The 10 Most Promising CEOs to Watch in 2022 Vol-2.pdf

Leadership Redeﬁned
Enroute to Success
Changing Leaderships
The Break from the
Orthodox Leadership
Andy
Andy
Andy
Khawaja
Khawaja
Khawaja
Andy
Andy
Andy
Khawaja
Khawaja
Khawaja
An Innovative Driving Force
Creating a Better Tomorrow
An Innovative Driving Force
Creating a Better Tomorrow
www.insightssuccess.com
VOL-03 | ISSUE-02 | 2022
Founder and CEO
The Most
10
to Watch in
2022

Vigorous
and
Lucid
CEOs
ommunication always has been the pinpoint in
Cvarious fields. Many organizations are now
executing business-critical activities, rolling out
communications strategies that build trust transparency, and
support top-management decision-making processes. CEOs
are at the forefront of these strategies that help build trust,
respond effectively, and 'do the right thing.'
According to Edelman's Trust, 62% of employees feel
CEOs have the power to force corporations to change.
Expectations around businesses are increasing along with
modern challenges, causing new demands and expecting
instant solutions from the CEOs. They are at the demanding
seat at the table that involves interacting between the brand
and stakeholders through varied channels.
CEOs' skills significantly help long-term growth for a
company and positively impact the company's reputation.
CEO is purpose-driven, instilling the core values at the
forefront of everything he does and staying true to that
purpose. They often are socially agile and empath with an
ability to connect meaningfully with employees, customers,
and other brands, both directly and via social tools and
platforms.
The scalability of CEOs has risen drastically over the last
few years as they have a strong presence in the organization
by building deeper customer relations and improved
company reputations. When the CEO keeps the clients as
the true North, it shows that the CEO understands the
alignment between what customers expect and what their
organization delivers.
Editor’s Desk

CEOs are today's powerful force for good in
customer service, brand building, PR, marketing, and
sales. In this edition of The 10 Most Promising CEOs
to Watch in 2022, we have enlisted some exceptional
CEOs who are leading by example.
Featuring on the Cover is Dr. Andy Khawaja,
Founder & CEO of Artiﬁcial Intelligence Defense
Platform. As a born entrepreneur, Dr. Andy Khawaja
has always encompassed his objectives to build,
innovate, succeed, and give back. He is a successful
leader and a signiﬁcant contributor to global
societies. He's not only an innovator of technology
but a contributor to a better environment for future
generations.
You will get to read about more such stories of CEOs
that are leading from the front.
As a takeaway, make sure to read the industry
experts' CxO standpoints and the creative articles
crafted by the in-house editorial team. sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Sourabh More

ARTICLES
Leadership Redefined
Enroute to Success
28
Changing Leaderships
The Break from the
Orthodox Leadership
50
Cover Story
08
Caroline Lafferty
The Entrepreneur at the Intersection of
Cryptocurrency and Animal Advocacy
16
CHRISTOPHER AMOS
A Profound Trailblazer Offering Marketing
Solutions for Micro-Enterprises
20
Andy Khawaja
An Innovative Driving
Force Creating
a Better Tomorrow

Jude Gomes
Protecting Lifestyles, Dreams,
and Ambitions of Sri Lankans
30
Mr. Sami Sharif
An Embodiment of a Proven
Leadership
38
Thomas Shivers
A Relentless Leader with a
Progressive Approach
52
Edwin Bessant
Leading With Courage,
Tenacity, and Diligence
24
Mohammed Mubin Mallick
A Doyen in the Field of Robotics
34
Thomas A. Bock
A Recognized Life-Science Leader Developing a
New Class of Oncology Medicines
46
CONTENTS
Rob Rosenberger
Transforming Federal Contracting
Community with a Novel Approach
42

sales@insightssuccess.com
March, 2022
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Head
Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager
Research Analyst
Database Management Technology Consultant
Hitesh Dhamani
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Sourabh More
Assistant Editors
Jenny Fernandes
Kshitij S Peter Collins
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Martin, Vaibhav
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Deepak
Jacob Smile
Aditya Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive
Amol Wadekar Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
Visualizer
David King
Associate Designer
Shyam Sonawane
Co - Designer
Sonia
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Carol Lafferty
Founder and CEO
CaliCoin is a charity token focused on helping what we term,
“Animals of Determination” (“AOD”) – Animals which suffer
from a disability and/or are homeless.
CaliCoin
calicoin.me
Christopher Amos
CEO & Chief
Digital Architect
No Boundaries
Marketing Group
noboundaries.marketing
Edwin Bessant
CEO
Ceuta Group
ceutagroup.com
Mr. Sami Sharif
CEO
Kuwait Insurance
Company
kic-kw.com
Thomas P. Shivers
CEO and President
FourStone Partners
fourstonepartners.com
Thomas A. Bock
MD, MBA, CEO
Notable
notablelabs.com
Jude Gomes
Chief Executive Officer
Union Assurance PLC
unionassurance.com
Mohammed
Mubin Mallick
CEO & Founder
Kiran Smart
kiransmart.com
Description
Company Name
Featured Person
No Boundaries Marketing Group was founded on the basis of
simplifying the marketing and advertising world for small to
medium sized businesses.
Ceuta Group is a global, consumer brand services business
working with some of the most dynamic brands in Health &
Personal Care and Food & Drink.
Union Assurance is protecting lives, empowering people
achieve their dreams, and providing peace of mind to thousands
of Sri Lankans since 1987.
Kiran Smart is a top IT Company in Kuwait that provides an
industry-standard integrated solution, IT consulting, IT
maintenance, IT consultancy and IT solutions.
Kuwait Insurance Company was established in 1960 by Amiri
Decree No. 7 of 1960 as the first insurance company in Kuwait
and the GCC.
FourStone Partners is an innovative consulting firm
specializing in business development, sales outsourcing, and
operational support services.
Notable is a clinical-stage platform therapeutic company.
Rob Rosenberger
CEO & Co-founder
Blackdragon
blackdragon.expert
Blackdragon is the federal contracting industry’s most
advanced technology platform.
10
The Most
to Watch in
2022
Dr. Andy Khawaja
Founder & CEO
Artificial Intelligence
Defense Platform
ai-dp.com
Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform is building the future
and changing the way tasks are performed.

Dr. Andy Khawaja
Founder and CEO
Artiﬁcial Intelligence
Defense Platform

Andy Khawaja
An Innovative Driving Force Creating
a Better Tomorrow
I want to bring peace all over the
world… The world may
unfortunately always know
war and will always have to innovate
for defense, but I want
to create AI technology for the
defense that will protect people
and save the innocent.
The 10 Most Promising CEOs to Watch in 2022

here were days when a computer took several
Tminutes to complete a specific operation compared
to the technological advancement of modern time.
Today, our lives are enhanced by incorporating technology
at every forefront. From dawn till dusk, we are surrounded
by technology at every corner, from payments methods to
artificial intelligence. The projection of utilizing artificial
intelligence to have a lasting impact in every feasible
industry is already in implication. AI will be an essential
factor in influencing many new industries searing deeper to
transform people's lives. With intentions to create a
sustainable future for humanity, Dr. Andy Khawaja
stepped away from his life-long legacy in the payment
services industry to innovate technology that will change
the world.
As a born entrepreneur, Dr. Andy Khawaja has always
encompassed his objectives to build, innovate, succeed, and
give back. He is a successful leader and a significant
contributor to global societies. He's not only an innovator of
technology but a contributor to a better environment for
future generations.
As the Founder & CEO of Artificial Intelligence Defense
Platform (AIDP), Andy now devotes himself to improving
living conditions for humankind's present and future. AIDP
was created to build the future by changing how tasks are
performed with its pioneering AI program, "ISABELLA."
The Significant Achievements
Prior to founding AIDP, Dr. Andy Khawaja's legacy as a
world-renowned entrepreneur and highly publicized
philanthropist has been featured in over 100 publications
for his contributions to technology, society, and economic
growth. He has been featured in dozens of periodicals,
including Forbes, Time Magazine, Bloomberg, Digital
Transactions, Fortune, INC, LA Business Journal, Finance
Monthly Global, Start Your Business, Lux, New Business,
Sunday Telegraph, The Green Sheet, The Guardian, and
Wired Magazine.
Andy has participated in dozens of live interviews with
thought leaders such as Larry King and received accolades
for his achievements from leaders, politicians, and public
figures globally.
Dr. Khawaja founded Allied Wallet in 2005 to connect
global buyers and sellers. Fluent in five languages, he has
been very active in delivering payment tools to people of
many cultures and continents, specializing in cyber security,
fraud prevention, and virtual wallets. He guided Allied
Wallet toward success while simultaneously
leading several ambitious projects, including
the reality television series "Model Turned
Superstar" as its executive producer and
director.
Dr. Khawaja continues to be a foremost
contributor to charitable organizations
including UNICEF, Wounded Warrior
Project, Eagle and Badge Foundation, After-
School All-Stars, Star Team for the Children,
Brent Shapiro Foundation, ASACP, Action
Innocence, From the Heart Productions,
LAPCA, United Service Organizations, Hope
for Change International, Paralyzed Veterans
of America, and more.
A New Beginning for the Limitless Change
For over a decade, Dr. Khawaja and Allied
Wallet have stood at the forefront of innovation
and advancement in the payment industry. He is
also renowned as the "Messiah of Digital
Payments" for his accomplishments and expansion
worldwide.
The company experienced tremendous growth attributed
to Andy's philosophy, vision, and natural ability to lead
and innovate while overcoming several
challenges. Andy asserts, "I've
faced many challenges. We
all will. But what we
must always
remember is to
I've faced many
challenges. We all will.
But what we must
always remember is to
“never give up.” Proceed.

"never give up." Proceed. Move forward. I don't believe in
mistakes. I think it is all part of the journey to success.
Sometimes things do not go as planned, but I take them as
opportunities to learn and improve. I am constantly
learning, listening, observing, and adapting. This is the way
to grow and succeed. New developments happen every day,
but you need to keep moving forward. Take what you have
learned and apply it. This is how to continue innovation."
After building a multi-million-dollar payment processing
company, connecting merchants and customers globally,
Andy founded AIDP to develop AI technology driving the
future, focusing on saving lives. He questions, "What is
more important than saving lives? What is more important
than creating better living conditions for future generations
to enjoy? What we do is so important, not just for us – but
for the children – for tomorrow."
The Mind of the Future
Andy Khawaja is inspired by what he sees in the world,
driven by the change to envision a better future. He is
highly passionate and excited about creating better living
conditions and knows how innovation can play an essential
role in this change. Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform
strives to develop, improve, innovate, and design, aligning
Andy's goals to bring his dreams and vision to reality.
Artificial Intelligence Defense Platform (AIDP) was
established in 2020, although it was an idea building for
many years. AIDP is building the future and changing the
way tasks are performed. AIDP uses artificial intelligence
technology to create its pioneer program, "ISABELLA."
As open-source, Wi-fi connected technology, ISABELLA
will read and retain information relating to the internet and
observe, learn, and act. It intends to be utilized by new
technology, and machines will use its processing mind to
perform labor and even offer military functionality.
However, Dr. Khawaja says its defense technology is being
created to save lives, rather than take them.
Andy expresses that the human mind can only store a
certain amount of information. Mankind can only endure a
certain amount of pressure and perform a finite amount of
labor. ISABELLA's artificial intelligence technology will
have access to unlimited information with the ability to
learn and process multi-lingual data from the internet,
encyclopedias, and even intelligence resources.
ISABELLA will be the AI technology driving the future.
ISABELLA is limitless.
Innovation
at the Heart
In his professional
journey, Andy invented
innovative solutions
enabling people to trade online
safely and securely to carry out digital
transactions with confidence in more currencies and
payment methods – creating a more connected global
economy. It proved to be a significant step in the
unprecedented times of the Pandemic, allowing people to
buy essential goods and services through their smart
devices, undoubtedly saving lives. Andy asserts, "It also
provided a means of income as people began to grow online
businesses to provide products and solutions for others,
creating a new livelihood and income for entrepreneurs. I
am proud of my accomplishments, but I am not yet satisfied.
I am constantly innovating, and this will never stop.
Innovation is part of my life – to create new things that
provide a better tomorrow not only for us but for our
children, future generations. I will always strive for more."
Dr. Khawaja believes that as a leader, your decisions affect
the entire company to align with the goals, so he
encourages his team to think out of the box to reach desired
goals. Andy understands that innovation cannot proceed
without creativity; thus, creativity is rewarded. Seeking to
inspire and be inspired, he notes, "Great ideas come from
not only me but from the team. We brainstorm and work
together. We spark ideas amongst one another. Everyone
plays a role, and everyone contributes."
Since AIDP's initiation, innovation has not stopped, and it
never will. Andy continually creates new departments to
innovate different aspects of life and society, integrating
further technological advancement in every industry. AIDP
will continue to grow to improve the living conditions for
humanity.
Artificial Intelligence for the Betterment
AI technology is implemented in more companies to reduce
labor costs and increase access to reliable resources. AIDP
intends to build products that increase growth by reducing
What we do is so important,
not just for us – but for the
children – for tomorrow.

budget and growing capabilities to complete various tasks
faster while protecting the workforce. It focuses on
initiatives and strategic tasks rather than tedious work,
creating more supervising positions.
Andy Khawaja believes that AIDP will change the world,
implementing technology to improve the quality of life for
future generations. He expresses, "I want to bring peace all
over the world. We are innovating for defense, not to take
lives but to save them. We are innovating to protect
communities globally. Artificial Intelligence Defense
Platform is working on using AI to protect the innocent."
Andy has seen war and violence and the innocent
causalities it caused first-hand, which is hard to witness and
even harder to unsee. "The world may unfortunately always
know war and will always have to innovate for defense, but
I want to create AI technology for the defense that will
protect people and save the innocent," added Dr. Khawaja.
Bequeathing the Minds Behind AI
Andy Khawaja advises budding entrepreneurs aspiring to
venture into the technology sector to be mindful of
technological advancements and how they may play a part
in your product or service. Khawaja said, "Make sure
everything you are inventing today has AI capabilities as AI
continues to be implemented in every industry, provision for
automation and new capabilities so that you can offer the
best product or service on the market. Better yet, integrate
AI technology and create solutions that innovate your
industry.”

Caroline Laﬀerty
Founder & Chief
Execu ve Oﬃcer
CaliCoin

Caroline Lafferty
The Entrepreneur at the Intersection of Cryptocurrency
and Animal Advocacy
The foundation of humanity has always been helping
each other. There are people, and certainly animals,
who are less fortunate than us. Animal-based
charities are in perpetual need of financial support—only an
estimated 10% of all charitable giving is directed towards
animal -based charities; but unfortunately, these charities
also suffer from the same issues of funding and governance
many charities face.
Now, imagine a charity token existing to address such
animal welfare needs with transparent, seamless, and
documented donation.
Meet Caroline Lafferty, who leveraged this relatively new
world of cryptocurrency to open new avenues of donation
for needy animal charities by founding CaliCoin.
CaliCoin is the first and only cryptocurrency devoted to
helping, what Caroline terms, Animals of Determination
(animals that suffer from a disability and/or are homeless)
around the world. It provides a 100% flow-through of funds
(0% commissions, overhead fees, or other charges) directly
to pre-qualified animal-based charities serving AODs
around the world. It ensures CaliCoin donors that their
donations are helping animals of determination, and their
funds are going directly to helping the animals without any
of the issues which can plague existing charitable giving
options. Caroline wears the hat of the CEO in the company.
A Blend of Passions
CaliCoin is a wonderful blend of passions.
Caroline has always been an avid animal lover. She along
with her husband James Michael Lafferty moved to Dubai
with their wonderful Yorkie dog, “Cali”. Shortly thereafter,
they discovered that she has a genetic disorder of her bones.
So, they, unfortunately, had to amputate one of her legs.
Cali however never let this situation bring her down; she
continued to romp and play and enjoy life, inspiring them
all. Shortly after, they both found an abandoned kitten on
the street in a pile of rubble, who followed them home. She
is a lovable Arabian Mau named “Karma”. Both are best
friends and integral parts of the company’s family. The
three-legged dog and the orphan cat!
Besides her love for animals, Caroline also had a special
affinity with the emerging world of cryptocurrency. She has
been deeply involved as an investor for the past 5 years.
She saw a unique blend of the two, an idea in which it could
leverage cryptocurrency and the universe of crypto users, to
open entirely new pathways to support Animals of
Determination. And that is how CaliCoin was born!
CaliCoin marries Caroline’s love of the cryptocurrency
world with her love for animals.
Making the World a Better Place for Animals of
Determination
In essence, CaliCoin was created out of the pandemic to
bring urgent help to animal charities around the world that
saw their donations and financial support dry up. Caroline
hears from many charities about how CaliCoin has helped
keep them operating and serving Animals of Determination.
“I get a huge sense of pride and joy in being able to help
these noble causes. I firmly believe it represents the best of
humanity when we can help those on our planet truly less
fortunate than ourselves. It’s hard to imagine a population
more in need than animals who suffer from disabilities or
This is all about helping the
world be a better place,
one needy animal at a
time.
|
March 2022
www.insightssuccess.com 17

are homeless and roaming the streets,” expresses Caroline.
CaliCoin’s mission is very noble: It helps perhaps the most
disadvantaged subset on this planet—Animals of
Determination. The team at CaliCoin has financed 100% of
the start-up of CaliCoin and it takes no fees or commissions
on donations.
Built from the Scratch
The biggest challenge for Caroline by far was doing what
any entrepreneur knows well—doing things prudently and
on your own! Most ICOs are executed via large teams and
the engagement of many consultants and advisors, whereas
Caroline and her husband launched CaliCoin entirely with
an internal team of just a handful of people. The team
created this entire project from scratch with limited budgets
and lots of sweat equity, all driven by a combined passion
for giving back and helping animals in need. And so far, she
is proud of the early results: CaliCoin has gained global
traction and has appreciated over 300% since its launch.
Sources of Inspiration
Caroline was greatly influenced by her parents. She learned
from them, the courage and will to succeed. They emigrated
from Hong Kong to Canada with nothing and built a life so
that Caroline and her brother could have opportunities they
never had. She watched them sacrifice and work endless
hours, just to give their kids a chance. She wasn’t going to
let them down and squander the sacrifices they made.
Caroline was a top student and thus, she worked to get into
the best schools such as the University of Toronto and
studied the most demanding fields. CaliCoin is only the
latest of several successful start-ups she has launched over
the past decade.
The second great influencer was her husband James, who
co-founded CaliCoin along with her.
The Pinnacle of Professionalism
Caroline has always believed that success starts and finishes
with people. Her small team is like a family to her, and she
takes care of her family! She tries to breed a culture of
ownership, where every employee “owns” a piece of
CaliCoin. She further believes in developing talent, as
people are most inspired when they see themselves grow.
She says, “We are fair and principled, and we do the right
thing. It’s a passionate and caring team and I think this
directly reflects on the culture we put people in at
CaliCoin.”
A Profound Note to the Emerging Ones
In her advice to emerging CEOs, Caroline says “This
industry, cryptocurrency, is rife with questionable ethics
and people out to make a quick buck. And it is undermining
the entire space and the adoption of what is an amazing and
forward-thinking concept. Be able to look in the mirror at
yourself and be proud. Look at any industry and eventually,
ethics wins out. If you want to be both proud and
sustainable, embrace strong ethics as a core of your
business. It will be harder and take more time. But choosing
the “harder right” over the “easier wrong” is always the
winning way.”
| March 2022 www.insightssuccess.com
18

Christopher Amos
CEO and Chief Digital Architect
No Boundaries Marketing Group

CHRISTOPHER
CHRISTOPHER
AMOS
AMOS A Profound Trailblazer Offering Marketing
Solutions for Micro-Enterprises
ave you ever wondered while enjoying a scoop of
Hthe dessert that you wanted to try while relaxing
on your couch what made you choose the specific
brand to satisfy your hunger? Was it the brand jingle, or the
tagline, or was it the mind-boggling post that you saw on
social media? Whichever reason it might be, one of the
essential factors that make any product popular among the
masses is the magic of marketing.
Often, it is quite a misconception that only large
organizations invest in marketing their products to create a
buzz when it comes to marketing. However, it is not the
case anymore with simplified marketing and advertising
services provided by No Boundaries Marketing Group.
Christopher Amos, the CEO and Chief Digital Architect
has cultivated unique marketing strategies and solutions
that assist micro and medium-sized enterprises in
promoting their products and achieving success.
The Synopsis Behind the Venture
Christopher has had quite a journey over the last few years
to design an agency that can consistently exceed the
expectations of small businesses both locally and nationally.
With over a decade of experience in the industry, he knows
business owners need more as a team. They need additional
transparency, leads, and extra efforts out of their marketing
team!
No Boundaries Marketing Group was founded to simplify
the marketing and advertising game for small to medium-
sized businesses. Its goal is to produce transparent,
measurable results for clients to focus on growing their
business.
As a full-service marketing and advertising agency, No
Boundaries Marketing Group uses various software
platforms, applications, tools, and resources to ensure its
clients get the best value out of their marketing dollar.
Cultivating a Value-Driven Work Culture
Christopher has learned that the key to an awesome team is
to foster a positive work culture. A work environment
where people are encouraged to share their thoughts, grow
the business, and collaborate across products and platforms
eliminates service barriers and ultimately helps produce an
amazing result for clients.
The truth is, Christopher has an amazing team with skill
sets that range from former business owners, customer
service professionals, web developers, SEO strategists, and
more! Each person provides valuable insight and problem-
solving skills that help the company produce a better
experience and outcome for its clients!
The Adaptation through the Pandemic
Christoper mentions that the post-pandemic world has
changed considerably, from the ways consumers search and
find local businesses to the way one shops for goods and
services. The need for a strong, consistent digital presence
|
March 2022

has never been greater than it is today. Even post-pandemic
as consumers venture back out to restaurants and local
shops, the means to which they find these businesses almost
always originates on a digital platform.
For many businesses, this means that having a website or
social media page just isn't enough. Businesses owners have
to focus on providing consumers access to high-quality
content and dynamic images across numerous platforms.
This is where access to an experienced marketing team
comes into play. Business owners are already stretched thin,
so the need for a reliable and experienced marketer can not
only drive leads but can save time, create efficiencies, and
so much more.
Upscaling Technological Advancements
The post-pandemic business environment has really forced
businesses to become more digital or technology savvy to
meet the demands of consumers. This digital transformation
has taken owners and marketers alike out of their comfort
zones and thrust them into diversifying their online
presence. Now, things like reputation management, social
media, email marketing, and more are no longer optional.
Creating a synergy between platforms and brand messaging
has never been more critical. Christopher puts this with a
saying, “You get one shot to make a great first impression!”
Strategizing Products and Services
Christopher expresses that for a business owner to meet the
challenges of the future is to communicate with their
marketing team. Sadly, because business owners wear
multiple hats, it can be difficult to stay up on the data and
trending. This can lead to missed opportunities, diminished
results, and poor decisions in the long run. The best way to
avoid fire drills and get the most out of the marketing
strategy is to stay consistent, understand the data, and
communicate!
Weaving Up with the Community
When it comes to giving back to the community, No
Boundaries Marketing Group prides itself in being a part of
the very fabric that makes up this community! It invests in
several local chambers of commerce, volunteers at
“Your Business,
Our Forte.”
22

community events, and its team members volunteer their
time to help educate startups and new businesses so they
can hit the ground running!
Christopher says, "If given a chance, I would absolutely
love to get additional resources into the hands of aspiring
entrepreneurs. A common issue that we hear after meeting
with a new client is "I wish I found you guys sooner" or "I
wish I knew about that before I wasted my money.”
"Sadly, many new business owners just don't know the ins-
and-outs of the marketing game, and so they are susceptible
to being taken advantage of. So, if I could change
something, I would love to see more transparent
information about marketing and advertising provided to
new business owners to help them better navigate the
marketplace," Christopher asserts.
Guiding Up-and-Coming Generation
In his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs into the marketing
space, Christopher says, "Be transparent and
communicate.”
“Most marketing professionals are great at the sale and the
creative. Sadly, what most marketing professionals lack is
the transparency and communication skills necessary to
truly wow a client. As an entrepreneur myself, we made
significant investments into our reporting platform to make
sure clients have access to data in real-time, and we made
significant investments in our CRM platform to ensure we
can effectively communicate with our clients,
” concludes
Christopher.
|
March 2022

Edwin Bessant
Leading With Courage, Tenacity, and Diligence
S
etting up and starting a business sounds like an easy
task, but even after having a highly successful and
lucrative corporate job, it is not a simple feat. It
requires one to have a lot of guts and courage to give up on
such a job and enter the world of business with a leap of
faith. A courageous leader, Edwin Bessant, spotted a gap in
the healthcare arena 27 years ago, gave up his high-flying
career in consumer healthcare at Pfizer Consumer
[Formerly Wyeth], and set up Ceuta Healthcare with his
founding partner Annette D’Abreo. Edwin is now serving
as the CEO of Ceuta Group. Tenaciously and diligently,
Edwin continued to retain a vision on the future, ensuring
that Ceuta was always fit for the future and delivering a
market need for his client base. Ceuta Group has a strong
and trusted global Manufacturing & Private Equity [
consumer brand acquirers] client base and is a global leader
with first market move advantage.
Pioneering a Unique Vision and Expanding Business
Model
Started in 1994 as an omni-channel sales & marketing
outsourcing partner, Ceuta Healthcare has now transformed
into a Group of twelve companies with access to 114
international markets. Together, Ceuta Group’s businesses
deliver the next generation of an industry-unique
‘Integrated Consumer Brand Outsourcing Services’
business – Global services include: Advisory, Digital,
Shopper & Category Insights, Creative Design, Data
Analytics, Field Marketing Sales & Marketing Execution
and Logistics [https://www.ceutagroup.com/.]
Edwin and Annette launched brand management specialist
Ceuta Healthcare alone, with no clients, from a three-desk
office in Bournemouth in 1994. Today Ceuta Group,
through Edwin’s pioneering and unique vision, has several
offices around the world [ including: New York, Dublin,
Amsterdam, Singapore, Bangkok, and Sydney]. Ceuta
Group employs more than 400 people, turns over around
$140m, and after a whirlwind of acquisitions, comprises
twelve distinct companies. Several of these businesses were
bought after meticulous planning to logically expand the
business model. Edwin predicts that their net income,
currently around $13m (EBITDA), will double over the
next two – three years.
Leading a Pioneering Initiative
Edwin was working for Pfizer Consumer when he spotted a
gap in the market. He’d been with the pharma giant for 18
years, which led to a Director’s role on a European fast
track programme. There, he saw a growing demand for
“Outsourcing” and “Brand Fostering” – where an
organization gives total responsibility for one or more of its
brands to a third party. Certainly, he could build a company
to meet this untapped market demand, and using all his
blue-chip experience, Edwin crafted out a visionary and
pioneering business plan, left his highly successful job, and
set to work, encouraging Annette D’Abreo to join him as
equally, she had a successful role at Pfizer. Annette
immediately understood the opportunity and trusted Edwin
to lead the pioneering initiative.
“By the end of Year One, Ceuta Healthcare had 30
employees,” Edwin says, to give the impression of how he
has never once doubted Ceuta’s ability to become a global
powerhouse. He adds, “We made a loss of around £300,000
[ $414,000] in the first two years [in line with the bank’s
support]. And in year three we made a profit of £50,000 [
$69,000].” Since then, the growth and investment have
been explosive, leading Ceuta to be the ONLY company
that can deliver a single point of contact for a company that
needs international reach and complete management for
their brands.
|
March 2022

engagement and technological enhancement i.e.: Jeff Bezos
– Amazon, Elon Musk – Pay Pal, Tesla, Space-X, Steve
Jobs – Apple, Travis Kalanick & Garrett Camp – Uber, Will
Shu & Greg Orlowski – Deliveroo & Jack Ma – Alibaba,
Larry Page & Sergey Brin – Google, Larry Ellison, Ed
Oates, Bob Miner – Oracle.
Edwin expresses that he does not like to plagiarise when
reading business books, but of course, he considers it is
important to never stop learning, and there is no harm in
having a good mentor. He does like reading books that have
actually been written or co-written by successful
entrepreneurs i.e.: ‘The Alchemist’ by Jim Ratcliffe [ The
Ineo Story] and the series of the Blue Ocean Strategy &
Blue Ocean Shift by W.Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne.
Accelerating Brand Marketing Development
During the covid period, Ceuta Group has thankfully had a
record-breaking year, working within the Health & Personal
Care and Food & Drink industries, and having part of its
workforce working from the offices and the majority of
personnel successfully working from home. Ceuta
experienced more challenges with Brexit affecting its
Being Inspired by Pioneering Innovators and
Entrepreneurs
Edwin admires the pioneering innovators and entrepreneurs
who have truly taken up the opportunity of spotting a gap in
the market, defining and shaping the new way we live and
shop with phenomenal success, changing consumer
Ceuta Group provides
a unique collective of
services to enhance,
grow and support the
brands it represents;
delivering everything a
brand owner would
ever want or need from
one outsourced
partner.
‘‘
‘‘
‘‘
26

Marketing Agencies, as corporations were holding back
because of the uncertainty of elections and getting the
Brexit bill passed. In the short term, there was a temporary
hold on Marketing budgets within some sectors, but overall,
it saw a rapid change to brand marketing development
which continues to accelerate.
Ensuring Inclusive Work Culture
Further, Edwin opines that culture creation within any
organization is key, and this has always been an important
mantra for Ceuta. Ceuta Group has four different
generations of employees, and they all have different levels
of expectations from an employer. Ceuta must deliver to
ALL, and the right culture glues its workforce together. In
addition to culture creation, it has also engaged with further
intent, monitoring, support, and executing for the right
reasons such as ‘Diversity, Inclusion and Gender balance [
Ceuta Group is approx. 48% female / 52% male]’. Also,
sustainability and environmental protection are key
imperative for Ceuta Group.
Supporting Local Community
Ceuta is emersed and engaged through its CSR team and
supports a different number of initiatives:
Ÿ Support local charities with financial contributions
Ÿ Organize clean-up events
Ÿ Volunteer in local schools or community projects
Ÿ Local fund-raising events
Edwin is a ‘Fellow of the Prince’s Enterprise Trust’ which
helps vulnerable young people get their lives back on track.
It supports 11 to 30 year-olds who are unemployed and
those struggling at school and at risk of exclusion. Edwin
periodically goes into classrooms to talk to students [from
all ethnicities] on business building and the watchouts etc.
which he really enjoys.
Expansionary Approach
In a conclusion, Edwin mentions that for the next five years,
Ceuta Group’s vision is to continue to build out its Global
Digital services. It wants to continue to build out its
‘Marketplace Support Platform’ – USA, Europe, and China.
It wants to selectively acquire other Ceuta type
organizations worldwide and to acquire Consumer Health &
Wellness brands’.
Edwin is also a ‘Life Fellow of The Royal Society of
Medicine’.
|
March 2022

he greatness of a person or leader has to be
Testimated by his or her ability to thrive even in the
most provoking or challenging situations. It is in
the tough times that one’s mettle is tested. And it is at the
same time one has the opportunity to prove one’s mettle. It
is said that patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet. The
more one is able to hold one’s nerves even in the
challenging times and continue to fight for success, the
more one will be able to crossover even the toughest
challenges. Life rewards those who put in sincere hard work
and strive for achievements. “As we sow, so shall we reap.”
Success is not the cakewalk, but it is about repeated efforts
day in and day out.
There is no free lunch in this business-minded world. One
has to be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices for
accomplishing something worthwhile in this world,
especially in the world of business. One has to accomplish
something in this world to earn the trust of people and
thereby to be the well-wisher of people. One can contribute
a lot to others when he or she has gained worthwhile
accomplishments to create his or her credibility. The
reliability of leaders increases in great proportion when they
deliver results more than expected by others. The reliability
or credibility of leaders is directly proportional to the
expansion of the businesses.
Morality is the Foundation for Victory
Great business leaders are aware that it is important to lead
with morality. They consider it is very important to keep the
morale of everyone in their organization very high. High
morale helps in taking the most courageous decisions. They
understand that it is essential to deliver what is expected by
clients or even beyond thinking well ahead of the clients.
This is where the innovativeness in leaders plays a big role.
That is the reason they keep it on high priority to be well
updated with the latest technologies and they are keen to
implement those technologies in their businesses.
Determination, Dedication, and Discipline
Determination, Dedication, and Discipline form a big part
of success. There is a huge significance of resolute
determination to succeed in the world of business. The
world is filled with cut-throat competition. To sustain one’s
competency in the business world, one has to keep on
improving oneself and everyone in the organization to
create massive success. The journey sometimes can be filled
with a lot of challenges, but if one has a determination to
persist then one can achieve one’s goals in due course of
time. Dedication gives life to one’s purpose and goals. It is
very much synonymous with leading with purposefulness.
The stronger the purpose the greater can be the dedication
to achieve it. And Discipline is the bridge between success
and failure. Without discipline, nothing substantial can ever
be accomplished in life. One has to pay the price of resolute
determination, absolute dedication, and high discipline to
be successful in the world of business.
What Not to Do?
As much as it is important to know what to do, it is also
equally important to know what not to do. Doing what is
favorable for success and avoiding what is harmful for
success should be avoided at any cost. For business leaders
to succeed in the business world, they should be well aware
not to waste their precious resources after bad money or bad
deals. They should not throw their good money behind bad
money via negative deals. They should be calculative and
should take calculative decisions related to where to invest
and where not to.
Having a Right Mentor is the Key
Having a good mentor goes a long way in making high-
value decisions. One should choose that person as one’s
mentor who has demonstrated one’s character and
competence in one’s chosen field. Great leaders are not just
interested in being great leader themselves only, but they
would like to create more great leaders. By choosing a
capable leader as one’s mentor, one will be able to attain
great heights in life in a short span of time. One good
mentor is worth more than all the books in the library.
Books also play a huge role in the lives of great leaders, but
the help of a mentor is priceless as one will be able to
develop oneself more quickly with the help of a good
mentor and avoid the mistakes that previous leaders have
done. Great leaders become great because they don’t shy at
accepting good mentors in life. They are open to learning
from all. They know that they don’t have all the time in the
world to commit all mistakes and then learn and then apply.
Therefore, they prefer to avoid mistakes on the journey by
having a good mentor in life.
It is a mark of great leaders to do justice to their roles,
routines, relationships, and responsibilities. They also build
such a type of culture in their fellow teammates and
employees and staff in the organization. This helps them to
achieve greatness in their business by building an
organization with responsible and competent people. They
lead by example and with resolute determination and with a
goal to deliver more than needed. They thrive on their
purpose and necessary actions. They do what needs to be
done with due diligence and they set the standards for
everyone else to follow and that is the reason they become
admirable.
Leadership Redened
|
March 2022

n a pandemic-ridden environment that was uncertain,
Icomplex, and fast-evolving, a handful of organizations
have shown true resilience and business success under
the guidance and navigation of leaders who have broken
away from the archetypal 'command and control' mould of
traditional leadership.
Jude Gomes, the Chief Executive Officer of Union
Assurance PLC, is among those leaders. He draws from a
highly accomplished career in financial services spread over
three decades with experience accrued across key Asian
markets and key global financial institutions. With over
three decades of industry-leading success, Union Assurance
(UAL) is the country's oldest private Life Insurer
empowering the Sri Lankan dream, offering a range of
insurance solutions covering education, health, protection,
retirement, and investment needs of Sri Lankans. Powered
by a network of 76 branches and a 3,000-strong team that
shares a customer-centric approach to business, the
company continued to invest in people, digital
infrastructure, products and processes to remain agile and
responsive to emerging and unprecedented changes under
Jude's guidance and visionary leadership.
Under the banner 'Your life, Our strength,' the company has
nurtured the Sri Lankan dream in unique and personal ways
to support its policyholders and the people they love.
Excellence, ethics, integrity, innovation, and a customer-
centric mentality are the heart behind day-to-day operations
at Union Assurance.
Acting as a Catalyst
The coronavirus pandemic broke out just a few months
after Jude took the reins as the CEO of Union Assurance.
However, he guided his team on a journey of
transformation, positioning the company as a modern,
customer-centric, digital life insurer to address the lag in
technology adoption within the industry.
With the mission of simplifying insurance and empowering
customers, the company shifted its focus towards
digitisation during this time. The transformation was
initiated by simplifying, innovating, and digitising complex
processes, culminating in an overhaul of its operating
system to a digital model. To provide uninterrupted service
to its policyholders, the company established a trilingual
call centre that operated 24/7, an online chatbot and enabled
digital platforms and gateways to meet the growing demand
in customer queries. Furthermore, Union Assurance
disrupted the future of Life Insurance by adding a dynamic
facet to its customer experience with a 100% digital
platform - Clicklife, which offers customers to purchase
products instantly without any paperwork and physical
interaction as well as a platform with real time self-
servicing capability as part of its end-to-end online
insurance solution. The app features World Health
Organization approved challenges, rewards, and other
exciting in-app features to engage and motivate users to
stay fit and healthy.
Navigating through Challenges
Speaking about challenges, Jude mentioned that aspects of
economic growth, socio-cultural factors and financial
literacy have been barriers to industry expansion. In his
view, financial literacy is low compared to developed
markets in which insurance penetration is high. This is an
important factor for improving insurance consciousness and
awareness across society.
Jude Gomes
Protecting Lifestyles, Dreams, and Ambitions of Sri Lankans
|
March 2022

Jude Gomes
Chief Executive Ofﬁcer
Union Assurance PLC
32

Understanding that
you don’t know
everything is a very
valuable lesson to
learn early on.
Admi ng o
failures, taking
accountability, and
making necessary
changes fast is what
is important for
success.
“
“
Gomes articulated three key strategies he believes will drive
the insurance sector: first, cohesive strategies should be in
place to attract and retain the right talent, especially given
that the industry is manpower-dominant; second, there
should be a focus on an omnichannel distribution model to
provide greater accessibility to customers; third, is in
creating efficiencies in operations and delivery platforms
making the buying cycle easy, convenient, fast, and
transparent.
People Empowerment
Jude is an ardent believer that leaders should constantly
challenge themselves and their teams to exceed
expectations and embrace new opportunities.
Empowerment is an important criterion for leading people
and organisations to success. To this end, Jude nurtures a
workplace environment in which safety and trust are
prerequisites for people’s empowerment. When people feel
empowered and safe in the workplace, it paves the way for
more innovation and advancements to take place. He
believes in cultivating a culture where employees learn
from mistakes and strive towards excellence.
Accelerating Growth
Insurance has trailed other industries and in particular
financial services when it comes to transformation – digital
or otherwise. In an increasingly data-driven environment,
poor public perception of insurers came down to a
combination of factors. The lack of transparency augmented
by archaic processes; low understanding and
misinformation of investment vs. protection, lack of
confidence in insurance agents, inadequate focus on training
and skill development, restricted channels and limited
product suites skewed towards investment rather than
protection, are some of the industry challenges.
Gomes believes a defining feature for growth acceleration is
in the depth of customer-centricity adopted. Protection
should centre around the people it protects.
By rolling out a simplified customer-focused digital agenda
in 2019, Union Assurance mapped out a comprehensive
customer journey, addressing pain points, eliminating
complexities, and customizing solutions through the
application of technology, setting the benchmark for a
future-ready operating model.
A Note to Emerging Leaders
“When you’re in a leadership role, developing your
intuition plays a big part as your employees rely on you to
make trustworthy decisions meeting needs of all
stakeholders.
“It is important to note that staying true to your values and
morals is key in your journey. Understanding that you don’t
know everything is a very valuable lesson to learn early on.
Admitting to failures, taking accountability, and making
necessary changes fast is important for success.”
|
March 2022

Mohammed
Mubin Mallick
A Doyen in the Field of Robotics
traveling, or living alone away from home. He has never
broken down and has always stood up to fight the situation.
As time passed, things became easier for him to handle due
to the experience he gained.
Mubin founded Kiran Smart with lots of love from people
who really wanted to have these services and solutions. He
did market research in GCC on robots. He developed every
single robotics solution for every industry and as well for
home too. He did not find suitable CEO who would
understand his vision and that is the reason, he decided to
wear the hat of CEO as well.
Well versed with different robotics manufacturer around the
world, Mubin is working on his Visionary Prime Project
which could make him the pioneer in the world on robotics
services that human has never imagined or expected on the
idea.
Getting the Best out of Everything
Mubin mentions that every journey is not pleasant and thus,
running a company successfully is also not as pleasant as
we think. There are always ups and downs, because as a
holistic view it is a company and not a business.
S
ince decades, technological advancements have been
assisting humans in almost every sphere of their
lives. Even in this pandemic situation, technology
didn’t fail to offer assistance to us. The use of robots was
explored extensively by most of the researchers and
businesses, especially healthcare organizations, considering
the facts that they don’t need mask, they can easily get
disinfected, and they don’t fall sick. With this idea,
Mohammed Mubin Mallick’s Kiran Smart has
significantly contributed to the development of advanced
robotics in this ongoing pandemic through its state-of-the-
art robotics solutions.
Towards Visionary Project
In the year 2017, Mubin predicted the future as it is going
to take a turn towards some advanced technology. The
thought came into his mind was robots as it was his
childhood dream to have robots. But he was demotivated
and discouraged after being rejected on his robotics idea or
topic by many. These negative factors made him stronger to
face and challenge the market.
Since his childhood, Mubin has seen many difficulties and
has tackled them successfully, be it studies, sports,
34

Mohammed
Mubin Mallick
CEO / FOUNDER
Kiran Smart
|
March 2022

For Mubin, building a company was like being on the
battleground. As a challenge he saw financial crisis, getting
the right people for right place and right job, finding expert
people with innovative ideas, and getting the investor.
Mubin kept on going and today, Kiran Smart is a first
Humanoid Robot Solutions and Services company in
Kuwait having existence in multiple location, providing IT
services to business and home users.
Devoted to Serve Humanity
Mubin’s father late haji Noor taught him to live for others
and serve humanity. One of the incidents that impacted his
life was the case where he found a lady who was crying for
the money to do the treatment of her daughter. He was just
a child and only could understand that she is asking for
money. He had 50 paisa in his pocket to buy a chocolate for
her younger sister. He could not say no to the lady because
her tears brought him down so emotional that he started
weeping and gave her 50 paisa. The lady just saw the coin
and said, “My son GOD will give you enough so that you
can help others and GOD will make your heart big enough
to help others.” He can never forget this incident.
Innovation in Robotics
Kiran Smart is into Information Technology, Digital
Transformation, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and
Fintech. Mubin is of the belief that these technologies will
play a major role post-pandemic. Thus, if businesses in any
industry have to survive, they will need to implement
Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence to make
advanced hybrid solutions to survive in the future.
At present Kiran Smart’s Robot Services are inclusive of
Humanoid Robots, Services Robots, Delivery Robots,
Educational Robots, Logistics Robots, Pet Robots,
Disinfection Robots, Cleaning Robots. Other than this it has
smart digital screens which the company sell as solutions
and also rents them out. Even for Robots, it provides the
solutions and also rents out the robots in multi-purpose use,
providing services globally as well.
At the same time, Mubin is also working on the “Rise of
Robotics Generation” where he is training children about
robots, teaching about robots but with live demo on the
company’s different models of robots. His vision is simple
for the next 5 years – to be recognized as one of the best
brand service providers globally especially in terms of
Robotics Services.
Good Network for Business Opportunities
Mubin and his team generate jobs for every category so that
people could survive and feed their families. He and his
team create jobs for drivers, engineers, managers,
supervisors, developers, skilled and unskilled labor, waiters
and waitress, and cleaners. Also, he shares the company
profit on a certain percentage as charity across the world
where the community is helping to survive their life.
He is looking for a great opportunity to change the world
into a smart village but of course there must be a good team
to execute it like investors, businessmen, entrepreneurs,
partners, engineers, and a lot more, because he is working
on one of his project called ROBO2050 where every house
will have Kiran Smart’s robots.
“Information
Technology will be so
advanced and if we
don’t adopt ourselves
in terms of business
and personal life then
we will be left alone to
suffer.”
36

Mr. Sami Sharif
CEO
Kuwait Insurance Company

Mr. Sami Sharif
An Embodiment of a Proven Leadership
The pioneering leadership is a combination of
exemplary skills, abilities and talents. To lead
organization successfully, it is essential for leaders
to have good amount of competence, as it plays a
significant role in the success of the organization and its
clients. When the same competence is paired with strong
managerial and technical skills, the results attained are
excellent. An embodiment of such a leadership is Mr. Sami
Sharif. He is the CEO of Kuwait Insurance Company
(KIC) since 2016.
Prior to KIC, Mr. Sharif has held various leadership roles in
different renowned companies. He earned his Bachelor’s
Degree in Mathematics and Space Physics and a Master’s
Degree in Mathematics both from the University of
Houston – USA. He worked for several years as a lecturer
in mathematics and statistics at the same university. He is a
Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) in the USA since
1996 and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries
(MAAA) since 1993. Besides, he also has an in-depth
experience in life, health, and general insurance, and
takaful. He carries an immense knowledge of strategic
management consulting combined with sound actuarial
background. He also has in-depth experience in launching
and leading new insurance operations in different countries.
KIC has a full line of conventional and takaful insurance
products for corporate and individuals covering general
insurance, life insurance and money accumulation. It has
more than 200 employees and 10 branches in Kuwait.
Being Driven by Achievement, Innovation and People
Development
Mr. Sharif is driven by KIC’s shared values i.e.
Achievement, Innovation and People Development. He
mentions that the company cares for its staff, shareholders,
and clients. It adheres to a set of values.
KIC’s vision is to be the fastest growing company in
Kuwait and to expand geographically. It aspires to be the
company of choice for personal and commercial insurance
products and services. It aims to be the fastest and the
simplest in delivering its services and the most advanced in
using technology. It envisions to be the company of choice
for employment. All the efforts of Mr. Sami are in the
direction towards achieving this goal.
KIC’s mission is to provide its clients with the most
competitive products in terms of benefits, values and
services, to provide its distribution channels with state-of-
the-art services, to invest on developing its staff, and to be a
school of insurance and management. Besides, the company
also believes in being sales-driven and in achieving its sales
target. It believes in differentiating itself with innovative
Products & Services, Distribution Channels, and
Technology. It believes in its people to exhibit Knowledge,
Leadership, and Communication & Interpersonal Skills.
Having Advantage of Experienced Staff
Talking about the challenges, Mr. Sharif shares that KIC
had to deal with a challenge of political risk since the area
is inflamed with many political problems that lead to some
business instability in the region. Maintaining the size of
the portfolio was a major challenge for KIC.
KIC is the first insurance company in Kuwait and the GCC.
It has the advantage of keeping experienced staff who have
been with the company for decades. Taking some of the key
staff to the most advanced ways to run a business, in
particular the reliance on technology, was a challenge that
they enjoyed the stages to overcome it.
Being Influenced by Working with Great People
Mr. Sharif is an ex-consultant with McKinsey& Co. that he
considers his best school. He still cherishes the days he
worked for Mckinsey, the people he worked with, and the
leaders that he worked under such as Mr. Dominic Barton.
In addition, he has worked with people who had a great
influence on him, like:
|
March 2022

on the insurance industry as a whole. However, Mr. Sharif
sees more pros than cons. The way of doing business
became more technology-driven, as technology is a key
success factor for all industries including insurance.
AKIC puts a balance between people safety and business
safety. As such, it was present and functional in its market.
Contributing to Community with Welfare Services
When it comes to giving back to the community, KIC
always stands tall. On almost monthly basis, it runs
different campaigns examples:
Ÿ Cleaning the beach in Kuwait
Ÿ Blood Donation campaign
Ÿ Brest cancer awareness campaign
Ÿ Diabetes awareness campaign
Being People Person and Expanding Robustly
Mr. Sharif advises aspiring and emerging CEOs in the
insurance industry to work on their technical and
managerial skills. He tells them to learn the essence of
leadership and cultivate a healthy lifestyle. He asks them to
be rough, tough, but reasonable.
Besides, he also advises them to be people person, have a
large connection in industry, and to avoid arrogance and
give smile to everyone.
Ÿ His mathematics professor Dr. Klaus Kaiser at University
of Houston.
Ÿ His space physics professor Dr. Bering at University of
Houston.
Ÿ His first actuarial manager Mr. Marc Pitoniac who taught
him how to survive under any work challenges.
Ÿ Mr. Abbas Khalaf, Regional president of ALICO,
MEASA Region who taught him leadership.
Ÿ Mr. Barry Jacobson, President of ACE Life (now Chubb)
a great leader.
Ÿ Mr. Ghazi Abu Nahl, President of Nest Investments hard
work and perseverance.
Evaluating Employees Objectively and Compensating
them Fairly
Mr. Sharif has created a positive environment at KIC where
everyone thrives. The company strongly believes in the
well-being of its employees. It strongly encourages
education and pays all education expenses to its employees.
Moreover, it created the first company kitchen run by a
professional chef to provide daily healthy meals to its staff
at minimum charges. It created a nursery at work to help
mothers with baby kids, age 0-5 at no charge. It has a
thorough 360 system to evaluate its employees objectively
and to compensate them fairly. It established KIC academy
to offer professional courses and training to its staff.
Striking a Balance between People Safety and Business
Safety
When Covid-19 pandemic arrived, it had its pros and cons
‘‘ ‘‘
Kuwait Insurance Company enjoys a stable and strong financial foundation and
maintains a leading position in the local and regional insurance market by
providing reliable and innovative insurance products and services and professional
team of experts at the level of Kuwait and GCC.

42
CEO/Co-founder

|
March 2022

44

Thomas A. Bock
MD, MBA, CEO
Notable

Thomas A. Bock
A Recognized Life-Science Leader Developing a
New Class of Oncology Medicines
ecent advances in science and technology have
Rresulted in a new era of more targeted therapies for
many diseases. These advances have materialized
for patients, resulting in some truly transformative
treatments, thanks to the talent and dedication of the life
sciences community.
Meet one such life-science leader who has developed and
commercialized six lifesaving paradigm-changing
blockbuster medicines in cancer, ultra-rare disorders, and
inflammation, and who has built four entrepreneurial
organizations that created a major impact for both patients
and investors. - Thomas A. Bock, MD, MBA, and CEO at
Notable.
Inspired by his work, we at Insights Success had a
conversation with Thomas to know more about his journey
and how Notable is transforming the way cancer is treated.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Give us a brief overview of your position at the
company, and your journey since inception.
I joined Notable as an Independent Board Director in 2020
and then started serving as the CEO in February 2021. At
that time our company was known for our predictive
technology platform developed to help physicians
determine which cancer treatments are most effective for
their individual patients.
Today, we are beginning to leverage Notable's leadership in
predictive technology to develop cancer treatments focused
on individual patients who we know will respond to a
specific treatment. My role is to drive our organization to a
leading precision therapeutics company by creating a new
class of precision medicines – predictive precision
medicines.
Please describe the technology that makes your
company standout from the competition.
Notable's predictive technology combines machine
learning, laboratory automation, and high throughput
screening directly on patient blood samples to predict
responses to therapies with a 92% accuracy. Over the past
years, we created a unique and continuously growing
library of optimized (out of millions of options) platform
conditions and predictive data across approved and
investigational cancer treatments. This enables us to focus
on the most promising candidate medicines and develop
them as predictive precision medicines solely in clinically
responding patients. Patient by patient. Cancer by cancer.
What is your opinion on the advancements of businesses
to improve their offerings with newer technological
developments?
Notable represents the next generation of predictive
precision medicines for patients with cancer, based on the
emergence of new technology. Our platform can predict an
individual's clinical response to cancer treatment from a
blood sample taken before beginning treatment with a 92%
accuracy. I am proud of how our proprietary technology
addresses the question that matters most to patients, yet
previously could not be answered: "Doctor, will this
treatment work for me?"
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work
culture? In what ways do you implement it at your
organization?
Notable's culture extends from its core mission of
redefining treatment for people with cancer. For us, the
patient matters most. This means that we not only pursue
transformative medical impact but also, proceed
responsibly and with the sense of urgency that patients
deserve. Our team is spearheading therapeutic solutions at
the interface of therapeutics, diagnostics, and engineering.
|
March 2022

Scientists, engineers, and experts from many fields work
together closely and also build off of the insights and ideas
from each other. They work hand in hand, peer to peer in a
unique and collaborative approach. Leading this patient-
focused and integrative culture is key to an innovative
environment, and I believe it is because of this that we have
been able to recruit and retain top talent across industries.
In what ways have you or your company contributed to
the community? If given a chance, what change would
you bring in creating a "community of healthy
business"?
Today, most cancer treatments deliver only modest clinical
response rates and fail for the majority of patients, exposing
them to ineffective therapies and unnecessary side effects
and toxicities. Notable's mission of delivering predictive
precision medicine that works for each cancer patient, and
reducing unnecessary side effects, makes an important
impact for the community. These types of advances will
revolutionize treatment for people with cancer.
What is the best way to meet today's/tomorrow's
challenges with your company's exceptional products
and services for urgent needs coming our way?
In order to create the stream of predictive medicines that
patients can rely on with the urgency they deserve, it is
critical that we continue to collaborate with industry
partners and academia. Having developed and
commercialized medicines for cancer and rare diseases for
more than twenty years, I know that many medicines can
deliver a huge medical impact but unfortunately only for a
small subpopulation of the patients who receive them.
We have created a platform that reproduces the human
cancer cell microenvironment that can be used to test
cancer therapies, patient by patient, with a 92% accuracy,
before they receive treatment. Thanks to our platform and
its prediction accuracy (as reported by Stanford
University*), we can now engage with prospective partners
to co-develop and license such transformative medicines
solely focused on responding patients. Patients can be
confident that their treatment will work for them, and our
life sciences partners benefit from a faster development
speed and a higher likelihood of success.
*Source: Michael A. Spinner, …, Peter L. Greenberg; Ex
vivo drug screening defines novel drug sensitivity patterns
for informing personalized therapy in myeloid neoplasms.
Blood Adv 2020; 4 (12): 2768–2778.
As an established CEO, what would be your advice to
the budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the
industry?
Be able to pivot quickly to take advantage of emerging
opportunities, expect bumps and detours along the way, and
most importantly, stay true to your core values. When you
develop products for patients, proceed with extra urgency
and care.
How do you envision sustaining your company's
competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of
Security? Where do you see yourself and the company
in the next five years?
Part of our integrative culture is to be externally focused
and equally seize opportunities and address challenges with
the best possible approaches. Challenges make us stronger
and will expedite our vision of delivering a stream of
predictive precision medicine and redefining the standard of
care, always ensuring the best possible outcomes for
patients. Patient by patient. Disease by disease.
Each patient is notable and can benefit
from a predictive precision medicine
that works for them.
“
“
48

here is a saying, "become the best version of
Tourselves." Well, what does it take to become one?
It is the break from the ordinary, challenging
orthodox thinking, and coming out as the best version of
ourselves. It applies the same in leadership; today, it is the
break from orthodox leadership, which we need with
innovative ideas. What else follows in the journey of a
leader? Let's have a look through this article.
Long-lasting Leadership
The will to learn new things by collaborating with the
experts of that particular field expands the knowledge of the
business leaders. While we may agree that everyone's
journey in life is different, it follows you till the end once
you choose. But the end goal is to make an impact in the
life of others, be it in the form of business, sports, politics,
entertainment, or any other niche. And, when it comes to
business, there is a position where assisting, motivating,
and impacting the lives of others is the responsibility of the
business leader - CEO. The decisions taken by a CEO can
have a huge impact on the organization's life and the
people.
The CEO Ingredients
When we speak about the CEO, what are the must-have
qualities to watch out for? The primary aspect comes from
knowing to solve the problems of the employees and the
company. The team's support helps the CEO in critical
times and without a team player, one cannot succeed in
business or any other field. The rest of the qualities comes
from maintaining a culture that is worth inspiring and
following.
The CEO is the most appropriate and responsible person for
meeting the needs of the employees and the company. The
ideas, decisions, and culture set by the CEO make the
company shine in every situation. He/she is involved in
every management decision and is the person who
understands the clients and the employee's needs. He/she
also acts as a mediator who digs deep into every problem of
all the company levels, as the CEO is involved in several
meetings right from the employee to the company growth.
There is no single decision taken without a CEO; as a
matter of fact, he/she is the face of the management.
There is a lot of value for integrity in the life of a CEO
because you have to provide honest recommendations and
instruction in every part of the organization. Additionally,
being aware of the market updates and know-how comes
naturally, as you got to be the best in business for the team
and the company. Lastly, promoting inclusivity and
diversity in the organization makes the organization a place
to thrive.
Where are we Now and the Future
Today, we see more intelligent CEOs with a positive and
fresh approach entering the business arena, breaking the
trend of orthodox leadership. With their innovative
thinking, companies are resulting in more innovative
practices. The CEO is bringing the transformation and
successfully meeting all the expectations from the clients to
the employees. Ultimately, only living up to these values
can bring the overall transformation in the industry.
The journey of the CEO is no doubt challenging but looking
at the results, it is all worthy in the end. In a world full of
transformation, it is best to balance both technology and
compassion. It will lead us all to a better future, where we
as humans can nurture and progress even more, making the
world a better place to live for us all.
Lastly, with this, let's all hope that we live a life full of
compassion and kindness whatever time we have on earth.
After all, it should not always be about the business and
profit but also about creating a world of opportunities,
where all the people feel included. And, being a CEO, it
becomes his/her role to lead all such people with the best
skillset.
The Break from the
ORTHODOX
LEADERSHIP
50

Thomas P. Shivers
CEO and President
FourStone Partners

Thomas
Shivers
A Relentless Leader with a Progressive Approach
Relentless leaders set directions to make ideas into
reality. They focus on producing ideas that have
practical implications for them. What makes them
stand out from the rest is their ability to listen to their team
and recognize the effectiveness of their offerings. One such
pioneer of relentless leadership is Thomas P. Shivers, who
has been consistently recognized as an industry leader for
his constant focus on results, accountability, and practical
application.
With over 25 years of executive and entrepreneurial
experience in the workers’ compensation managed care
marketplace, Tom has been instrumental in shaping the
industry. As the CEO and President at FourStone
Partners, he has created a unique consulting firm that has
been widely praised for its innovation, effectiveness, and
efficiency.
We, at Insights Success, caught up with Tom to unveil his
entrepreneurial journey and how FourStone Partners is
optimizing the performance of businesses.
An Entrepreneurial Journey
Tom founded FourStone as a startup that has now grown
into a national organization. The firm started without any
private equity money; FourStone has been self-funded since
its inception.
Along the way, Tom has met great people and great clients
who, in one way or another, have contributed a tremendous
amount of learning experience for him. It has been an
incredible journey for Tom, and there is yet more to come.
The Values that Optimize Performance
FourStone has continued its expertise in the workers’
compensation industry and commercializing healthcare
products with a unique approach. Tom has centered
FourStone around practical application and collaboration.
He focuses his time and attention on practical application
that helps clients maximize their opportunities based on
what truly works and develops implementable and
actionable strategies.
Tom believes in less theory and more practical actions. In
his opinion, what differentiates FourStone from its
competitors is that it provides its clients with impactful
strategies and then executes them on their behalf.
Sculpting Strong Leadership
From the perspective of Tom, impactful leadership is
collaborative in nature, and it is also never asking anyone to
do anything that you won't do yourself. A leader needs to be
accountable for the decisions of his or her team.
The personal philosophy of Tom is 'everybody in the room
is the smartest person in the room based on the subject.' He
implements the same at FourStone. This way, the best idea
wins, no matter who creates that idea. This allows people to
be at their best selves without any fear and express their
|
March 2022

point of view, thoughts, and ideas on the subject. At some
point, these ideas and can be embraced and moved forward.
Overall, this empowers people to feel free and not be afraid
to make mistakes. This approach will unlock their
maximum potential in the long term.
In addition, Tom also believes that humility is an essential
trait for a leader. A CEO should be open to new ideas and
understand that every colleague brings their knowledge to
the business. It is crucial to be able to listen. On the flip side
of being a humble leader is being relentless in pursuing
goals and success.
Tom says, “I've got a team of employees that count on me
to be very good at my job. So, I have to be really good at
my job for them. And I feel like one of the traits that I have
that has allowed me to succeed is that sort of relentlessness
and tenacity. If you combine that with humility and
behaving honorably, I think it creates a nice culture. And I
think the culture at our firm is something we're very proud
of.”
A Healthy Work Culture
When asked about maintaining positive work culture at
FourStone, Tom says, “I don't think you can overvalue a
positive work environment and a positive work culture. I
think it's incredibly paramount to the success of a firm long
term. We take an immense amount of pride in the culture
that we have.”
The culture at FourStone is collaborative, competitive, and
family-oriented that prioritizes performance and taking care
of each other. The culture is also based upon practical
application; the team at the firm treats themselves like they
treat its clients. There isn't any theory, esoteric,
unquantifiable sort of mission or goal. When people bring
ideas to the table for the firm or the clients, they have to be
based on practical application, focusing on real world
solutions that can be tracked and managed.
Tom and his team are fearless and tenacious when
implementing new things. They aren't afraid to quickly
make educated decisions to roll out new products and
enhance existing products. They work collaboratively, both
internally and with their clients and other constituents. The
team takes much pride in how they present themselves to
one another and their clients and industry.
The Highs and Lows of Pandemic
FourStone managed to survive and experience a slight
growth during the pandemic because of its diversified
portfolio. Some of its products and services did suffer, but
some of them could maintain and grow.
Culturally, the pandemic affected FourStone the most as
everyone had to undergo a remote work culture. The
company implemented some virtual models for some of its
products and services in a brief timeframe. It also meant to
We are a high energy, high intensity,
results driven organization that fully
engages with our clients to optimize
performance.
‘‘
‘‘
54

trust the team to do the right thing and work the right way.
Fortunately, Tom has spent much time on hiring based upon
character. This helped the firm when it went remote and had
to do things differently overnight; the hiring philosophy
proved successful as the entire team adjusted remarkably
well.
Tom opines that it was crucial to adapt to the circumstances.
The performance of the company in many ways has
exceeded expectations. In fact, some of the FourStone Team
will continue to work from home post-pandemic.
Technological Aspects to Move Ahead
Technology has played such an incredible role in the
evolution of how companies function during this pandemic,
and Tom doesn't think that's ever going to roll itself back. It
will get more important moving forward.
Heading Into New Horizon
Tom has an absolute vision of organic growth, which is a
challenging road, and he thinks in the future FourStone will
also grow through acquisition. The company is actively
looking at some potential acquisition targets. The firm
would also like to diversify and expand the services that it
offers to its clients.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
In his advice to upcoming entrepreneurs, Tom says, “Be
absolutely relentless in your pursuit of success. Listen to
people who know more than you, surround yourself with the
best team that you can find that has complementary skills to
yours, and allow them full opportunity to help grow the
company with their own expertise and spirit.”
|
March 2022

The 10 Most Promising CEOs to Watch in 2022 Vol-2.pdf

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