The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow, 2022.pdf

VOL 08 I ISSUE 01 I 2022
Jim
Dunn
Preaching
from Experience
The10Most
HR
Leaders
To Follow
2022
Inﬂuential
New Horizons
Evolving Future of The
Biopharmaceutical Industry
Embracing Changes
How is TECHNOLOGY Shaping
the LEADERSHIP for the FUTURE?
Tech to top
Innovative Leadership
In Tech Space

Caught Between
Workplace
Expectations vs Reality
ne of the biggest betrayals I have felt to date is when I
Orealized that there is no 'making it.' I was told as a child
that once you have completed school, once you have
graduated from college, once you have your job and so on – you
have made it, you can settle. I don't know why but naïve, gullible
me took it to mean that there would be no more struggles like
there were in school or college. Stupid, I know, but we all have
these preconceived notions of how the world works and realizing
that it doesn't feels like a betrayal.
Covid-19 was one of those events where everything we think we
knew about how the world can function was turned upside down.
People and businesses discovered new ways to operate. In the two
years of the new normal, some got comfortable with the remote
working style while others longed for the good old-fashioned in-
office working model.
Even with the pandemic declining and offices opening up
experimentations in working models continue with the hybrid
working style and the four-day work weeks. Resignations abound
as employees look for more flexibility and work satisfaction
instead of just a bigger paycheck and perks. Meanwhile, businesses
scramble to keep up with the changing labor market and wish for
the stability of things as they used to be.
The tide of change shifts the sands beneath our feet, and no one
knows how things will settle.
“There is magic in the old and magic in the new; the trick is to
successfully combine the two.” ฀ A.D. Posey.
The HR leadership has an opportunity here – to balance the old
EDITOR’S NOTE

and new ways of working, to find a compromise that works for both the employee and the employer. The
path ahead is full of trickery as clarity is lacking at many points and the tide of changes isn't out yet.
Insights Success got in touch with human resource leaders who have been navigating this wave of change at
work successfully. In the edition, 'The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow' we talked to HR leaders
working across industries about the journey they took to become the leader they are today, the challenges
they faced along the path, the skills they needed to learn to succeed, and how they are dealing with the
changing workplace expectations.
There are also informative articles written by our in-house editorial team that give insight about the
shifting work environment, don't forget to give them a read through too!
Sakshi Shrivastava
Sakshi Shrivastava
The10Most
HR
Leaders
To Follow 2022
Influential

Cover Story
08
New Horizons
18
Evolving Future of The
Biopharmaceutical
Industry
Articles
Jim
Dunn
Preaching from Experience
Embracing Changes
42
How is TECHNOLOGY
Shaping the LEADERSHIP
for the FUTURE?
38
Tech to top
INNOVATIVE
LEADERSHIP IN TECH SPACE

C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
Jon Dawson
30
Leading with a Strategic Approach
to Employee Engagement Across
All Business Constituents
Leaders Viewpoint
24
The new payment ERA
34
The Trucking Industry In The
21st Century
Alexandra Mcgroarty
14
Your People, Our Passion
Jabbar Sardar
20
Creating Capable,
Efﬁcient, and Inclusive Workplaces
Leaders Viewpoint
CXO

CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Raunak Mhetre
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Graphic Designer Revati Badkas
Associate Designer Sonia Raizada
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives John, Sagar, Dharmendra
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Aditya K.
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
August, 2022
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Brief
Company Name
Aimee Kennedy
SVP of Human
Resources
Battelle
battelle.org
Battelle serves the national security, health and life sciences,
and energy and environmental industries
Featuring Person
Alexandra McGroarty
Managing Partner,
Author, and
HR Consultant
McGroarty &
Co. Consulting, LLC
mcgandcompanyconsulting.com
Mcgroarty & Co. have a deep expertise in people practices,
DEI-B and Coaching.
Deyemi Adekoya
Global HR
IPT PowerTech
iptpowertech.com
PT PowerTech Group delivers specialized solutions to the
power, industrial and telecom sectors in the Middle East, Africa
and neighboring countries.
Jon Dawson
Group Director
of People Development
Lore Group
loregroup.com
Lore Group is an international hospitality company that
designs, transforms, manages and operates hotel and food and
drink concepts in notable cities
Jabbar Sardar
HR Director
BBC Studios
bbcstudios.com
BBC Studios is a production company with a world-class
distributor,that creates, distributes and commercialises world-
class content.
Jim Dunn
Strategic Executive
Leader
in HR Operations
Atrium Health
atriumhealth.org
Atrium Health is a nationally recognized leader in shaping
health outcomes through innovative research, education and
compassionate patient care
Kathie Patterson
Chief Human
ResourcesOfficer
Ally
ally.com
Ally Financial is a digital financial services company offering
financial products for consumers, businesses, automotive
dealers and corporate clients.
Sally Jackson
Chief People Officer
Sheffield Hallam University
shu.ac.uk
Sheffield Hallam University creates knowledge through
research and industry partnerships that provide practical
solutions to some of the world's greatest challenges.
Kenneth Kee
CEO
Origin Integrated Studios
originistudios.com
LAUGHTON & CO LTD is a management consulting
company based out of SOUTH COL HOUSE HENFIELD
ROAD SMALL DOLE, WEST SUSSEX, United Kingdom.
Neil Laughton
Founder
Laughton & Co Ltd
laughton.co
LAUGHTON & CO LTD is a management consulting
company.

Jim
Dunn
Preaching from Experience
At Atrium Health, we established
the Returning Citizens (REEP)
program, which moves individuals
into livable wage jobs while
considering talent from
unconditional places, including the
recently incarcerated.

H
aveyoucomeacrossastrategicexecutiveleader
and an innovative problem solver with solid
business acumen? Meet Jim Dunn, who has
more than 30 years of driving positive outcomes in
strategic human resources operations, organization
development, and advanced employee and leader
engagement strategies. He is an expert in creating and
sustaining high-performance organizations that deliver
measurableandbottom-lineresults.
Jim is the Strategic Executive Leader in HR Operations,
OrganizationalDevelopment,andCultureEnhancement
at Atrium Health. Atrium Health is a nationally
recognized leader in shaping health outcomes through
innovative research, education, and compassionate
patient care. It provides top-ranked pediatric, cancer,
and heart care to patients and specialized
musculoskeletal programs and organ transplants. It
seeks to improve health, elevate hope, and advance the
healingprocessforanyoneandeveryonewhoneedsit.
An Upward Career Path
Jim'sjourneyasabusinessleaderwasbynomeanslinear
as he began his career as a research scientist and
occupational epidemiologist. The complete transition
into HR occurred while working for an Atlanta-based
research and development center with BP/Amoco
Corporation. He went on to increasingly responsible
roles with President Jimmy Carter at the Carter
Presidential Center and the American Cancer Society,
bothinAtlanta.
In 2008 is when he transitioned into acute care through
HR leader roles with Texas Health Resources, Cleveland
Clinic,andParklandHealthSystemandisnowassociated
withAtriumHealthsince2018.
Hesays,“IhavehadacoupleofchallengesthatIrecallhaving
to overcome along the way, and the ﬁrst was related to the
transition in mindset from my early career to HR. I am often
remindedofoneofmyfavoritebooksbyMarshallGoldsmith,
“What Got You Here, Won't Get You There.” I needed to learn
and develop a new set of skills to be successful, and that took
a good deal of personal refocusing on how I viewed the world
and those around me. I enjoyed many of the more technical
aspects of the HR role, but I realized that I was not a good
listenerandwasnotsureIevenlikedpeople.”
Learning to engage with every person in whatever way
was most authentic towards meeting and understanding
where they were, has been the most phenomenal
individual growth as part of his business leadership
journey. The other part of the journey was never
attempting to stop learning. Every role is different
because the character of every organization is culture,
and that determines the culmination of symbols and
behaviors. This is why he learned to approach every new
HRleaderroleasauniquehumanoperatingsystem.
Jim has learned that every role is different, and
therefore,theneeds,desires,andexpectationsoftheHR
leader vary by each Board, CEO, and organization. He
tests himself by asking, “Did I make things better because I
was there?” He attributes this question as the litmus test
astowhetherhefeelshemadeauniquedifferenceornot
toanyorganization.
The Broad Purpose of his Organization
Atrium Health's mission is to Improve Health, Elevate
Hope, and Advance Healing – for all. Atrium Health's
Improve Health,
Elevate Hop
and Advance
Healing-for All

vision is to be the national leader for health, learning,
and community.
The organization's mission, vision, and Culture
Commitments were developed with input from
hundreds of teammates and community members,
groundedinitshistoryandaspirationsforthefuture.Itis
the way the mission, vision, and Culture Commitments
make Atrium Health different from other healthcare
organizations.
The Culture Commitments include:
We create a space where all Belong.
We Work as One Team to make great things happen.
We earn Trust in all we do.
We Innovate to better the now and create the future.
We drive for Excellence – always.
AstheAtriumHealthenterprisegrowsandcombinesthe
uniqueculturesofotherorganizations,ithasestablished
the desired culture for the entire enterprise to create a
workplace where all can thrive ultimately! As part of this
initiative, the team members have identified new
enterprise values, leadership imperatives, consistent
succession planning, and talent reviews, enhanced their
performance management processes, and created
recognitionprogramsalignedtotheirculture.
In addition, they are “Atrium Health Proud” – this concept
is deeply woven into their culture. Their teammates
make connections to their purpose every day, and they
love sharing the stories of what makes them proud to
workintheorganization.
Technologies continue to equip the HR sector with
powers to withstand any future calamities and help it to
bring about a significant change. Several that they use
dailyare:
1) Meeting and Technology – maximizing the
effectiveness of virtual meetings and training.
Leveraging all technology in the zoom, teams, etc. –
particularlyasasignificantpercentageofitsworkforceis
nowworkingremotely.
2) HR Analytics – Adding scientists to the team who use
sophisticated data modeling software to allow it to
identifytrendsandopportunitiesquickly.
3) Recognition and Rewards – as the enterprise grows
and continues to experience challenges such as the
pandemic, it establishes cultural platforms for all leaders
and teammates to show their appreciation quickly and
easilyforeachother.
Jim further explains, “I do not believe the often referred to,
Great Resignation to be a provisional activity caused by the
pandemic. Instead, it has awakened new workplace realities
or expectations, if you will, around issues of flexibility,
fairness, and belonging. Organizations and HR leaders not
focused on how these desires play out amongst the overall
employee experience will continue to see increased turnover
as employees move to organizations that offer a value
propositionthatbetteralignswiththeirdesires.”
At Atrium Health, the team recognizes that a diverse
workforceinhealthcareiscrucialandimprovesaccessto
high-quality care for the medically underserved, which
leads to better outcomes. They are responding with a
strongcommitmenttoreducingfinancialbarriersto
Jim Dunn
Strategic Executive leader in HR Operations
Atrium Health

education and training, intentionally developing
pathways for underrepresented students, and
identifying arrangements to academically support and
professionally develop students towards progressive
careersinhealthcare.
Atrium partners with local school districts to prepare,
recruit, and hire young adults into healthcare careers.
Once hired, participants enter the system as certified
nurse assistants and receive one-on-one career
coaching, free continued education benefits, and other
wrap-around services to continue their career journey
within the organization. At the end of the program,
participants receive a free associate's degree and move
into a job role that pays anywhere from $60 to $80K. It
creates solid career paths for young adults and is often
life-changingfortheirfamilies.
He says, “In a tight labor market, now more than ever,
inclusion reigns supreme (we cannot afford any part of our
workforce to feel undervalued, unengaged, isolated, etc.). At
Atrium Health, we established the Returning Citizens (REEP)
program, which moves individuals into livable wage jobs
whileconsideringtalentfromunconditionalplaces,including
therecentlyincarcerated.”
EffortstoChurnOutCapableHRLeaders
HR is a fundamental business capability for all
leadership. Jim shares, “We need leaders to understand
that no matter their industry, all leaders' first job is to take
care of their workforce. I would love to get HR leaders out of
the business of doing things for leaders and instead have
leaders do them in conjunction with HR expertise.
Understandingwhatengagesyourhumancapitalisessential
to being able to navigate the precarious talent environment
wecurrentlyfindourselvesintoday.”
Jim considers himself to be tremendously blessed not to
have had a bad job, or boss, across thirty-plus years of
working. He considers it a factor to stay in the industry
for such a long time. From an Atrium Health perspective,
Jim has many longer-term human capital goals that keep
him excited and want to continue this journey. He gladly
shares, “I'm also enjoying working with one of the strongest
executive teams in my career, and while I might not show it
every day, I do kind of like them. I plan to serve on a couple of
public boards as I believe there has been a historical gap in
driving the right “people conversations” related to strategy
andoperationswithinmanyorganizations.'
Jim advises budding entrepreneurs to be willing to
partner with non-profit business incubators and
accelerators that can help build capacity and introduce
them to new markets. Atrium Health is currently
launching a Center for Supplier Diversity and
Entrepreneurship to amplify these services and make
them more assessable and visible to the community and
aspiring entrepreneurs. Atrium Health understands that
entrepreneurship is key to achieving critical social
impact goals related to meaningful employment, food
insecurity,andaffordablehousing.

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Alexandra McGroarty
Your People, Our Passion
here is an upheaval in workplaces today. People
Tand organizations are changing how they work
by adopting a fully remote working model or
choosing a hybrid working style. Organizations are
changing their operational norms, and employees face
new challenges in working in a virtual environment. The
responsibility for handling this shift lies with HR
leadership and managers across the globe. We at
Insights Success came across one such leader
Alexandra McGroarty Managing Partner, Author, and
HR Consultant at McGroarty & Co. Consulting, LLC.
Alexandra is a veteran of the human resource industry.
She has worked her way up HR Coordinator to VP of
Global Human Resources before leaving the corporate
sector to co-found her HR consulting firm in 2021. She
went through some of the same struggles in transition
that employees and organizations face today. That did
little to stop her from leading McGroarty & Co.
Consulting, LLC . McGroarty is concurrently pursuing a
certificate in Corporate Sustainability Practices at
Cornell, a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, and
recently launched her firstbook- Bridging the Gap:
Reducing Gender Bias in the Workplace.. As an
accomplished HR consultant and savvy leader,
Alexandra has used her ample expertise to lead at local
and global levels in women's and LGBTQ+ colleague
resource groups and as a sustainability representative
for HR. Her considerable accomplishments were
recognized when she was nominated for the 2021 HR
Person of the Year Awards and the 2022 Ragan
National Platinum HR Awards.
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at McGroarty & Co.
Consulting, LLC. What challenges have you had to
overcometoreachwhereyouaretoday?
I started my HR journey in healthcare. A former Director
ofminerecommendedmeforapositionwithDaVita,and
I joined as an HR Coordinator, working my way up to HR
Business Partner and HR Project Manager. From there, I
spent time in Financial Services, and my most recent
Corporate Role was VP of Global HR for Clarivate. In
2021, my husband and I decided to launch our own
consulting firm, and since then, I have been leading the
teamatMcGroarty&CoConsultingfirm.
We are a small
firm with
big firm expertise.
Family values
and a fun
but professional
corporate culture
drives our team
forward.
| Aug2022 |
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14

Alexandra McGroarty
Managing Partner,
Author & HR Consultant
McGroarty & Co. Consul ng, LLC

Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
· Our mission is to help our clients achieve their
goals by providing best-in-class Human
Resources and Business consulting and
solutions. We strive to be seen as valued people
andpartnerstoourclients
· We will undertake and deliver on any HR or
business consulting project or objective we
pursuewhilebuildinglong-lastingrelationships
· Bigfirmexpertisewithsmallfirmvalue.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the HR
Consultingnichethroughyourexpertiseinthemarket.
I recently published my first book- Bridging the Gap,
Reducing Gender Bias in the Workplace, and I am a
Certified Professional Coach and Certified Diversity
Professional. I strive to be seen as a coach and Diversity
strategistinourlocalmarket.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drivesyourorganization.
We are a small firm with big firm expertise. Family values
and a fun but professional corporate culture drive our
teamforward.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
It is vital to stay up to date on the newest HR and
Employee Experience technologies. AI is quickly driving
our sector forward, and being able to advise clients on
topresourcesiskey.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in the HR Consulting sector? How is your
companypreparingtobeapartofthatchange?
Roe vs. Wade has had a huge impact on the employee
experience. Continuing to support our clients through
our diverse knowledge coupled with HR experience will
bekey.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for McGroarty & Co.
Consulting,LLC?
Wearelookingtocontinuetogrowandbealeaderinour
market – my hope is that in the next three years,
McGroarty & Co Consulting will continue to be a leader
intheHRspace,especiallyinourhometownmarket.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
whoaspiretoventureintotheHRConsultingsector?
Network, network, network. Join your local chamber of
commerce- we have built many solid and impactful
relationships there. Always be learning and coaching
othersthataretryingtocomeupaswell.
www.ciolook.com | Aug 2022 |
17

New Horizons
O
ver the coming years, we expect
pharmaceutical industry models to be
reshaped by some forces both from within
and outside of the industry - that will demand
present organizations to recognize shifting
markets and figure out how they will compete in
the changing market.
Biopharmaceutical companies will continue to
evolve in new ways to treat and cure a variety of
diseases. However, in the future actionable health
insights, driven by artificial intelligence and big
data analytics, can help doctors and patients to
identify illness much quicker than the time we
require today. In the first place, the newly invented
vaccines and other early interventions due to
technological advancements could prevent a
greater number of illnesses from developing.
Other diseases can be also prevented. Changes in
how diseases are recognized, prevented,
diagnosed, treated, or cured might lead to
basically different business models for traditional
pharmaceutical companies.
The future of health that we will witness in the
upcoming years will be much different from what
we have now. Based on evolving technologies, we
can be sure that digital transformation driven by
big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and
through such secure platforms will be key in
leading this change. Unlike today, we can expect
that care will be streamlined around the patients,
rather than around the institutions that drive our
current health care system.
In the next few years, streams of healthcare data,
combined with data from a variety of other
relevant resources will probably merge to create a
multifaceted and highly personalized picture of
the well-being of every patient. Many digital
health organizations have already started to
incorporate biosensors and software into devices
that can create, gather, and integrate data.
Advanced cognitive intensive technologies can be
developed to analyze a precisely large set of
parameters and create personalized insights into
the health of the patients. The availability of
streamlined data and personalized AI can enable
much precise well-being and actually real-time
micro-interventions that will allow us to get ahead
of illness and far ahead of catastrophic or chronic
disease. By 2040, health is much more likely to
revolve around preventing some illnesses from
happening and curing others. Fewer people might
have long-term conditions or chronic disabilities
with a continued need for medicines to treat
symptoms.
The few factors that may be the most important
component of shaping the future of
pharmaceutical industry can be prevention or
recognition and early detection, streamlined or
customized treatments, curative therapies, digital
therapeutics, and precision intervention.
Prevention and early detection: Vaccine and
general improvements in wellness could help
prevent illnesses, making treatment for some
illnesses no longer essential. Progress in early
detection will more likely enable interventions
that halt diseases in the beginning stages before
they progress to become more serious or chronic
conditions.
Customized treatments: Personalised services in
medicine driven by data-powered insights can
effectively match patients with customized drug
medicines or design therapies that will work for
just a few people or even a specific person. More
customized treatments will be the most important
part of the pharmaceutical industry in the future.
Curative therapies: As with prevention,
treatments that cure the illnesses can decrease or
eliminate the demand for some prescription
medicines. Developing, marketing, and costing of
these curative treatments may require the
pharmaceutical sector to adopt new capabilities
and strategies.
| Aug2022 |
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18

EVOLVING
FUTURE OF THE
BIOPHARMACEUTICAL
INDUSTRY

T
he success of any organization is dependent on
the staff within it. The HR service plays an
essential role in delivering this and it sets the
tone for the organization's functionality. HR leaders
play a valuable role in improving the workforce and
creating a most conducive culture to delivering
superior business performance. As an HR Director for
BBC Studios, Jabbar Sardar oversees all HR activity to
support the business strategy. Jabbar emphasizes and
focuses on creating efficient and inclusive workplaces.
In an interview with CIO Look, Jabbar Sardar shares his
journey, aspirations, and how he is contributing as an
HR leader at BBC Studios.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
leader until your current position at BBC. What
challenges have you had to overcome to reach where
you are today?
My career journey reflects my personal journey and has
been built on dismantling stereotypes and mindsets as
barriers to breaking into a sector, and using the
influence I hold to implement change.
My priority has always been clear – provide the
business with the tools to be competitive and efficient
AND inclusive, culturally confident, and welcoming.
Workplace culture is never static, and in HR, we need to
ensure it is constantly evolving, improving, and meeting
the highest standards.
Tell us something more about BBC and its mission and
vision.
The BBC has a clear mission – to inform, educate and
entertain – and clear values about how we expect all
our employees, and anyone who works with us, to
behave. We are committed to maintaining a diverse,
inclusive, and sustainable workplace culture, reflecting
our audiences across the UK and globally, connecting
with new generations and perspectives, and respecting
our planet.
JABBAR
Sardar Creating Capable,
Efficient, and
Inclusive Workplaces
We are committed to
maintaining a diverse,
inclusive, and sustainable
workplace culture; reflecting
our audiences across the UK
and globally; connecting
with new generations and
perspectives; and
respecting our planet.
| Aug2022 |
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20

As the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Studios
has an ambitious growth strategy that will
be driven by an equally ambitious people
and culture strategy, which I'm leading. We
already have over 6,000 staff and
freelancers operating in 16 countries,
producing over 2,000 hours of output per
year. A world-class business with bold
growth ambitions needs a world-class
working culture, and our mission is to be in
the upper quartile for wellbeing,
leadership, inclusion, and performance.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted
HR through your expertise in the market.
A few years ago, BBC Studios and BBC
Content de-merged from BBC Television
(now BBC Content), and in 2017 the teams from our
Distribution business (then BBC Worldwide) merged
with BBC Studios to create a single commercial entity. I
directed both major change programs, enabling the
teams involved to build a new commercial culture that
has workforce wellbeing and career development. I've
worked closely with the former CEO (now BBC
Director-General) and the new BBC Studios CEO to
ensure their senior leadership teams create and model
an honest and effective performance culture, which
both nurtures success and challenges everyone at
every level when necessary.
resourceful?
As an HR leader, my priority is to ensure technological
advancements are leveraged to improve workforce
culture, remove the fear of - and instill enthusiasm for -
change. Like most businesses, pre-pandemic, we had
not been seriously looking at the future of the
workplace and the possibilities offered by technology
to create a truly hybrid, mobile, flexible (and happier)
workforce. The pandemic forced us to meet an era-
defining challenge.
My HR team worked with the Studios executive swiftly
and confidently to build a spirit of collective resilience,
flexibility, and kindness. A company-wide strategy
known as Putting People First really kicked in during
those first months, and this has had a lasting effect. The
| Aug2022 |
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22

staff tells us in increasing
numbers that they feel respected
and supported and that we have
enabled them to do their best
work by harnessing all the tools
at their disposal, technological
and otherwise.
What change would you like to
bring to the HR Operations if
given a chance?
I believe creating a truly inclusive
and diverse workforce should be
our number one priority. We are
making great progress at BBC
Studios, but I want us to go
further and faster. Any workplace
needs to reflect the make-up and
aspirations of our society. Career
choices and possibilities should
be free, fair, and accessible to all. I'm very proud of our
success in BBC Studios, and although we're not there
yet, our achievements so far include the introduction of
inclusive leadership training, the creation of diverse
talent pools, and concrete support for staff networks
championing diversity of our workforce.
change in the HR sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
So many sectors and industries are now faced with
structural and financial challenges which will
necessitate a revolution in how HR makes a difference.
At BBC Studios, we know we're at our most effective
and powerful when we enable and empower, when we
see the long-term big picture and the strategic plan, and
understand our role in how to help a business grow,
change, and in some cases reinvent itself.
We must move away from the misconception of HR as a
service provider. HR is about bringing out the very best
in people. It is not the department that tells you what
you can and can't do – it needs to be at the top table as
a trusted guide, critical friend, and strategic partner.
Ultimately, creating an organization where leaders are
empowered and accountable for making the people's
decisions to drive business performance and people
development.
and what are your future goals for BBC?
I would like to look back in a few years' time and be
proud of what my team achieved to position BBC
Studios as a world-beating content giant with a brand
that is trusted and admired the world over.
Personally, I want to continue making a difference at
every level as an HR professional, HR Director, and
leader. That means encouraging, in turn, the next
generation of HR leaders to encourage the next
generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and role
models, in every sector.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the business sector?
Understand the power of clear and inclusive
communication. Don't be afraid of failure – learn from
things that don't go as planned. Don't tolerate bad
behavior at any level. Breathe and reflect before
making decisions – even if you only have minutes,
rather than days, to pause. Put yourself in the other
person's shoes. And remember that you, and all your
team, are also consumers or members of the audience.
Use that to your advantage.
23

| Aug2022 |
www.ciolook.com
24

25

T
echnology plays a vital role in determining how
we live, work, interact, and connect. It has
become the most important part of all business
processes. No business can flourish without the
adoption of the latest technologies in its business
processes. Technology is continuously gaining greater
in most of the business processes. The use of evolved
technologies in business processes improves the
productivity and efficiency of the organizations'
workers and leaders. Evolving technologies help
leaders manage their businesses in a more organized
manner and help them derive maximum profitability.
The streamlining of business processes becomes easy
and efficient with the use of technologies. The rapidly
evolving innovation in technology is a boon to leaders
for availing edge over others. As the role of technology
is critical in all businesses, the leaders also need to be
technically apt, smart, and capable of utilizing
technologies effectively. Knowledge or awareness of
the potential of particular technologies and the
effective utilization of the technologies or leveraging
technologies diligently are important traits business
leaders should have in the technology-driven world.
Successful business leaders succeed in their businesses
because of their ability to tap the potential of the latest
technologies for leading people by example and
managing their overall business.
The way solutions are delivered to the clients or
customers can change drastically with the evolution of
collaborative technologies, mobility, advanced big data
analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, etc.
Leaders can maximize their capabilities with the use of
all these latest technologies. They need to be more
aware and be updated with the knowledge and
utilization of these technologies. Evolving technology
certainly demands the evolving capabilities of business
leaders. The current digital era requires leaders who
are capable of driving digital transformation.
Technology helps business leaders build capable teams
by training them and tracking their progress, even
remotely. Business leaders can utilize technology to
promote remote work culture. With the evolution of
increasing connectivity with many connecting devices,
artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and cloud
services, there are increased possibilities for
fragmented and remote teams to collaborate efficiently
and drive profitable business results. Taking care of all
stakeholders is possible for business leaders with the
use of innovative technologies. Implementing the latest
technologies is no longer an option for business
leaders; it has become a necessity. Today, it is critical for
them to adopt digitalization for the sustainable growth
and development of their business and deriving
maximum profitability.
The evolving technology demands leaders to be more
innovative, more skilled, and more tech-savvy. They
should use the key tools and technologies effectively to
strengthen the business potential of their
organizations. In the current and future times, business
leaders have to embrace advanced business analytics
technologies to tap the potential of data to get better
insights for taking the most important business
decisions. Harmonizing understanding of data analytics
with analytical tools and business context will give
business leaders a huge edge over others. This will be
the most common basic norm in the future for business
leaders as this will become the most important aspect
of businesses.
Collaborative technologies are becoming the most
important part of the business process more than ever
since the pandemic has fostered the remote work
culture. Business leaders should effectively manage the
drawbacks of remote work culture for driving the
productive and efficient use of all employees' time. In
the future, they need to be sharper to take advantage
of collaborative platforms to ensure that there is no
communication gap with anyone. Leaders need to be
more effective in understanding remote work culture
and using communication tools diligently for effectively
managing people and projects together.
Technology can also be effectively used to empower
leadership with more abilities, take the most informed
business decisions, and have future insights to avail
competitive advantage over others in the industry.
Leaders should empower employees and communicate
important messages succinctly and concisely to all
stakeholders for critically aligning everyone to
organizations' common goals. Business leaders who will
make the best use of the right tools at the right time will
be the most successful leaders in the technology space.
Embracing Changes
| Aug2022 |
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28

How is
TECHNOLOGY
Shaping the
LEADERSHIP
for the FUTURE?
29

P
eople often say they leave lousy managers, but is
it ever asked if those managers were given the
support, skills, and information they needed to
succeed? Managing employees takes time and demands
certain skills. Many business owners lack competence
in human resources.
The fundamental difficulty for every Chief People
Officer is to figure out how to improve as people
managers and leaders so that employee retention,
performance, motivation, and engagement may all
improve. The real winners are the managers who can
give their employees what they want while also giving
the company what it wants; they can provide solutions
that benefit everyone.
One such manager is Jon Dawson, the Group Director
of People Development at Lore Group, a multinational
hospitality firm that creates, converts, manages, and
operates hotel and food and beverage concepts in
prominent European and American cities.
We at CIO Look approached Jon to give us his valuable
insights about his achievements and challenges in this
edition of "The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow,
2022."
Below are the highlights of the interview:
leader until your current position at Lore Group. What
challenges have you had to overcome to reach where
you are today?
Prior to joining Lore Group in 2020, I led the Human
Resources function and strategy through a significant
redevelopment and relaunched the Mandarin Oriental
Hyde Park London and One Hyde Park Residences,
which operate within the luxury hotel and residence
sectors. I also launched the London EDITION as the
Director of Employee Experience and was part of the
team that introduced the brand in New York and Miami.
Dawson
Leading with a Strategic Approach
to Employee Engagement Across
All Business Constituents
A signi cant part of our identity is the pride e
have in people - we endeavor to attract the best
talent in hospitality to help deliver extraordinary
experiences for our guests.
| Aug2022 |
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30

Jon Dawson
Group Director of
People Development
Lore Group

I started my career with Marriott International, and I
am grateful for the strong foundation and opportunities
Marriott provided me, including opening the St Pancras
Renaissance Hotel in 2010 in the role of HR Director. In
my current role at Lore Group, I am the group's People
& Development Director, responsible for the people
strategy for the countries we own and operate hotels
within. I was attracted to the group as it displays a
start-up mentality with a desire to create more hotels
as we continue to evolve.
Tell us something more about Lore Group and its
mission and vision.
Lore Group is an international hospitality
company that designs, transforms,
manages, and operates hotel and food and
drink concepts in notable cities across Europe and the
United States. Thoughtful design and interesting use of
space are at the core of everything we do as a brand.
Our portfolio includes Riggs Washington DC, Lyle
Washington DC, Pulitzer Amsterdam, Sea Containers
London, and the recently opened One Hundred
Shoreditch. We strive to create storied hotels for the
long term, both for our teams and our guests.
A signiﬁcant part of our identity is the pride we have in
people - we endeavor to attract the best talent in
hospitality to help deliver extraordinary experiences
for our guests. Property-wise, we look for unique

opportunities in major cities which we then bring to life
by creating hotels that remain true to their
architecture, design, and community.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted Hospitality
through your expertise in the market.
As someone who is known for pushing boundaries and
trying new things within both the people and
hospitality professions, I'm fortunate that I work with a
very inspirational CEO and fantastic teams both at our
group ofﬁce and within our hotels. I love the creative
side of my job and working to inspire the next
generation of hospitality professionals while attracting
best-in-class talent to our teams.
resourceful?
Thanks to technology, travelers and prospective guests
now know more about a property prior to staying than
they ever did before – in addition to leaving traditional
reviews, guests can provide an honest view of hotels via
their social media posts. Technology is hugely
important to Lore Group; we recently created a new
Technology Director role that focuses on ensuring
technology is a key enabler for enhancing our guest and
employee experience.
What change would you like to bring to the Hotel
Operations if given a chance?
For the team at Lore, it would be a combination of a
new city for us to open a hotel within and the ability to
design and deliver an entirely new concept - something
that would shift the hospitality landscape in a city
through design and product and guest experience. It
would be the type of new hotel that becomes
synonymous with the city's hospitality scene and has
a mix of best-in-class, imaginative design, and strong
F&B; ultimately, it would come down to our people.
Without excellent people in our properties, we
couldn't deliver the level of service for which we
strive.
change in the Design sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
We are very much a design-driven group, so it's
hugely important to us. Jacu Strauss, our Creative
Director, and Caitriona O'Sullivan, our Design
Director, work exceptionally well with their teams on
the conception, design, and launch of new projects.
Having the design function in-house means that their
work continues post-launch, so our hotels are
constantly evolving and being updated. They are not
driven by trends; rather, they focus on doing what is
best for any property in the long term, in addition to
considering the location and the local community.
and what are your future goals for Lore Group?
As a relatively new group, a large part of our identity
is the pride we have in our people - we always look to
attract the best talent in the industry to help us
deliver extraordinary experiences, and I look forward
to leading this for the group in the long term. Our
future goals are certainly to be an employer of choice
for hospitality professionals and a go-to for travelers
looking for unique experiences in some of the most
vibrant cities in the world. Our people are at the
center of everything we do at Lore Group, and this
won't change as we continue to grow and evolve.
What would be your advice to budding
entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the
business sector?
The world and workplace have seen signiﬁcant
changes post-pandemic; therefore, it's important to
be open to change. Never be afraid to try something
new, and you must always be prepared to work hard if
you want to create long-term success.
33

The Trucking Industry
in the Century
21st
Ellen Voie
| Aug2022 |
www.ciolook.com
34

What is your initial reaction when you are
driving along a four-lane highway, and
there’s a tractor-trailer next to you? Do you
see smokestacks, diesel engines, and a massive machine
spewing fumes into the air? Are you afraid of sharing
the road with these massive vehicles?
If so, you need to move your perception into the 21st
century. No longer are the tractor-trailers of the past
even similar to what’s coming off the assembly line
today. The trucking industry has embraced technology
faster than many industries, but it’s not just about
efficiency; it’s also about safety.
Step into the cab of a semi-tractor, and you’ll be amazed
at the number of gauges, switches, and knobs. What
you don’t see is an oversized steering wheel and two
shifting gears connected to the floor.
In fact, the interior cab of today’s truck resembles your
car more than you realize. First, the truck has been
designed to be more ergonomically correct for all body
sizes, which means women are now more comfortable
in the driving seat than in the past. Look at the way the
dash slopes to accommodate the view out the
passenger’s side. Check out the pedals that are
adjustable to better accommodate husband and wife
teams when one is much taller than the other.
The creature comforts inside the cab include
refrigerators, microwaves, more closet space, and often
a porta-potty. Lighted cup holders and even 220 outlets
in the sleeper berth make it more like home.
What you might not have realized is how clean today’s
trucks operate. Due to EPA standards, many trucks
actually leave the air cleaner than when it went into the
engine. The addition of DEF, or diesel emission fluid, has
created much cleaner exhaust.
The EPA Smart Way program also provides guidelines
for fuel economy. From low rolling resistance tires to
aerodynamic hood shields, trailer skirts, wheel covers,
and “tails” on the back of the trailer, diesel fuel savings
in the range of ten percent or more can be realized.
Today’s trucks are also safer than your grandfather’s
rig. The opportunities are endless to provide
technology to reduce driver error by relying on these
devices. From personal safety to safety on the road,
there are more opportunities to make our roads safer
for all of us.
Lane departure warning equipment, anti-rollover
devices, side guards, and speed monitors are all
becoming common additions to today’s trucks. Some
carriers are now replacing mirrors with cameras, so the
driver has a better view of the space around the 53-
foot trailer.
Personal safety is also a concern. Instead of
experiencing worker’s comp claims from cranking
dollies or pulling the hood open to inspect the engine,
we now have devices that raise and lower the landing
gear with the push of a button. There is hydraulics that
opens the massive hood and even cameras the show
whether your kingpin has been secured or not.
Add to all these technological advances the promise of
autonomous trucks, and your tractor-trailer no longer
looks like a mass of smoke and diesel fumes.
The technology removes much of the physical strength
needed to operate a tractor-trailer in the past. This
allows us to attract and keep more women as well as
men who prefer a less physically demanding job. Even
the burden of loading and unloading the cargo has been
automated, and the responsibility has typically been
transferred to the shipper and receiver instead of the
driver.
The changes the industry is making will also help
address the need for more drivers. The jobs are
plentiful and offer a decent wage, but a shortage of
qualified professional drivers continues. The
advancements made in the area of technology not only
make the trucks and the roads safer; it makes the job
safer. Removing as much of the physical component
also helps attract a wider range applicants.
The trucking industry has adopted advanced
technology; not only to comply with government
regulations but to reduce its footprint on our ecological
resources as well as make the job much safer.
The next time you see a tractor-trailer alongside of you
on the highway, consider how technology has created a
new era of load delivery. These are not your
grandfather’s trucks today.
Leader’s Viewpoint
35

U
nprecedented time calls for unprecedented,
innovative, creative, strategic, and thoughtful
solutions, and uncertain challenges and
contingencies require an innovative approach to
solving the problems. Today, an innovative approach in
the leaders is the most fundamental quality to sustain
the competency of their solutions in the market. In
times of unprecedented circumstances and rapid
globalization, the success of businesses is dependent on
keeping pace on a global scale by coming up with
innovative solutions. Technology trends in cloud
computing, social media tools, mobile devices are
driving global growth. Leveraging technology changes
for availing competitive advantage is essential in an
uncertain future. Business leaders need to observe and
realize the needs of customers and end-users and
deliver solutions accordingly using innovative
technologies.
Innovative business leaders strategize about creating a
culture that facilitates innovation. They recognize ways
to create an impact in the industry by coming up with
innovative ideas and innovative technologies or
products to meet the evolving needs of users and
customers and enhance their reputation as a reliable
solution provider. They responsibly plan to build and
deploy the technology to serve the needs of the users
and customers. They don’t want to stay behind in any
way that may hamper the business growth. Instead,
innovative leaders have a forward thought approach,
and their insights help them think ahead of the time and
be prepared to deliver innovative products to meet the
needs of the changing times.
Leaders are an extremely important part of any
business as they set the tone for the functioning of the
business. The right kind of leaders inspire employees;
they keep everyone focused on the right direction and
ensure that they overcome common challenges for the
sustainable growth of the organization they are leading.
While every leader has to face challenges from dealing
with conflicts in the office to supporting people from
different generations in the organizations, technology
leaders have to face additional and unique issues. In the
technology space, leaders have to be very up-to-date,
precise, innovative, clever, and move continuously at a
rapid pace to suit the changing marketplace trends.
They also have to ensure high levels of reliability, speed
with accuracy, and deliver continuously good
performance. Technology leaders have to manage many
more things than conventional leaders.
Today’s technology is changing rapidly, and because of
that technology, leaders have to face new challenges
related to managing their teams and supporting staff
effectively. They need the support of staff that is
competitive in understanding the need for upgraded
technology. They have to train their staff in operating
the latest software as well as hardware efficiently.
Leaders with special skills and expertise can help them
be more creative and more innovative in making sure
that they are leveraging technology effectively for the
growth of the businesses.
Succeeding in the technology sector means grabbing
opportunities as they appear and be prepared to
convert opportunities into success. Tech leaders should
be able to recognize and evaluate all the opportunities
related to their business, especially with a more keen
sense of optimism. They should install the latest
technologies for meeting regulatory and compliance
issues for organizations. They should be able to deal
INNOVATIVE
LEADERSHIP
IN TECH SPACE
Tech to Top
| Aug2022 |
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38

with a rapid rate of pace and should also ensure precise
accuracy. They should be able to handle the pressure,
explore new concepts, and come up with innovations to
increase the affordability of their solutions.
Technology leaders should have conﬁdence and
decisiveness to take clever decisions in the interest of
the businesses. They should have an empowering and
collaborative nature to promote the cooperative spirit
in teammates for delivering good results to all
stakeholders. Innovative leaders should also have
excellent communication skills and be willing to
continuously learn and grow. Innovative business
leaders in technology can be highly successful if they
have great technical abilities, innovative approaches,
and shrewd business acumen.
39

The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow, 2022.pdf

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