance diversity in
many sectors of industry, but not all.
While there have been gains in some
industry sectors, the technology
sector still struggles with diversity in
the workforce across the United
States.
According to Pew Research, women
still remain underrepresented in
engineering (15%) and computer
(25%) occupations. In spite of these
inequities, women have remained
dedicated to overcoming traditional
bounds and making the workforce
better for future generations.
Jess Evans' journey through her
career is one such inspiring story, as
she embodies these changes to model
and support women in information
technology (IT). Today, Evans serves
at Arizona State University (ASU) as
the IT Chief Operating Officer and
Deputy Chief Information Officer for
the University Technology Office
(UTO). With a track record of
working with business leaders to
deliver digital transformation, scaled
technology solutions and IT
operational excellence that reduces
costs and improves service delivery,
Evans' impact and innovation reaches
across the entire university.
Evans started her journey with a
bachelor's degree in computer
it distinguishes ASU from the
traditional educational method,
which is exclusive and focused solely
on academic characteristics for merit.
ASU embraces all students and
strives to provide more equitable
access to education. That
accessibility is supported by many
divisions, including UTO, where
Evans and her team ensure
operational excellence for the
university.
For the seventh year in a row, ASU
has been named the most innovative
school in the nation by the U.S.
News and World Report. It's an
exceptional honor that differentiates
the university as an educational and
innovative leader committed to
providing education to anyone who
seeks to learn. This requires a solid
dedication to creative thinking, not
just in technology but also in
program offerings. "We support
individuals who may not have been
able to travel down those non-
traditional avenues," Evans notes as a
critical differentiator for ASU.
With over 150,000 degree-seeking
students, ASU has a unique offering
of blended learning called ASU Sync,
where students may experience
synchronous teaching in-person and
online simultaneously, in addition to
many asynchronous programs
through ASU Online "When you
aggregate all of our degree-seeking
students, we are one of the nation's
largest university," Evans says.
She adds, "When you look at other
institutions, they have large-scale
numbers. They do not compare
because ASU is a single institution.
We are not an educational system
spread out across an entire state. We
are one university aspiring to provide
access to anyone who seeks to learn."
Evans says that she considers herself
privileged to be part of ASU
leadership.
information systems from Kent State
University. She also later gained her
doctorate in management from Case
Western Reserve University, where
she studied designing sustainable
systems.
Before joining ASU, Evans had built
a career as a skilled senior IT
executive in various industries at a
global and regional level, including
finance, insurance, consulting,
education and healthcare. She began
with software program improvement
in her earliest days in technology,
wrote code as a consultant, and
quickly transitioned from consulting
to manufacturing at IBM. There, she
had an opportunity to work in
enterprise-level transformation.
Evans has developed passions and
leadership centered on
transformational change, agile
methods, design implementation and
execution throughout her career. She
now achieves operational successes
through key enablers within
technology adoption, design
innovation, design modeling and data
science experience, which shape and
guide the implementation of strategic
initiatives. With experience in both
the for-profit and non-profit sectors,
Evans has a unique perspective on
innovation and change.
ASU and Education for All
Much of ASU's success is attributed
by Evans to a well-defined and
steadfast commitment to its Charter,
which states that the university is
measured not by whom it excludes
but by whom it includes and how
they succeed. ASU provides access to
education to people of all ages and
from all walks of life. "There are no
restrictions on who can become an
ASU member, a seeker of education
or a scholar," Evans says.
For those immersed on-campus or
online, the university is broad, open
and welcoming. This is crucial since
T
42 | AUGUST 2023

“The most difcult
thing is the decision
to act, the rest is
merely tenacity.”
Amelia Earhart
The Leading Lady of the Aviation Industry

T
T
T
Today's aviation sector is lacking in
crucial leadership expertise since
more than half (59%) of women in
leadership roles in the sector have
thought about quitting. Women are
more likely to be forced out of the
profession because of bad
experiences, but males are more
likely to be drawn away by the
promise of greater prospects. Greater
and more noticeable roles for women
are emerging in the sector.
There have never been more women
in top positions in the aviation sector.
Still, there is a leadership gap as a
result of the prejudices and obstacles
faced by female leaders that continue
to limit their development and
influence. There is a growing trend
for people of all genders to adopt
leadership styles that support
successful women in business and
the organizations they manage, as
more women assume high-ranking
positions.
Lindsey Gamell is a skilled and
seasoned company leader and
manager who is extremely passionate
about aviation, is well-versed in the
laws and rules pertaining to FAA
compliance, and develops and
upholds policies and procedures. She
skillfully manages teams, production,
maintenance work orders, supply and
inventory, and ensures customer
satisfaction and support in her role as
business development and program
manager at TP Aerospace. To
improve organizational strategy, she
cultivates long-lasting connections
with stakeholders, senior
management, and customers.
After graduating from high school in
2002, Lindsey began working in
aviation. She comes from a highly
varied background in the industry.
She began in general aviation,
working in different office support
functions and learning the
fundamentals of aviation
maintenance. After that, she briefly
worked as a flight attendant for an
airline. She then entered the area of
maintenance repair organizations
(MRO), which is essentially where
she is currently as TP Aerospace is a
part 145 repair station. For most of
her career, Lindsey worked as a
maintenance planner, arranging
heavy maintenance projects on
airplanes, which in layman terms
entailed organizing the whole work
scope and process for disassembling
an airplane fully, inspecting it, and
then putting it back together to get it
back in the air.
The Leading Aviation Aftermarket
Supplier
As the top aftermarket provider of
aircraft wheels and brakes, TP
Aerospace provides all of its clients
with an easy substitute for
conventional component
management. It excels at what it does
because it has a narrow focus. The
firm ensures quality, simplicity, and
value for all of its clients globally,
wherever they may be, at any time. It
combines market experience with
substantial MRO capabilities and a
global network. The Honeywell 737
Classic Series is distributed solely by
TP Aerospace.
TP Aerospace provides its airline
clients with the highest level of
flexibility and cost transparency
through its integrated programs, all
of which are powered by its pay-as-
you-go model. Customers of the
program benefit from an all-inclusive
approach that is supported by an
excellent warranty, a guarantee of
stock availability, and first-rate
customer service.
The staff is committed to serving its
clients and is aware of the many
difficulties faced by aircraft
operators. When enrolled in a
program with TP Aerospace, its
clients are given a personal program
manager who is intimately familiar
with their requirements and serves as
a sparring partner in streamlining
their wheels and brake operations.
Being an Aviation Leader
At TP Aerospace, Lindsey's duties
include leading a group of Customer
Executives that, together with her,
handle all of the program accounts
for the North American region. This
includes managing contracts, visiting
with clients to report on KPIs;
monitoring daily operations; and
managing the technical facets of
asset management, including
establishing priorities with the
business' internal MRO shop.
Lindsey also works to provide
awareness and brand familiarity in
her business development role.
48 | AUGUST 2023

ey
Gamell
d
Lin s
d
Business Development & Program Manager
TP Aerospace

NITA WHITE-IVY
A Tech Savvy HR Leader with Extensive Work Experiences
Chief Human Resources Officer
BlackBerry
50 | AUGUST 2023

Operating an efficient business
requires effective communication, a
skilled workforce, and effective work
culture. These all can be achieved by
having a proficient HR team that is
also responsible for moderating
errors, increasing employee
engagement, forming the foundation
for better client relationships,
stimulating innovation and creativity,
and helping in building a positive
culture. Meet Nita White-Ivy, Chief
Human Resources Officer at
BlackBerry, who holds on
experience in best-in-class global HR
practices/management and interface
with the compensation committee of
company's board of directors mostly
in the areas of officers' and board of
directors' compensation, incentives,
and benefits.
At BlackBerry, Nita is responsible
for leading the HR team to design
and deliver global programs,
initiatives, partnerships, solutions,
and services in all facets of HR, to
support the achievement of the
company's operational goals and
strategic objectives. This includes
HR business partnerships, talent
development, talent acquisition, total
rewards, employee relations &
compliance, DE&I, HRIS/HRIT &
analytics, HR operations, support and
services, and strategic programs.
The Beginning
Nita considers her entering the high
technology industry as HR manager
of professional employment and
compensation for a notable
mainframe computer company was
the true beginning of her HR career.
Prior to joining BlackBerry, Nita
spent 15 years as the head of global
HR with Sybase Inc., until it was
acquired by SAP. She says, “We
became part of SAP and I
concurrently served as Chief People
Officer for SuccessFactors (another
SAP-acquired company) until I
joined BlackBerry.”
At the beginning of her career, she
was termed “the feisty” and “most
productive recruiter” for developing
and driving successful university
relations and recruitment programs
which accelerated recruitment of top-
notch college graduates to fill
engineering and development
employment requisitions. Nita was
also fortunate to be selected at that
time as one of the high-potential
employees for the company thereby
receiving a promotion to the next
grade every 15 to 18 months. She
asserts, “It was my desire to be in
high demand, energized, and
forward-looking-industry and work
environment. I always aspire to be
where technology addresses current
global requirements plus the
foresight for the future.”
A Woman of Persistence
Nita was a single mom at a very
young age. Then, she was taking the
responsibility alone for the child, and
being a new immigrant to the U.S.
and living with the sole purpose to
provide a good life for her son as a
responsible parent. She set out her
“to get the proper academic
preparation” to be able to compete in
the job market and qualify for a good
job and pay. It was an unwavering
goal for her to secure a stronger
future for both of them (for her and
her child.) The challenges of not
having friends or family members to
assist her, working full-time while
going to school full-time, did not
derail her from the goal.
Nita considers that the reason she is
thriving and feeling strengthened in
the sector is because of being an
active participant and contributor in a
turn-around organization. BlackBerry
is the third turn-around company that
she had been fortunate to join. There
is the ultimate reward and the
sweetness of success when the
company succeeds in achieving its
transformation objectives. She
deems, “Employee morale,
performance and retention,
recruitment of talent, and company
stock price all get the positive boost
just to name a few.”
For Nita, success is having a strong
purpose to achieve with focus and
perseverance, overcoming
challenges, acknowledging any fear
of failure, and managing it until the
completion of what one sets out to
accomplish.
Thriving in Male-Dominated
Sector
Nita states, “Challenges, setbacks,
roadblocks, and the lessons we learn
from them do make a person
O

stronger.” From her journey
experiences, she points that as a
woman, and a minority, entering the
high-technology world and
succeeding in it was most
challenging, to say the least.
Nita recalls that she worked doubly
hard every step of the way, did her
“homework” to demonstrate
knowledge and proficiency, and
earned professional respect
accordingly. She asserts, “Being a
corporate officer for three companies
in the last 20+ years has its own set
of challenges. But they are just that -
challenges to overcome and to
navigate with purpose and
determination for one to succeed and
make a difference.”
The biggest lessons of Nita's
professional journey are:
(1) Ability to juggle, prioritize and
re-prioritize what needs to get done
as days usually do not go as planned:
(2) Understand, keep up to date, and
deliver to the company's business
needs/requirements: and.
(3) Balance mind and heart when
leading and developing your team
members. Accept that there will be
some failures and disappointments,
but witnessing mentees grow, and
blossom professionally are the
precious rewards to savour.
The Brand; BlackBerry
BlackBerry is delivering the next
generation of cloud-based, AI
cybersecurity solutions to address
AWARDS
52 | AUGUST 2023

today and tomorrow's cybersecurity
threats and ensure organizations of all
sizes remain safe
BlackBerry is poised to extend this
position by accelerating the adoption
of emerging automotive connected
services with its BlackBerry IVY
platform, co-developed with AWS, as
well as by expanding its footprint in
safety-critical connected endpoints
found in industries such as
transportation, medical,
manufacturing, and robotics. as well
as by expanding its footprint in safety-
critical connected endpoints found in
industries such as transportation,
medical, manufacturing, and robotics.
The Roots of BlackBerry
According to Nita, integrity and
innovation are fully embedded in
BlackBerry's core values, which are
well communicated to its global
employees and posted on the internal
website as shown below. She says,
“HR models these Core Values in
everything that we do.”
Innovation: The Company leads
in its chosen markets by
constantly innovating. “We learn
equally from our successes and
failures, and never rest on our
laurels.”
Integrity: The business is based
on the trust customers place in
BlackBerry to secure their most
valuable information. “We
conduct ourselves at the highest
level of business ethics by
complying with our internal
controls and procedures.”
Customer Focus: BlackBerry is
successful because customers
trust it to secure their most
sensitive information. “Each day
begins by focusing on our
customers first and being as
responsive as possible to their
secure communications needs.”
Accountability: The teams are
knowledgeable, fully engaged,
and accountable. “By cultivating
and rewarding individual
passion, creativity, and
achievement, we meet and exceed
our commitments to our
colleagues and the business.”
Teamwork and Mutual
Respect: All employees work as
one team, united behind the same
goals, and always with respect for
each other as professionals. “We
have each other's backs and do
whatever we can to support each
other, including colleagues in
other workgroups.”
Ensuring the Company Leads with
Best Work Practices
The pandemic has altered the
“normal” or regular workday. Nita
leads the HR team to ensure the
company delivers what is best
practice in the industry in terms of
programs, systems, processes, and
policies to serve the business needs of
the companies and in compliance with
the employment laws of the countries
where BlackBerry does business. She
mentions that due to COVID-19, there
is no “best-practice box” to draw from
for HR practitioners to meet and solve
the challenges, uncertainties, and
issues each day brings. At this time,
and until the teams return to a near-
normal or normal company operation,
she is leading the HR team in
protecting the health and safety of
employees and maintaining ongoing
and close HR communication with the
people leaders and employees.
Furthermore, the team is also keeping
abreast of local government and
health authorities' directives/mandates
and ensuring company compliance.
As a Leader
Nita sees herself as a 'tenacious'
leader. Prioritizing, being resilient,
and taking time to recharge including
taking a 'mental health day off' is her
mantra of having a balanced life.
At the company, she keeps everyone
motivate by having and sharing a
common purpose and focus,
maintaining ongoing communication
and collaboration, and recognizing
team members for their contribution
and support of each other. She asserts,
“I am committed to seeing, and be a
part of, the completion of
BlackBerry's successful turnaround.”
A Note for Young Leaders
“Have a sense of purpose that is
strong enough for you to not yield to
challenges, roadblocks, and setbacks,
each of which carries a lesson to be
learned for future reflection and draw
from as a useful tool,” says Nita. She
further suggests that do our best to
achieve a balance between mind and
heart. She thinks, “Applying
emotional intelligence, especially in
today's world of pandemic fatigue and
mental stress, will connect you
positively closer to your colleagues
and customers.

Worlds Impactful Women Leaders Revolutionizing The Tech Industry, 2023.pdf

Worlds Impactful Women Leaders Revolutionizing The Tech Industry, 2023.pdf

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