This edition features a handful of Businesswomen leaders across several sectors that are at the forefront of leading us. Read More: https://insightssuccess.com/the-10-most-successful-businesswomen-to-watch-2022-september2022/

1. VOL-09
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ISSUE-04
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2022
www.insightssuccess.com
White
White
White
An Undisputed Master of Money Energy
Valentina
Valentina
Successful
Business
Business
Business
women
women
women
CFO
WHITE
ACCOUNTANCY

4. Benchmarking
Excellence
Editor’s Desk
Abhishek Joshi
Abhishek Joshi

5. n this modern era, business leaders are searching for
Iways to lead their teams to success and adapt to current
events that have thrown many companies into a loop.
Good leadership is difficult in times of change and crisis,
and many managers are realizing that the many tried and
true business strategies of the past are not applicable to the
current state of world affairs.
Many leaders are choosing to adopt managing styles that
are more focused on keeping their team lean, agile, and
adaptive. The ability of organizations to stay flexible is
more important than ever, given how unpredictable the
future is today.
Moreover, much of the conventional wisdom about
management has been turned on its head due to the
adoption of new technologies that have significantly
changed the business culture of many companies.
Managers should have a clear vision of what they are trying
to achieve and be able to inspire this vision in their
subordinates. A leader's vision should be clear and
meaningful. Setting a vision your team can rally behind and
tangibly work toward is crucial.
Sharing this wisdom will make workers feel like they are
part of a collective whole that is working together towards
the same goal. Without a vision, employees are more likely
to be isolated and self-serving, which can lead to infighting
and conflict in an organization.
In today's fast-paced digital world, stagnation and close-
mindedness are a good leader's worst enemies. Effective
managers are constantly learning new skills and expanding
their set of skills. Doing so allows them to communicate
more easily with different team members that might possess
their own unique expertise.
Constantly keeping an open mind and approaching business
from a learning perspective also allows them to foster a
more diverse work environment that accepts and
encourages all sorts of different perspectives.
Embracing the journey of such staunch business leaders that
are revolutionizing the modern business arena, Insights
Success' latest edition, sheds light on The 10 Most
Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022.
Flip through the pages and explore the fundamentals of
success with the resolute leadership charismas.
Have a Delightful read!

6. Cover Story
08
An Undisputed Master of Money Energy
White
White
White
Valentina

7. Ruthie Staalsen
An Avid Designer Creating Spaces that
are Collected, not Decorated
Jekaterina Stuģe
Each day, Amber Beverage Group is working
to create the best value for all our stakeholders
26 32
22
Heba El Hakim
Helping Businesses
Establish a Strong Online Presence
Diana Jenner
Redefining the Beauty Industry
Daria Dubinina
Building the Next-generation FinTech Products
14 18

8. sales@insightssuccess.com
September, 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
Marry D'Souza
Managing Editor Executive Editor Assistant Editors
Visualizer
David King
Art & Design Director Associate Designer
Kshitij S Peter Collins
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Martin
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe
Jacob Smile
Amar Sawant Dominique T.
SME-SMO Executive
Atul Dhoran Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
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Aditya Gaikar
Revati Badkas
Jenny Fernandes Anish Miller
Sandeep Tikode

9. Brief
Company Name
Crassula is a FinTech software platform providing solutions for
businesses to create financial products.
Featured Person
Crassula
crassula.io
Daria Dubinina
CEO and Co-founder
Orchids Retreat offers bespoke services like advanced face and
skincare and make up.
Orchids Retreat
orchidsretreat.co.uk
Diana Jenner
Founder & CEO
Heba El-Hakim Consulting is a business coaching service
that focuses on developing customized online business
solutions and marketing strategies for premium service based
business owners.
Heba El-Hakim Consulting
Heba El-Hakim
Business Coach and
Consultant
Amber Beverage Group is a rapidly growing global spirits
company, whose products are found in millions of households
and venues across the globe
Amber Beverage Group
amberbev.com
Jekaterina Stuge
Group Chief Executive
Officer
Emersons Commercial Real Estate is a team of real estate
professionals dedicated to providing all the benefits of an in-
house real estate management operation.
Emersons Commercial
Real Estate
www.emersonscre.com
Karen Simon
President and Managing
Partner
Ruthie Staalsen Interiors is an award winning Dallas Interior
Designer company
Ruthie Staalsen Interiors
ruthiestaalsen.com
Ruthie Staalsen
Founder& CEO
Successful
Business
Business
Business
women
women
women
Valentina White,
CFO
White Accountancy
www.waccountancy.lt
Valentina offers innovative and effective financial solutions,
drafting necessary and proper documents required by
individuals and offices.

10. Valentina White
CFO
WHITE
ACCOUNTANCY

11. An Undisputed Master of Money Energy
White
White
White
Valentina
Valentina
C o v e r S t o r y
WHITE
ACCOUNTANC
Y guarantees
strict quality
control over the
services.

12. The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
S
easoned by her ten years of experience running her
accountancy firm, Valentina White sets an example
for youngsters to build a great career in her field. She
has developed unique teaching an the book of 18 Money
Energy Laws and has become a Master of Money Energy.
Her curiosity to learn has made it possible for her to work
as a Chief Financial Officer in an influential and
trustworthy company named WHITE ACCOUNTANCY.
Valentina offers innovative and effective financial solutions,
drafting necessary and proper documents required by
individuals and offices. The company seeks long-term
customer relationships and has created an atmosphere of
complete trust with its clients. It is focused on the principles
of fairness, teamwork and commitment, making it one of
the pioneers in the field.
We at Insights Success interviewed her to learn about her
vision for the company and future plans.
Let's dive straight into her mind through this questionnaire.
Briefly describe your professional journey up until now.
I remember my first day in my own business: a two-seat
dormitory office. A small cave is more than an office. I am
already waiting for the client's first call this morning. I had
zero knowledge in the field of financial accounting and a
great desire to do everything very well, to put 200% effort
into my work.
I had an unquenchable desire to learn. To know everything
about accounting and HMRC penalty appeals processes, I
went deep into finance until I started learning all about
money in general. And I went my way to financial literacy
education. I grew up as the company's CFO and became a
master of money energy.
What challenges did you face along the way?
My mission is to work with the Lithuanian community. And
here, the biggest challenge has been to change outdated
standards and wounds left by other companies and correct
the consequences of negative behavioural patterns.
Some accounting companies have left a black spot in the
Lithuanian community by deceiving compatriots,
plundering and stealing their money, and engaging in tax
evasion. Our compatriots' naivety, trust, and proficiency in
the UK were used.
What significant impact have you brought to the finance
industry?
Lithuanians came to England in search of a new life. And
some Lithuanian accounting companies behaved
inappropriately and took advantage of the current situation.
This model of deceiving has been used for many years, so
Lithuanians have gained distrust of accounting companies.
It seemed to them that everyone wanted to take advantage
of them.
And this has become my mission - to change the accounting
company's standards and give my compatriots asylum and
care for their tax issues in an orderly and open manner. I
gave my people a safe space to come up with their own
problems and help them find a solution. I created a clearly
structured system, broadcasting clear values. Not only did
we clearly broadcast our mission, but we kept it going.
Tell us about WHITE ACCOUNTANCY and its
foundation pillars.
Our foundation pillar is nurturing communication with our
clientele, no matter their background. We take pride in our
honesty, mentoring skills, our ability to share knowledge
and help our clients grow.
How does WHITE ACCOUNTANCY promote
workforce flexibility, and what is your role in it?
In 2022, we introduced a new rule in the company: on
Fridays, all of our employees do not work, but they are paid
as a working day. 4 days working week.
We encourage employees to take advantage of Fridays for
self-development, professional development, mentoring
programs, or a relaxing break.
In 9 years of business, there has been a realization that an
employee who works less actually works more. This means
that when he is rested, he works more efficiently, his
balance of personal and working time becomes no longer an
illusion but a reality.
What is your take on technology's importance, and how
are you leveraging it?
Technology in the accounting business (and beyond) is
everything that takes over an efficient, productive, and
profitable business. In my calculations, a properly

13. Our Foundation Pillar Is
Nurturing
Communication With
Our Clientele, No Matter
Their Background.

14. We Create A Personal
Growth Club For Our
Business Clients Where
Business Owners Will Be Able
To Transform Their
Businesses Through Their
Personal Transformation.

16. Daria
Dubinina
Daria
Dubinina
Building the Next-generation FinTech Products
Daria Dubinina
CEO and Co-founder
Crassula
September 2022 | 14 | www.insightssuccess.com

17. omen have made enormous strides in the
Wfinance sector. Their contributions in the space
are strengthening the financial-services industry
and helping businesses stay ahead of challenges. One such
woman shaping the future of finance is Daria Dubinina.
Before diving into entrepreneurship, Daria's journey has
been full of discoveries and industry research. She has been
working in the FinTech and payments field for five years,
doing e-commerce and online payments. This allowed her
to get to know the FinTech industry and strengthened her
desire to learn and develop in FinTech.
Daria has dedicated more than nine years to mastering
payments, e-commerce, and business development. As a
leading strategist and entrepreneur, she has also led major
partnership deals with top international companies. Today
she is the CEO and Co-founder of Crassula.
Let's unveil more about Daria's journey and how Crassula is
delivering the world-class products.
Putting Accumulated Knowledge into Action
Crassula's story began when Daria met Alex Novozhenov
and Vlad Nikolayev. They all are co-founders of Crassula.
The decision to found Crassula was a natural progression of
the desire to put the accumulated knowledge into action.
They started with a simple idea to provide fast and easy
core technology for launching FinTechs. And today
Crassula White Label solutions are trusted by the industry
leaders. The company allows users to build their PSP,
Banking, FX products in days and provides access to world-
class products to over 5 million users.
Allowing Companies to Create their Products and
Services
Crassula White Label software provides the technical
infrastructure for the FinTech companies that allows
creating their services and products. With Crassula,
companies can concentrate on building their businesses
without spending years and huge budgets developing their
solutions. Also, this approach reduces the risks when testing
a business idea; now the company can begin to implement
its idea on Crassula's platform, attract customers and enter
the market.
Crassula allows its clients to launch their crypto banks and
wallets, accepting crypto payments. Using its solutions,
clients can start their crypto business in days.
September 2022 | 15 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022

18. Crypto Banking product allows Crassula's clients to launch
their crypto projects, manage and open accounts with
unique crypto addresses, exchange fiat to crypto, make
crypto transfers, invest in crypto, issue cards for private and
business clients.
PSP is helping create a global payment gateway attributed
with alternative payment methods, anti-fraud, risk
management, merchant integration, smart routing, and
virtual currencies, enabling payment companies to make
online payments secure and smart for merchants and
payers.
Encouraging Out of the Box Thinking in Team
Members
Stating the importance of culture Daria states that the most
“We are constantly
developing,
growing and
improving.”
September 2022 | 16 | www.insightssuccess.com

19. important value for Crassula is its team. For its community,
one of the key principles is called "Freedom And
Responsibility". It does not control every minute of working
time, giving its teammates freedom to create whenever they
want, but expects responsibility of finishing the projects on
time and with the highest quality. It created its product with
the ability to think out of the box and tries to encourage this
skill in its team.
As a CEO, Daria tries to motivate Crassula's community, be
a role model, share her experience and stimulate creativity
in the area of responsibility of Crassula's teammates.
Daria believes that the basis for building a team is to work
with the best. To cooperate with the best professionals from
around the world, Crassula developed remote working
practices even before the pandemic. So, when COVID-19
flipped the workplaces upside-down, Crassula had already
embraced a remote work model before hiring professionals
online began to get popular. This approach enabled the team
to double in size in 2021. Currently, Crassula is a technical
hub bringing together professionals from all over the world.
Its dream team is working remotely from Latvia, the UK,
Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan.
Keeping Pace with World Trends and Availing Edge
We asked Daria her opinion on the next big significant
change in the FinTech space, to which she says, "Pandemic,
lockdown, and society changes led to radical changes in
technology. Technologies today are developing rapidly as
never before, and the FinTech industry is growing as well.
Online banking is becoming a transforming tool in finance.
And it's not just about the cashless economy. Digital
banking offers more innovative services and products,
improves security and transparency. It is important to
mention white labelling as one of the main trends. White
Label FinTech solutions allow the market to develop faster,
and the businesses to launch their own solutions, minimize
risks and costs.”
According to Daria, one of the most important financial
innovations and one of the main trends is crypto. Trends
such as robotic process automation and voice-enabled
payments cannot be ignored. No one could even imagine
how quickly it could evolve when online banking has just
started. Big data projects are still an important trend, as
people create an incredible amount of data every second.
Crassula is at the cutting edge of technology development,
and it is going to work to let its products keep pace with
world trends and possibly lead them.
Looking Forward to Working on New Solutions
Looking backward, Daria sees a lot of amazing clients,
successful projects, and collaborations. Therefore, she is
looking forward to working on new solutions for Crassula's
clients, to new integrations, nominations, and
collaborations.
Being Open to New Opportunities
In her advice to emerging entrepreneurs, Daria says,
"Building your own business is one of the most hard yet
exciting journey. This is a chance to give rise to new trends
that may one day change the world. Therefore, you should
be open to new opportunities, work hard, and develop your
networking skills. You should always take care of yourself,
of your team and keep moving to the new goals.”
September 2022 | 17 | www.insightssuccess.com

20. Everyone deserves to feel great about the way they
look. It was this belief that led Diana Jenner to
found Orchids Retreat.
Diana turned her passion for beauty into a boutique Beauty
Salon that genuinely cares about the wellbeing of its clients.
From starting her career by working in a Spa to running an
award-winning salon, she has come a long way. At Orchids,
she creates tailored programs to suit each client's individual
needs of Chemical Peels, Mesotherapy, and Customised
Facials to promote and maintain healthy skin.
Inspired by her urge to take beauty industry to the new
heights, we at Insights Success caught up with Diana to
learn more about her journey and Orchids Retreat.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Orchids Retreat.
What challenges did you overcome to reach where you
are today?
My career in the beauty industry began working in a Spa at
the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas whilst attending University
Nevada Las Vegas. I always wanted to own my own
business, and as a lifelong passion for beauty, I wanted to
have my own salon.
My Dad told me that I couldn't go to beauty school as I
needed a formal education not just to learn a trade skill; he
wouldn't even let me attend an evening massage course
whilst at university. Instead, I got a job in the spa whilst
studying at UNLV to gain hands-on experience. Fast
forward a few years, and I moved to England to be near my
Mom. In Europe they offer Beauty Therapy courses that
teach you a variety of skills, so I enrolled in every course
possible. For a year, I attended holistic, beauty and
advanced courses full-time during the day as well as
evening and weekends, so I completed three years of
courses in one year.
Now it was time to gain some experience in the industry. I
started my own business called Orchids Hideaway and set
up a treatment room in my bedroom at home. This
expanded to a two bed house with one room just for salon
use; while building up my own clientele, I was working in a
salon and managing a bar and restaurant to make ends meet.
I then took a job with Virgin Atlantic to see the world and
visit spas and salons around the globe. In 2008, I gave up
my wings and bought my first salon on the top floor of a
hair salon. I was enjoying training and sharing my passion
as I grew the team, so I gained my teaching qualification
from Greenwich University to enable me to teach beauty.
Teaching, running a salon, and growing a family proved to
be too much to juggle, so the next chapter was to be a
solopreneur.
I kept a treatment room on the coast and took up a
residency at the Soho Hotel in London, which gave me the
opportunity to host seasonal skincare events for beauty
magazines, bloggers and treat celebrity clientele. It was a
fantastic experience, and I'm so grateful to Kit Kemp for the
opportunity.
The pandemic proved difficult for many, but with grit and
motivation, I was determined to swim upstream and provide
wellbeing for the community. Last summer, I opened a six-
treatment room beauty and wellbeing clinic. And, we now
have a team of twelve to offer beauty, holistic, wellbeing
and advanced aesthetic services.
Tell us something more about Orchids Retreat, its
mission and vision.
Orchids Retreat's mission is to help others put their best
face forward. To educate our team and clients about how to
care and maintain a healthy body and glowing skin all year
September 2022 | 18 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022

21. “ “
September 2022 | 19 | www.insightssuccess.com

22. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run
and what are your future goals for Orchids Retreat?
I have so many goals and aspirations!
During the pandemic, I obtained a distinction in an
aromatherapy course and used my years of product
ingredient knowledge to create my signature scent and
formulate my own bodycare range to help clients refresh,
relax and restore at home. I would like to be a household
name one day and to advance Aurum D to being stocked
and sold in high end retail stores, not just at Orchids
Retreat.
The British Association of Beauty Therapy and
Cosmetology asked me to help the government write the
guidelines for our industry to be covid compliant. I was
delighted to help the Department of Business and Industry
Strategy (BEIS) and to share my knowledge and experience
with others in this sector I set up Signature D coaching and
consulting.
Going forward, I would like to share my passion and
combine features from all three companies to franchise
Orchids Retreat around the United Kingdom and launch our
Beauty and Wellbeing Clinics globally. Offering a 'Beauty
Business in a Box' with advanced coaching, policies,
procedures, business set up, marketing materials and
ongoing support.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the business sector?
Just go for it! You'll never be completely ready; there is no
such thing as failure, just lessons learnt. I learn new lessons
every day, and it helps us all to grow, develop and blossom.
September 2022 | 20 | www.insightssuccess.com

23. September 2022 | 21 | www.insightssuccess.com

24. digital world awaits the ever-growing business
Acommunity in the vast online forum where there is
an unlimited reach, provided businesses follow
verified strategies to build their business. Some valuable
ways to venture into the online side of companies can be
done by creating a highly engaging email list and using
effective marketing strategies to achieve high-volume sales
quickly.
Heba El-Hakim Consulting is a business coaching service
that focuses on developing customized online business
solutions and marketing strategies for premium service-
based business owners. It is a consultancy that helps
entrepreneurs take their businesses online. Heba is assisting
businesses to establish a digital presence, thereby
maximizing their profits using the online medium. It also
offers services for creative entrepreneurs who wish to shift
their offerings from one-to-one to one-to-many sustainably
and profitably.
We interviewed Heba El-Hakim, a Business Coach and
Consultant, who is the mind behind the venture to flock
into the world of her own online business strategies. Let's
hear it from her.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
As a Marketing and Business Communications
Specialist, what is your opinion on the effects of the
current pandemic on Educational Institutions?
I work extensively within the education industry. In fact, I
support community language schools across Australia and
played a key role in the administration of a language school
for several years. I've conducted national surveys of schools
to understand the impact of lockdowns and remote learning
on the educational institutions in Victoria, Australia, which
experienced one of the harshest and longest lockdowns in
the world. I've found through my survey reports that
schools and other educational institutions were further
exacerbated by national lockdowns finding communities
that were already disadvantaged and excluded from
adequate resources and support before the pandemic in a far
much worse situation, leading to the reduction of learning
opportunities and school performance.
And as educational institutions resorted to emergency
remote teaching to ensure continuity in the teaching and
learning process, this further led to exclusions for
marginalized communities who could not afford technology
and those living in remote areas where internet connectivity
is still a problem. The pandemic also widened pre-existing
opportunity and achievement gaps, hitting historically
disadvantaged students hardest. Survey results also showed
that the crisis impacted not just academics but also the
broader health and well-being of students, with more than
35 percent of parents very or extremely concerned about
their children's mental health. And it wasn't just the students
impacted but also the teachers as they had to scramble to
learn new technologies and struggled with student and
parent engagement.
What is your opinion on the advantages for classrooms
to improve the offerings with newer technological
developments, especially when it comes to teaching all
around the globe?
Technology has always been at the forefront of human
education. There is no single technology initiative that will
achieve the same results everywhere simply because you
will always have different school systems, different
learners, and different educators. Instead, to realize the
potential of technology in education to accelerate student
learning, the decision-makers should focus on the following
key areas:
Ÿ Scaling up quality instruction, such as through pre-
recorded quality lessons.
Helping Businesses
Establish a Strong Online Presence
The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022
Heba El- akim
September 2022 | 22 | www.insightssuccess.com

25. “
Heba El-Hakim,
Business Coach and
Consultant
Heba El-Hakim Consulting
The way you engage
with people online can
expand your reach and
brand. Showing up
sincerely and genuinely
is half the equation to
grow your loyal client
base. You don't have to
be everywhere, but
where you do show up,
make it count!
September 2022 | 23 | www.insightssuccess.com

26. Ÿ Facilitating differentiated instruction through, for
example, computer-adaptive learning and live one-on-
one tutoring.
Ÿ Expanding opportunities to practice.
Ÿ Increasing learner engagement through videos and
games.
In your opinion, what could be the future of the learning
centers post the COVID-19 pandemic? And how are you
strategizing the company's operations for that future?
I believe there are some key areas to focus on to advance
education tomorrow. First, it's important to commit to
strengthening education as a common good. Education
helps fight against inequalities. In education, as in health,
we are safe when everybody is safe; we flourish when
everybody flourishes. Secondly, decision-makers must
expand the definition of the right to education so that it
addresses the importance of connectivity and access to
knowledge and information. Thirdly, we need to value the
teaching profession and teacher collaboration. There has
been remarkable innovation in the responses of educators to
the Covid-19 crisis, with those systems most engaged with
families and communities showing the most resilience. We
must encourage conditions that give frontline educators
autonomy and flexibility to act collaboratively. Also, it's
important to make free and open-source technologies
available to educators and learners. Open educational
resources and open access to digital tools must be
supported. Education cannot thrive with ready-made
content built outside of the pedagogical space and outside
of human relationships between teachers and students. Nor
can education be dependent on digital platforms controlled
by private companies.
Which is the best way to meet today's and tomorrow's
challenges with your contribution to economic
development?
To navigate through the big changes of tomorrow, we need
to bring together diversified knowledge, wide-ranging
expertise, and imagination to address the difficult questions
created by the advancements of technology and society.
Contribution can look like offering services that are
customized and individualized solutions and consumable
anywhere as we move more into a “Home Anywhere”
world, where consumers consciously limit what they own,
instead subscribing to services, and a “Waste Nothing”
world, where consumers want their values reflected in all
their purchases and in the organizations, they work for. As
business owners and leaders, we need to think about which
future customers we're designing products and services for
September 2022 | 24 | www.insightssuccess.com

27. and whom we are looking to employ. Stress-testing the
current state with future scenarios can help businesses focus
on drawing the arc between present and future and have an
open mind about how they need to adapt and evolve.
As an established educational leader, what would be
your advice to budding businesswomen aspiring to
venture into the education industry?
Entrepreneurs are usually mission-driven and live to bring
to light a positive impact. Entrepreneurship is driven by the
innate need to create, build, grow and impact. When we
connect the two, education and entrepreneurship, it's all
about taking control of your journey to spend your life
using your strengths and genius to make an impact.
My advice would be this: Share your entrepreneurial story;
let people see how you came up with an idea and how you
shifted to another, failed, and iterated until you finally
found what you were meant to do. The process, not the
product, matters most to the learner. Be brave. You were
born to make an impact. Do it.
How do you envision sustaining your company's
competency in a cutthroat and volatile world of
technology? Where do you see your company in the next
five years?
I envision sustaining my company's competency by being
authentic, caring for the competition, and creating more
value than I consume. I see my company in the next five
years thriving with its own network – the people who care
and are interested in furthering my initiative. I will be a
trusted voice and authority in the field and might even have
written a book about being relevant in this industry.
September 2022 | 25 | www.insightssuccess.com

28. Jekaterina Stuģe
Each day, Amber Beverage Group is working
to create the best value for all our stakeholders
With an innovation agenda, covering relentless
creativity to develop existing brands and build
new ones, Jekaterina Stuģe consistently
employs various strategies to seek new consumer insights
and find new ways of customer engagement. Her dedicated
efforts for her work caught eye of Insights Success which is
why we cherish her as one of “The Most Ambitious Women
in Business to Follow, 2022”.
As the Group CEO of Amber Beverage Group,
Jekaterina aims to make her business one of the Top 10
spirits companies. Amber Beverage Group is a rapidly
growing global spirits company, whose products are found
in millions of households and venues worldwide.
Fascinated by her efforts and achievements, Insights
Success caught up with Jekaterina and talked about her
amazing journey, challenges and what lies next.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Briefly describe your professional journey up until now.
“My first serious job was with the auditing company Arthur
Andersen (later Ernst & Young Baltic). At that time,
becoming an auditor in an international audit firm was not
easy; it was a great challenge and an honour to get accepted
into this community,” says Jekaterina Stuģe. She spent
more than 10 years at Ernst & Young, earning an MBA
whilst there. She then joined the newly formed Latvian food
producer group NP Foods (currently Orkla Confectionery &
Snacks Latvija) as a Board Member with responsibility for
financial management and information technology. She
created the Shared Service Centre there and then joined the
Eco Baltija team as CFO and Board Member.
Jekaterina joined the SPI Group (parent company of Amber
Beverage Group) as CFO of the Baltic business unit in
2014. She participated in the development of Amber
Beverage Group (ABG) and, since then, she has held the
roles of CFO and COO and became CEO in 2020. She is
aiming to lead ABG to become a €1 billion company over
the next five years.
What challenges did you face along the way?
Jekaterina says: “One of big challenges is that Amber
Beverage Group is rapidly growing, both organically and
through M&A. Balancing excellence vs speed is a
challenge. In recent years, the Group has expanded, and
when adding new companies, we always need to consider
how to adapt to the existing culture and processes. One of
the ways of working is to create #ExtraordinaryEveryday.
The approach is characterized by constant improvements
and changes, such as introducing automation in production
processes, introducing RPA functions in the back-office,
etc.”
What significant impact have you brought to the
Beverage Manufacturing industry?
“Our approach is that whatever we do, we do as well as
possible. A great example of this is our future logistics
centre combining a new state-of-the-art high-bay warehouse
to serve export customers; a large customer orders assembly
line; and an ability to handle individual and split order
assembly jobs,” says Jekaterina.
Tell us about Amber Beverage Group and its foundation
pillar.
Amber Beverage Group is a global spirits powerhouse,
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The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022

29. Jekaterina Stuģe
Group Chief Execu ve Officer
Amber Beverage Group
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30. We believe that strong
brands are built by
strong, healthy, and
motivated people so our
top priority is to provide a
culture of vitality and a
dynamic working
environment.
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31. adding AI to several operational functions,” said Jekaterina
Stuģe.
Jekaterina believes that embracing change is the biggest
challenge in every company. She said: “The main challenge
to drive high level changes in a global company such as
ABG is to make people believe that they need these
changes and convince them to see that as something
positive. At ABG we implement a continuous improvement
culture. We use Kaizen methodology with a focus on real
innovation in manufacturing that creates a model for
excellence.”
Jekaterina leads numerous projects in order to move
towards robotizing standard routines and free up employee
time for intelligence analysis.
What are your goals in the upcoming future?
“The innovation agenda includes the development of new
products, expansion in new markets and consumer
segments, introduction of new technologies, and
reinvention of operational and production processes.
Overall, ABG is continuing on its growth path.”.
What advice would you like to give the next generation
of aspiring business leaders?
“Diversity in the workplace, including gender diversity,
makes things better. The more perspectives you have, the
more active and creative the workplace dynamic becomes.
“I would advise future business leaders not to fear change
because it is part of everyday life. It is better if you are
already one step ahead of others and are the first to
implement changes before your competitors,” concludes
Jekaterina Stuģe.
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34. Ruthie Staalsen
Owner
Ruthie Staalsen Interiors (RSI)
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35. An Avid Designer Creating Spaces that
are Collected, not Decorated
Known for her exquisite taste, superior sense of
style, and infectious personality, Ruthie Staalsen
of Ruthie Staalsen Interiors is a prominent name
in the interior design space.
Born and raised in South Africa, Ruthie has lived all over
the world. She creates homes that have a relaxed, collected
look and adds a global flair to her designs. Her knack for
utilizing existing pieces within a space to create something
completely new makes her a preferred choice among her
clientele.
Besides, she has also co-authored the book, Behind Her
Brand, which depicts what life is like as a female entrepre-
neur, mother, and wife, and how to best integrate these
aspects to create a balanced business and fulfilling life.
Inspired by her passion for designing spaces, we at Insights
Success caught up with Ruthie to learn more about her
journey as a business leader.
Below are the highlights of the Interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Ruthie Staalsen
Interiors. What challenges do you have to overcome to
reach where you are today?
I’m the oldest of 3 kids and carried the role of leader as a
kid and still do. I was born and raised in South Africa and
traveled the world in my childhood. Leadership has always
been part of my DNA, and I think living in different
countries all my life, made me a better leader because I
learned to adjust to hardships and certainly learned about
being flexible. That being said, I’m a very driven person
and one of the biggest challenges I’ve had to learn is how to
take time to relax. Being that my business relies a lot on
me, it is hard for me to shut work off. I learned the hard
way and have now hired people to help me do the things
I’m not so good at. This relieves me to do the things that I
love, and that brings me more joy and time to relax.
Tell us something more about your company, its mission,
and its vision.
We are a Dallas based boutique design firm focussing on
residential design. We do everything from walk through
consultations to full-service design projects. Again, because
of our travels, I watched my mom set up home each time
we were in a new country. She always surrounded us with
the things that were important to us and created a home
around those things. Our mission at RSI is to always give
our clients a home they enjoy being in, one that welcomes
them home and makes them spend time with family and
friends. We want the homes we create to be practical,
functional, and beautiful. We create a “feeling” that not just
anybody can create.
Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the
Interiors niche through your expertise in the market?
I am a part of the Interior Design Society and keep as
involved as I can. I believe that when you have good
relationships with others in the same industry, you can add
your knowledge and experience to others and, interns learn
from others, making our businesses stronger together. I’m
not afraid of making changes to our company if things are
not working as they should. Change is hard but can
sometimes lead you in a more positive direction.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
We have a positive and fun vibe here at RSI, and we hire
people with that same energy. We love employees that have
a lot of experience, however, the most important thing to
me is their attitude, character, and “can do” spirit. Every-
thing else can be learned, but these characteristics are
crucial additions to my business model.
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The 10 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2022

36. God is the
giver of gifts, it
is up to me to
use those gifts
to serve Him.
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37. September 2022 | 35 | www.insightssuccess.com