The 20 most successful businesswomen to watch 2021 compressed

Vol 03 | Issue 07 | 2021
BARBARA
PALDUS
A Detail-Oriented Leader Who Can Brighten Any Space
+
Women's
World
Through
Thick and
Thin
The 20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch, 2021

Leadership at
your Service!
eadership works on the collective strengths of
Lan organization’s people by empowering
everyone, and taking ownership of their
growth in the company. It is a collaborative process
that isn’t given to you, it is something that you must
earn. It opens up the door for opportunities in the
industry and allows to take the road to success.
The current pandemic has put the business leaders in a
diﬃcult position, but it is through their skills they are
serving the people in these tough times as well. From
a businesswomen’s perspective, the industry has been
extremely challenging and sets very high expectations
for women. Finding a balance between personal life,
family and work have become extremely important for
them. And, there is no other way than to deal with it
daily.
Thus, for businesswomen only hard work won’t get
them anywhere, getting creative is the ultimate
survival tool in the business. That can be achieved by
working with ﬂexibility and a smart working
environment. The job they do should ultimately give
them satisfaction and should be totally worth it. They
expect to work and plan accordingly for such smart
work.
While technology has made things a little less
complicated, businesswomen have adapted according
to the working ways of it. It has its challenges but
learning and understanding the innovation is the hour
of the need. Valuing team’s thoughts, ideas, and
opinions is equally important. Above, all the main
goal is to inspire the team. It is better to make
mistakes early on so that you learn, as they say biggest
lessons are learnt from our own mistakes. Lastly, it
allows rooms to learn and grow continuously.
Editor’s Desk

Businesswomen today are going the extra mile
beyond the traditional ways of leading with all
these innovative ideas. They are brave enough
to take the step forward of leadership.
Hence, acknowledging the contributions of all
such businesswomen leaders Insights Success
has come up with its upcoming edition of The
20 Most Successful Businesswomen to Watch,
2021. Featuring on the Cover Story of this
edition is Barbara Paldus – CEO at Codex
Beauty. Barbara and her team are bringing
fundamental changes to the beauty industry.
Barbara overcomes being told that as a Ph.D.
woman could never lead a company as a CEO,
raise venture capital, or build an enterprise. She
discovered that many practices in the skincare
industry do not yield the most potent
ingredients, or do not follow the quality
practices of regulated industries. Her goal as a
leader is to help her organization grow despite
the pandemic and leverage the change in US
leadership that has brought science back!
Along with Barbara, there are more exciting
journeys of businesswomen, in this edition. So,
while you read about their stories, keep yourself
updated by reading CXO standpoints by the
industrial experts and also the creative articles
written by the in-house editorial team.
Have a satisfying read!
hitesh@insightssuccess.com
Hitesh Dhamani

C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
Barbara Paldus
A Detail-Oriented Leader
Who Can Brighten Any Space
CXO
Leader’s Viewpoint
Virtual Classes
Becoming New Normal
Article
Women's World
Through Thick
and Thin
48 32
10
Cover Story

Amanda Brock
Dedicated to Drive
Businesses With
Open Source Technology
Dawn Kane
Igniting Success for
Franchising Businesses
Denise Crossley
Adding a More Human
Touch to Debt Recovery
Julianna Yau
Helping Students to
Accomplish Their Goals
Julie Fergerson
Making a Difference
in eCommerce
Mary Senkowska
Redeﬁning Approach
to Career Development
of Youths
Monica Boudreau
Building Growth Marketing
Strategies for Brands
Ruth Darby
A Multirole Leader With
Extensive Work Experience
20 24 28
36 40 44
52 56
Shannon
Shoemaker
60

sales@insightssuccess.com
March, 2021
Editor-in-Chief
Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager
Marketing Manager
Technical Head
Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager
Research Analyst
Database Management Technology Consultant
Sumita Sarkar
Managing Editor
Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Rohit Chaturvedi
Assistant Editors
Jenny Fernandes
Visualizer
David King
Art & Design Director
Asha Bange
Associate Designer
Kartik Balapurkar
Kshitij S Peter Collins
John Matthew
Sales Executives
David, Martin, Aditya, Dharmendra
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Sagar, Binay
Jacob Smile
Aditya Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive
Amol Wadekar Frank Adams
Circulation Manager
Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes
Kushagra Gupta
Co-designer
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Sourabh More

Brief
Company Name
Ampla
ampla-edu.com
Julianna Yau
Founder and Director
Ampla is a premium education services provider based in Hong
Kong, with tutors experienced in local and overseas education
systems.
OpenUK
openuk.uk
Amanda brock
CEO
OpenUK is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee. It
harnesses the power of collaboration around Open Technology
being open source software, open source hardware and open
data, in the UK.
Joan Gregor
CEO
Intersection-Inc
intersection-inc.com
Intersection works with GE Healthcare, Innovative Office and
UCSD Design Lab to improve the beauty, comfort and function
of lives.
Dawn Kane
CEO
Hot Dish Advertising
hotdishad.com
Hot Dish Advertising is a full-service advertising agency that
can do anything one brand needs to stand out in the crowd.
Sam's Club
samsclub.com
Kathryn McLay
CEO
Sam’s Club (NYSE: WMT) is a warehouse club with 597
locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Julie Fergerson
CEO
Merchant Risk Council
Merchantriskcouncil.org
The MRC is the leading global trade association for
eCommerce fraud and payments professionals to learn,
collaborate, and share information.
Barbara Paldus
CEO
Codex
codexbeauty.com
Codex is a biotech company grounded in science, dedicated to
supporting the microbiome, and pioneering products having
clinically proven, meaningful skincare benefits.
Beverly Plost
CEO
BLP Marketing LLC
blpmarketing.com
BLP Marketing LLC is a business management, market
research, business development, product management, and
strategic marketing consulting firm. Focusing on medical
technology, medical device, diagnostic imaging, capital
equipment, surgical, and dental.
Kathy Spahn
President and CEO
Helen Keller
International
hki.org
Helen Keller, our co-founder, envisioned a world without
barriers to human potential. Guided by her fierce optimism, we
have been working on the front lines of health and well-being
for more than 100 years.
Denise Crossley
CEO
Lantern is an award winning Debt Purchaser operating for the
past 13 years, working with lenders to acquire and manage
customers identified as experiencing financial difficulty &
vulnerability.
Lantern
lanternuk.com
Featured Person
Most Successful
BusinessWomen
2
To Watch
2021

Brief
Company Name
ALGENIST
algenist.com
Rose Fernandez
CEO
Algenist uncovers the limitless potential of Algae, known to
thrive in the harshest environments of the planet, to offer
visible skin transformation in 10 days.
AEQUOR, Inc.
aequorinc.com
Marilyn Bruno
CEO
Aequor offers a large portfolio of non-toxic, “green,” eco-
friendly, and sustainable chemicals — dispersants, cleaning and
freshening agents and antibiofilm, antifouling, and
antimicrobial agents — and proprietary “green” products
containing them.
Rachel Fletcher
CEO & Co-Founder
Ofwat
ofwat.gov.uk
Ofwat’s role is to help the sector build trust and confidence
with customers, the environment and wider society.
Nicole LaPointe Jameson
CEO
Evil Geniuses
evilgeniuses.gg
Evil Geniuses, one of the oldest and most recognizable brands
in professional gaming, was founded 20 years ago on the belief
that passion, commitment and innovation could transform a
beloved interest into a global phenomenon.
Cisive
cisive.com
Shannon Shoemaker
Vice President
Cisive is a global provider of compliance-driven human capital
management and risk management solutions.
Ruth Darby, Keyser
keyser.com
Keyser is a world-class commercial real estate advisory firm
that exclusively represents companies of office, industrial,
retail, medical, education, and non-profit space helping them
with all types of real estate matters including lease renewals,
relocations, build-to-suits, acquisitions and dispositions.
Mary Senkowska
CEO
My Creative Brain
Mycreativebrain.eu
My Creative Brain is committed to equalising access to
opportunities to entry- & mid-level professionals forgotten by
privilege. It helps professionals discover and live their purpose
using it as fuel to live their best live.
Monica Boudreau
Founder
posh media
posh-media.ca
posh media is a boutique marketing firm that designs strategic
solutions for courageous brands. It works in partnership with
community leaders in both the Maritimes and our Nation’s
Capital Region to create powerful experiences.
Wanda Reder
CEO
Grid-X Partners, LLC
gridxpartners.com
A women-owned management consulting firm created to assist
utilities, communities and regulators with their complex energy
challenges.
Nicole Paolozzi
Founder & CEO
OndeCare is reinventing in-home care around today's busy
families. Providing care for all loved ones and all schedules
while generating worthwhile jobs to local care, safety, and
education professionals.
OndeCare
ondecare.com
Featured Person

Barbara Paldus,
CEO,
Codex Beauty Labs

Barbara
Paldus
A Detail-oriented Leader Who Can Brighten Any Space
While and have their
ingenuity charm
place, nothing replaces consistent hard
work brutal honesty
and .
“ “
COVER STORY

ome people say, being an entrepreneur is risky and
Sdifficult. You need to have a degree of insanity to do
it. And in some cases, it is a matter of necessity to
solve problems that others refuse to acknowledge exist. To
Barbara Paldus - CEO at Codex Beauty being a leader is
a matter of will.
Barbara quotes on leadership, “It is not for the faint of
heart. Know thyself and ask – I am truly up for this? “We
must become the change we want to see in the world.” -
Mahatma Gandhi”
As a little girl, Barbara was a huge fan of Marie Curie. To
her, she was a symbol of brilliance, passion, science, and
self-sacrifice. Her father is also an enormous influence. He
is a quantum chemist, professor, and researcher. He taught
her to rely on data rather than storytelling, to find answers
with measurements, not guesses, and to be honest about
failures – not everything is meant to work.
An Interview conducted between Insights Success and
Barbara Paldus is truly up for frequent challenges around
every corner. Below are the highlights of the interview:
Please brief our readers about your leadership position
at Codex Beauty.
I am CEO and founder of Codex Beauty and we are
bringing fundamental changes to the beauty industry. I
started Codex Beauty in 2018, with a mission to bring data,
science, and transparency to skincare. The “clean”
movement has all but destroyed science.
I discovered that many practices in the skincare industry do
not yield the most potent ingredients, or do not follow the
quality practices of regulated industries. Plant-based
ingredients hold so much potential, but the extraction
techniques, stabilizing methods, delivery systems, and
analytical tools are not on the same level as biotechnology.
We can leverage biotech fermentation to produce
concentrated ingredients in a highly sustainable way.

My goal as a leader is to help my organization grow despite
the pandemic and leverage the change in US leadership that
has brought science back!
What were the challenges you came across prior
launching the organization in 2018?
Codex Beauty is my third startup. Prior to launching Codex
Beauty and Sekhmet Ventures, I spent two decades leading
innovation in spectroscopy, telecommunications, and
biotechnology. By 34, I had founded two Silicon Valley
companies that, among many breakthroughs, paved the way
for carbon cycle/natural gas pipeline monitoring, and
accessible vaccine/cancer therapeutic manufacturing.
Some of the challenges that I came across prior to
launching Codex Beauty include:
Ÿ I have overcome being told that as a Ph.D. woman I
could never lead a company as a CEO, raise venture
capital or build an enterprise that didn’t manufacture in
China.
Ÿ I have had larger competitors disparage my start-ups as
non-viable entities in front of key customers, and supply
chains cut off by partners.
Ÿ I have been in situations where my company had less
than six weeks of cash, where we had frivolous legal
threats or distributors try to cut us out of the market.
And despite this, every time, we found a workaround.
My biggest challenge in launching Codex Beauty in 2018
was that I was new to the industry, and finding experienced
sales and marketing executives, who could handle Silicon
Valley culture and were technology-oriented, took a long
time.
Being an experienced business leader, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the Cosmetics Industry? And how has
Codex Beauty managed to overcome this significant
challenge?
The impact of COVID-19 has been felt in three areas of the
beauty business:
1. Sales – many retailers have been closing doors or
shuttering, leaving smaller companies with only on-line
distribution. With large companies also switching to on-line
sales, social media advertising costs have skyrocketed,
adding to the financial pressure;
2. Capital – venture capitalists have used this opportunity to
become more selective and lower valuations as the supply
of cosmetics startups has exceeded demand;
3. Supply chain – shortages of ingredients and packaging,
warehouses shutting during local lockdowns, and limited
transportation options have all hampered scale-up and
general operations.
Our biggest challenge this year has been COVID and
maintaining our new product development and clinical
testing plans, as test facilities had long shutdowns with
countries going into lockdown. Most of us already worked
from home prior to the pandemic, so the only change we
had to make was to create the safety shifts at our Irish soap
making facility.
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work
culture? In what ways do you implement it at your
organization?
A positive work culture enables people not only to believe
in the company mission and vision but pursue it with
passion and determination. It is a culture that allows people
to grow, acquire new skills, and be challenged, yet feel
supported to succeed and be inspired. It is a culture where
when people fail, they feel that they will be given another
chance because risk-taking is rewarded, not punished.
People feel free to be themselves and have flexibility in
their work hours and spaces.
I have implemented three guiding principles:
Ÿ Focus on solving problems. Sometimes, you have the
break it down to bite-size chunks.
Ÿ Treat people right. Every human, irrespective of age,
race, orientation, or beliefs deserves respect. People are
smarter than you think. What you put in is what you get
out.
Ÿ Do the right thing. It’s the hardest path, but the only
way to keep the trust, ethics, and integrity of your team
intact.
What Truth everyone needs to know about natural
beauty with organic, vegan ingredients, and plant-based
preservatives?
The truth is that the answer is in fact very complex, and
there is no trite “soundbyte” that is a realistic answer.
Natural beauty isn’t everything that “clean” companies say,
and there is nothing wrong with synthetic ingredients, that
can outperform organics. Not all-natural products are pure
(oftentimes organic ingredients aren’t even tested properly
by suppliers for contaminants such as heavy metals), and
organic products (such as essential oils) can be more
unfriendly to sensitive skin than well-characterized
chemical ingredients. Plant-based ingredients can lead to
unsustainable supply chains that harm the environment, just
like poorly managed mass-production of certain chemicals
can lead to pollution.
Conversely, there is a belief by traditional brands that
organic, vegan products aren’t effective. This is not true
COVER STORY

either, which is why at Codex Beauty, we perform clinical
testing and report the performance achieved. In the end,
*all* cosmetics companies should provide more data to the
consumer: safety testing, quantiproduct performance, and
an unedited ingredients list. Without this data, consumers
will remain confused and frustrated.
And plant-based preservatives do work just as well as
traditional preservatives.
In what ways have you or Codex Beauty contributed to
the community?
I am deeply concerned about climate change and
biodiversity, which include indigenous peoples. I would
love to inspire a movement of reduced consumption. This
goes counter to being an entrepreneur where growth is
everything but is necessary to save our planet. We consume
too much junk, and we produce too much garbage. We are
not meeting our carbon emissions goals and we are killing
plant and animal species at a ferocious rate. We need to
create more mindful consumers. Being in skincare, we
promote minimalist routines – you only use what you need
to keep your skin healthy and no more. And you recycle
your packaging.
Have you in any way contributed towards the cause of
women empowerment?
I have built a team that is 75% female, where senior
executive leadership is 80% female, and where we have
diversity. Our goal is to mentor and train the next
generation of executives at Codex Beauty.
As a venture capitalist, I have funded and continue to fund
female-founded and female-led startups. These make up
60% of my portfolio. Many of the current start-ups have
young founders who need a mentor or advisor, so I spend a
lot of my time teaching.
I also donate to organizations that allow underprivileged
women to enter STEM and give STEM lectures at high
schools when needed.
What people, what books, what life factors have
influenced and impacted you?
I will be forever grateful to Robert Halperin (“Bob”), who
was the President of Raychem Corporation. Bob not only
funded my first company (Picarro), but he helped secure
additional venture capital. He was my mentor for many
years. He taught me the fundamentals of business, how to
be a leader, and allowed me to take risks. He also made me
swear that one day when I was successful, I would in turn
help and mentor others. And that is what I live by today.
What is your vision for the company for the next five
years?
In the next year, I want to provide affordable acne solutions
based on our ingredient platforms and in March we are
launching a collection to combat inflammation that leads to
premature aging and loss of collagen.
In two to three years, I want to have solutions for anti-
aging, as well as innovative solutions for psoriasis, eczema,
SPF, and after-sun care. Codex Beauty will go deeper into
biotech for real solutions at affordable prices. I also want to
go back to partnering with the right companies to create
next generation skin measurements systems.
On the sustainability side, I want to support projects that
provide plant-based solutions to reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions, help clear ocean plastic, and provide
opportunities to indigenous people around the world. To
this end, we want to convert from glass to sugarcane plastic
packaging for all products by 2022, create a recycling
program for our plastic tubes by 2022, and create a royalty
program for indigenous people in areas where we source
our plant actives.

kimberly Khoury
Paving her Way in Sustainability Development
&
&
The
20
BUSINESSWOMEN
to Watch, 2020
SUCCESSFUL
Most

20 | March 2021 www.insightssuccess.com

Amanda Brock
Dedicated to Drive Businesses With Open Source Technology
manda Brock is the CEO of OpenUK, a not-for-
Aprofit company which advocates for Open
Technology being open-source software, open-
source hardware and open data, “Open” in and for business
communities across the UK.
Amanda was introduced to open source when she joined
the company Canonical, which is based in London and one
of the world’s biggest and best-known open-source
companies. She realized that she belonged in the open-
source community of users and businesspeople, and really
engaged in the open source way of working and running
organizations.
In an interview with Insights Success, Amanda Brock
shared her view on impactful leadership, merits of open
technology, and why OpenUK is the global leader in it.
Below are highlights of the interview:
What makes your organization a preferred choice of
your clients over the competition?
There is no competition to OpenUK as we are a unique
organization. We are the UK industry body for Open
Technology, and an advocacy organization. Open
Technology is open-source software, open hardware and
open data, and the first organization I am aware of looking
across all three areas.
We work on three pillars: Community, Legal and Policy and
Learning. This approach has the goal of developing UK
leadership in these areas and we bring together the
enormous community of people working in and around
Open Technology in the UK. There are hundreds of
thousands of these people, some working for UK
companies and many more working with international
organizations, that make up that Community. We kicked off
2021 with our very own Honours List, celebrating 100 of
the UK’s leaders https://openuk.uk/about-
us/2021honourslist. The UK is really a center of excellence
in this space, and we should blow our own trumpet a bit
more.
What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of
leadership do you personally prefer and have
implemented at your company?
Leadership is a big deal to me. To my mind, if you are
brave enough to step forward, you take on a big obligation.
If you are going to be a successful leader, people have to
want to follow you.
That for me requires a mix of integrity and fun. OpenUK is
largely a volunteer-driven organization, including the
Leadership team. If things are tense or unnecessarily
difficult, they are not going to keep on volunteering, so
creating an environment that makes people want to
participate is crucial. They have to feel that they are making
a difference, and that their time is being well-spent.
I very much believe in trying to be authentic, to try to share
the journey with others, and to ensure that the people who
have done all the work get credit for their results. We offer
our volunteers various training and personal development
opportunities as part of the reward for their time and I think
that giving back to people and supporting their journeys too
is crucial.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving Open
UK to sustain operations accordingly?
We have existed as a company and not for profit
organization since 2018. Last year, when I became CEO,
was our first real year of generating revenue. The pandemic
meant that we had to keep adapting and pivoting our
activities to evolve in the new world we are all living in for
the time being.
21
|
March 2021
www.insightssuccess.com

If you want people to engage online, you have to be
creative and provide an experience. People are now tired of
video calls alone and really having “zoom fatigue”. At the
same time, the barrier to engaging is much lower as you
don’t have the expense of travel and time away from home.
We are increasingly looking at hybrid formats for events, so
we can take the best of online meeting and more diverse
audiences.
According to you, what essential traits should an
entrepreneur possess to thrive in the present day
cutthroat business ecosystem?
The world of open source is different. Rather than being
about taking the entire pie and keeping it to yourself, open-
source businesses aim to grow the pie so substantially that
everyone benefits. By making technology easier and more
ubiquitous to adopt globally, we all benefit, and each get
our piece of pie.
What were the challenges you came across in your
career as a business leader?
I’m a 51-year-old Scottish woman who spent her first
decade in a council estate (public housing) then had an
assisted place (scholarship) to attend a private school.
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t always felt that I belonged in the
environments I have worked in.
I experienced a level of sexism, much of which was
institutional or unconscious. I’m pretty determined and I
can be quite direct. While those character traits can be
admired in men, those same qualities can be frowned upon
in women. As we run up to International Women’s Day on
8th March 2021, this inequality is something to consider.
What would be your advice to the upcoming
entrepreneurs aspiring to enter the domain?
Find the right people to give you advice. Try to understand
the market you are going into, the competition and how to
generate your revenue. However, don’t feel that you have to
do things the same way that everyone else has. If you have
a new and disruptive way to operate in a specific market, try
to understand why it has not been done already - you may
find hidden barriers, or you may find that you can innovate
in a staid sector. I think having the right advisors is critical -
in 2021, it’s a norm for businesses to seek an Advisory
Board and hugely helpful.
What have you envisioned for your company’s future, in
terms of expansion, introduction of new services, and
talent acquisition?
We are being asked to support people in other countries
who would like to replicate what we are doing with
OpenUK in their countries. We will work with people in a
number of countries including Kenya and Botswana as they
start this journey later in the year.
Our focus is on building the organization in the UK and
supporting our international reputation as the UK’s
technology leaders in Open. I hope we will increase our
participation in international collaboration through 2021.
We believe in open
technology and its
continued impact in
changing the world.
“
“

Amanda Brock,
CEO,
OpenUK
23
|
March 2021

Dawn Kane,
CEO and Co-founder
Hot Dish Adver sing
We connect more people to
franchise brands, deliver more
quality franchise leads and
spark more brand loyalty to
ignite success.
‘‘
‘

Dawn Kane
Igniting Success for Franchising Businesses
t started with a Dawn Kane’s sheer curiosity for
Iadvertising. As she fed her curiosity with her nose in
books and watching commercials, she knew she
wanted to get a degree in advertising and marketing.
Dawn was also very fortunate to work for and with some
amazing mentors who helped her establish her management
and leadership style. So, when it came time to start her own
agency, she was scared but ready. Currently, Dawn is the
Co-founder and CEO of Hot Dish Advertising.
Hot Dish opened in 1999, and it has managed through 9/11,
the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is
now stronger and busier than ever.
In an interview with Insights Success, Dawn shares how her
agency has worked to reshape the franchise category while
shaping our client partners’ franchise brands.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Tell us about your leadership position at Hot Dish
Advertising.
My role is both CEO and visionary for our agency…but I
also stay involved in strategic planning, new business
growth and future opportunities for service expansion. Like
most entrepreneurs, I’ve worn many hats as we moved
through growth phases and invested in new initiatives. For
example, in late 2019, we implemented the Entrepreneur
Operating System (EOS), which allowed us to evaluate our
entire team and build out a leadership bench. We now
follow a more prescriptive process in managing and
growing our team, our business and our franchising clients’
success…always with a fun, play-to-win spirit.
Being an experienced Marketing expert, what is your
opinion regarding the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic on the Marketing & Advertising Industry?
And how has Hot Dish Advertising managed to
overcome this significant challenge?
There’s no question that the Advertising and Marketing
industry looks different today than it did a year ago. We are
all working remotely, and that in itself is challenging. As far
as how the pandemic affected our industry, brands had to be
nimble in getting their products and services to customers,
and as marketers, we had to be nimble in changing our
messaging focus and target-reach strategies.
At Hot Dish, we quickly adjusted our digital strategy. After
an initial pause on digital marketing, we quickly saw
consumers spending even more time online. We relayed that
to our clients to keep the digital ads going with the right
message and media mix to maintain a presence with their
audience to spur growth. We were fortunate in having
several clients that were deemed “essential,” and in 2021
they have remained steady or even increased their budgets
over 2020.
We also say more “do good” messaging and that customers
had a stronger desire to shop local and support their
communities. This supported our restaurant franchising
brands that dialed up drive-thru, curbside and online
ordering.
What is your thought on the necessity of a positive work
culture? In what ways do you implement it at your
agency?
Culture is key when it comes to having a healthy work
environment. You can’t force culture and it’s been an ebb
and flow of positives and negatives over the years. Add in
COVID and a fully remote team, and we’ve got ourselves a
25
|
March 2021

foreign set of challenges. But, we are much more deliberate
today about setting us all up for success with clear
expectations and celebrations.
We have increased our communication overall. Each of the
department heads holds weekly one-hour L10 meetings to
discuss client updates, needs, trends and issues. Plus, each
Disher has a 5-5-5 meeting with their supervisor to talk
about their quarterly goals.
We have weekly, quarterly and annual all-agency Zoom
meetings to share the state of the business, new client wins
and our goals. We have a Fun Committee that keeps us
connected on the human level with Hot Dish swag bags for
holidays, a question of the week and games. Also, our
Kudos channel in Slack is where Dishers can spotlight each
other for exemplifying our core values every day… smarty
pants, curious, fun, respect, passionate and play to win.
In what ways have you or Hot Dish Advertising
contributed to the community? If given a chance, what
change would you bring in the Marketing services with
digital innovation & technologies to reduce costs
substantially?
We created our Franch Strong movement to help strengthen
franchise brands as a community. Franch Strong began
during COVID as a way to share stories of franchise brands
giving back to their communities and frontline workers. We
sold Franch Strong t-shirts with all proceeds going the IFA
Educational Foundation. Franch Strong continues to evolve
with our quarterly newsletter and as a connecting thread to
grow strong together.
As far as changes in digital innovation, we keep our focus
on being smart ﬁrst in ways that lead to the most impact.
New advances in technology allow for more interactive
digital experiences through videos, parallax design and
animation. But, without a smart strategy and a proven
tracking process, any shiny new tech will have
ineﬃciencies that cost time and money. Smart leads. Impact
follows. That’s how we roll here at Hot Dish.
What would be your advice be for aspiring and
emerging women entrepreneurs in the Franchise
Advertising and Marketing Industry?
The nature of franchising is entrepreneurship, so if that
excites you…you’ll love being part of this ever-changing
industry. Whether you’re a Franchisor, Franchise Owner or
Supplier, everyone truly helps each other succeed. From
legislative issues to unique franchise business models, there
are endless opportunities to learn and grow. And, there are
plenty of mentorship avenues, including the International
Franchise Association, which has a Women’s Franchising
Committee.

“I’ve always believed that, even
in the world of debt collection,
and especially when you’re
dealing with people facing
dif icult circumstances, there is
only one way to behave: be
empathetic, honest and
relatable. This approach is at the
very heart of Lantern,” states
Denise Crossley, the CEO of
Lantern, an award-winning debt
purchase & recovery specialist.
Denise Crossley
CEO
Lantern Debt Recovery
Services Limited

How it All Started?
Lantern started its life as a small independently owned
business, turning over c£2m with small profits. In 2014, the
sector became regulated by the Financial Conduct
Authority, therefore it was time to overhaul its operation
and become more robust and industrialised, in readiness for
regulatory scrutiny. Growth followed and increased volume
of debt purchases meant the company now held several debt
lines per customer, therefore it made sense to look at
improving the customer journey. Ultimately, it migrated
c1m customers to a new collection platform and created a
unique ‘single customer view’. This provided a bespoke
journey for the customer whilst creating operational and
cost efficiencies.
Denise reviewed the company’s position and found that the
market it was heavily focused on was in decline due to
regulation, and thought deeply about its USP against
competition. As the largest purchaser of ‘payday’ debt it
had by far the most comprehensive data set of vulnerable
customers. By this time, she had focussed the whole
company on delivering a specialist customer management
programme. It no longer considered itself as a debt recovery
specialist.
In 2016, the company successfully gained regulatory
authorisation and attracted new investment for growth in
2017 from Copper Street Capital who acquired the
controlling share in Lantern. Then came the much needed
rebrand to ‘Lantern’ – based on its consideration of being ‘a
leading light’ in the sector and ‘a light at the end of the
tunnel’ for the customer.
The new investment, together with additional funding lines
secured from two banks during 2019/20 allowed Lantern to
grow its customer base to c3m today and triple all of its key
financial metrics.
To ensure the culture was embedded across the business and
colleagues worked towards the same goals, Denise
introduced an LTIP for staff at all levels. This aided
alignment of culture and vision across the company in order
to deliver the strategy.
In 2019/20 she wanted to see what customers and staff
really thought about the business and its treatment of them,
and thus, embarked on an independent survey by Investors
in Customers (IIC). Denise is incredibly proud that it
resulted in a silver award initially, followed by GOLD in
2020 and again in January 2021, which is fascinating in any
business but particularly one whose ‘customers’ never
chose to conduct business with Lantern at the outset. Only 1
of 2 businesses in the sector have achieved this.
During 2020, these achievements led to 8 new client
contracts, 5 of which have committed long term to Lantern
to acquire their vulnerable customers.
Being a Reliable Partner
Lantern’s brand and reputation, its low level of upheld
complaints, and its single customer view make it the ‘safe’
choice when lenders think about a partner to acquire and
manage their customers in arrears who require specialist
care. Its extensive database of consumer data and sector
trends is invaluable as a tool for pricing debt purchases
accurately to ensure over-pricing doesn’t lead to customer
detriment through inappropriate practices, and for
developing bespoke collection strategies.
CROSSLEY
DENISE
Adding a More Human Touch to Debt Recovery
29
|
March 2021

It’s About Creating Real USP
Denise is of the opinion that being in a regulated business
means that the accountability and responsibility of all
personnel is a prerequisite. This ensures that her ‘open
door’ policy and ‘firm but fair’ leadership style allows her
executive team to remain autonomous but within the
confines of compliance and regulatory guidelines. In some
respects, regulation has helped her to embed the correct
culture across the entire organisation. She likes her team to
get on with it, but ensure controls are in place to check and
authorise changes.
Her idea of impactful leadership is staying ahead of the
curve. She believes that if one wants to stand out from the
crowd, one must stand for something special. With that
said, she adds “Create a real USP that everyone believes in
and supports, then encourage your teams to further
innovate and grow that USP which in turn develops the
whole business into something special that clients and
colleagues alike want to be a part of. The rest will take care
of itself.”
According to her, belief, tenacity, bravery, being a forward-
thinker and planning well to execute ideas are some of the
essential traits every leader should possess.
Aiming to Scale the Business
The future is always in Denise’s thoughts, as she likes to
horizon scan and forward plan in readiness for the
company’s strategy days and has therefore been
‘industrialising’ the business regularly with senior
management hires, to ensure alignment with growth plans.
Her ultimate vision is for Lantern to be the single largest
specialist Debt Purchaser acquiring and managing defaulted
customers experiencing vulnerability. Over the next 3 years,
the company aims to scale the business to c3x the current
turnover and profit, utilising technological efficiencies and
creating more customer self-serve options to avoid
increasing headcount. Acquiring competitors or ancillary
businesses would add to that growth and are certainly in its
sights.
Having Belief in Self is the Key
In her advice to upcoming entrepreneurs, she says, “Have
belief in yourself and stand up for what feels right and what
you believe in. Always try to ensure you’re speaking from a
position of strength by getting your facts right, then work
smart and make sure your voice is heard in the right way.”
Everyone has to start
somewhere and inevitably
it won’t be at the top, so
be patient.
“
“

THROUGH
THICKand
THIN
There were a lot of forces earlier working against
women, but the world evolved and today it all works in
favor. With the rise in global industrial revolution,
there has been a lot of participation of the women in the
industries. The scenario of the male-dominated industry is
changing and gender inclusiveness is taking its place. It is only
with gender equality and equal opportunities world is moving
forward.
A Matter of Time
There has not been much importance given to these topics
earlier, but now women with different business roles in the
industry are making things happen. More participation and
more communication are making things simpler and easier for
them to solve complex issues at hand. This fosters an
environment of a happy and productive workforce, where
women’s voices are heard.
Women in business and other leadership roles tend to have a
unique viewpoint towards the working and their points are
valuable in society. Today, a majority of the companies are
welcoming more talented women at the top level of the
organization.
A Captain Marvel
This is a hard, competitive, and fast-paced industry of
technology and innovation and only the creative ones can
survive in this volatile world. Businesswomen are always
ready for these challenges and opportunities in the way of the
business. Women have overcome all the shackles of a society
that says that they could never lead the company or team. As a
matter of fact, women today are not just building start-ups, but
also are the key personnel in their respective industries.
There are a lot of areas now, where women are adding new
ways to thrive and becoming their best version of themselves,
be it tech or any other field. The end goal is to grow well
beyond the businesses and realize their full potential.
The pandemic has certainly put all of us in a tough situation,
but it is also an opportunity to serve the people in their time of
dire need. Businesswomen are showing their commitments like
employee communications, opportunities, and allowing to save
money in these financial conditions. Even in these tough
conditions' women are extremely competitive and sets very
high expectations constantly. They are successful to keep a
very good balance between personal and professional life in
order to overcome these challenges.
Born for Greatness
Taking into consideration the nature of women’s leadership in
entrepreneurial ecosystem it can be said that there are endless
opportunities for businesswomen to learn and grow in this
ever-changing corporate world.
Businesswomen ensure that they excel and adapt to the needs
of the industry and become a resourceful problem solver and
motivational leaders. They always strive to solve the problem
and help people, and they tend to build great relationships with
customers.
They are involved in strategic planning, new business growth,
and future opportunities for personal and professional
expansion. They are wearing many hats of leadership which
depicts their growth opportunities. Ultimately, gender
inclusivity is the key when it comes to having a healthy
working environment.
Think about it
Women are smarter than you think and deserve respect. We as
a society should have a goal to build the next generation of
women leaders at all phases of the industry. We have come a
long way in empowering women however, things are not the
same everywhere. And we must find ways to work on such
areas.
There are still a number of countries like African and Gulf
countries where the women empowering journey is still in its
starting phase. With all our support we hope to increase their
participation in the international market in the coming years.
Hence, the culture that we are going to develop should enable
women to believe in their passion that will allow them to grow,
acquire new skills, feel supported to succeed, and be inspired.
It is upon our hands, that we give a chance to reward such
women by making them feel free to be themselves and have
flexibility in their lives.

33
|
March 2021
Women's World

Julianna Yau
Helping Students to Accomplish Their Goals
othing is more dangerous than sincere ignorance
Nand conscientious stupidity. Education is the most
powerful weapon one can use to change the world.
In many parts of the world education is still not accessible
to underprivileged people and to many girls. To make
quality education accessible to everyone has always been
the goal of all countries. Quality education is one of the
most important sustainable development goals. Educating
students is the most critical welfare work. The world is
always in great need of leaders in education industry who
democratizes quality education. Julianna Yau is one such
educator and entrepreneur who is making it possible. She is
the Founder and Director of Ampla Education. Julianna is
experienced in advising students on overseas education. She
is committed to fostering, encouraging, and motivating
students to think independently.
Making Quality Education Widely Accessible
Before founding Ampla Education, Julianna frequently
encountered Hong Kong students with great academic
potential, but she found that many of them lacked the
opportunity to fully appreciate their skills due to inadequate
teaching or attending education centres with overcrowded
classrooms. Hence, Julianna established Ampla Education
in 2016 to help children aged 6-18 achieve their academic
goals by delivering niche mentorship programmes and
high-quality teaching that cater to the individual needs of
each child. In addition to Ampla Education’s core business,
she is also leading her team to make quality education
widely accessible. By implementing and executing
developmental projects, such as free university application
workshops for under-resourced students, and girls’ literacy
programmes, Ampla has successfully helped over 1800
students from early childhood up to young adults in
realizing their dreams.
Incorporating Perfect Blend of Teaching Methods
Having spent her childhood in Canada, adolescence in
Hong Kong, and attended boarding school and university in
the UK, followed by a teaching course in the US, Julianna’s
unique position helps her to understand the needs of
students. The global exposure allows her to incorporate
different teaching methods across the world, offering the
perfect blend of knowledge, flexibility, and interaction.
Keeping Students Motivated to Learning
Many of Ampla’s students have been taking its online
lessons before Covid so they are quite used to online mode
of learning. Nothing beats actual human interaction, so
Ampla tried to make its courses as engaging and interactive
as possible to help its students stay motivated to learning
during this period of social distancing.
Niche Mentorship Programmes
In this dynamic and ever-changing world, it is crucial to
help students find clarity in their pursuits, and develop the
soft skills and mindset needed in navigating through the
obstacles and life challenges in high school. Ampla
Education’s Mentorship Programme is specifically tailored
to meet the academic and personal objectives of each
student, and to support them throughout their development.
Creating Harmonious and Inclusive Community
Ampla Education is one of the few private education
consultancies that devote a significant portion of its time
and proceeds to sustainable developmental work. It is
Julianna’s dream to make quality education widely
accessible and that every child is nurtured and encouraged
to fulfil their full potential. At Ampla, every student is given
the opportunity to flourish and unleash their potential.
Julianna hopes to create a harmonious and inclusive
community in which disadvantaged children will be able to
do the same.
Reducing Gender Inequality
Julianna thinks about ensuring scientific literacy within the

Julianna Yau
Founder & Director
Ampla Education
37
|
March 2021

curriculum and making free technologies available to
students. Through providing online teaching materials in
the past few years, Ampla supported girls’ literacy classes
and mentoring girls in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM). Ampla strives to reduce gender
inequality and encourage girls to follow their dreams. The
literacy classes drive sustainable change by helping girls
stay in school and supporting girls to develop critical skills
so that they can advocate for themselves, raise educated
children and lead meaningful lives. The significance of
Ampla’s mentorship resulted in over 50% of STEM degree
offers received by its female mentees, compared to a
worldwide average of 25% female STEM graduates.
Supporting Underprivileged Children
Ampla Education firmly believes that every child deserves a
quality education. To democratise education and enhance
lifelong learning opportunities for less fortunate children,
Ampla created supportive learning environments by
constructing two schools in Cambodia which greatly
reduced drop-out rate from 20% to 5%. Due to Covid, many
children do not have access to basic stationery so they
cannot do their work at home. As such, Ampla provided
three unsupported schools with stationery packs so that
children can continue their education at home.
Learning from Children
Julianna advises women leaders who wish to venture into
education industry to learn from children because they are
not afraid of falling nor are they afraid to try new things.
She states that children’s imagination is limitless, and they
are always able to find happiness in the smallest of things.
Improving Employment Prospects of Students
Ampla Education’s long-term goal is to increase the number
of underprivileged children it supports and raise the number
of years it funds their education. By equipping under-
resourced students with crucial skills that are not included
in traditional school curriculum, such as logical reasoning,
public speaking, and presentation skills, Ampla Education
hopes to improve their future education and employment
prospects.
For the third year running, Ampla Education have partnered
up with YMCA Boundless Hong Kong to help under-
resourced local students accomplish their goals by
providing personal statement and interview skills
workshops, and university application guidance. Equipped
with the skills needed to make a competitive application,
Ampla ensures that under-resourced students will be on an
equal footing with more financially capable students when
it comes to university applications. In response to the tough
job market conditions affected by Covid, Ampla Education
extended the scope of its partnership with YMCA to
encompass CV enhancement and job interview training to
support the recent cohort of graduates.
Ampla Education is
catering to the
individual needs of
each student and
provide top notch
one-stop services
which are customised
and all-inclusive.
“
“

Julie
Fergerson
Exceptional Group of People
The MRC community is a family. It’s a group of
exceptional people from a wide variety of backgrounds
committed to helping one another succeed. These people
are united through the MRC’s common goals: fighting
fraud, maximizing revenue, and creating the best possible
consumer experience.
Wealth of Knowledge and Expertise
One factor that separates the MRC from other industry
organizations is its global footprint. It has had strong
membership in Europe for many years, members in India
and Latin America, and has recently launched MRC APAC
to serve those in the Asia-Pacific region. Its eCommerce
merchants are global, and the issues they face are unique
and challenging. Fortunately, the MRC has a wealth of
knowledge and expertise to share. It prides itself on finding
solutions to these problems and providing educational
resources for its members. A great example of this is
RAPID Edu, an online learning platform that leverages the
MRC’s subject matter expertise and years of fraud
prevention and payments experience into on-demand
classes that can be taken anytime, anywhere. RAPID
Edu courses are designed to teach the basics of
chargebacks, fraud, and payments and have received
extremely positive feedback thus far.
Expanding Online Membership Engagement
The MRC has made two fundamental shifts since Julie
joined as CEO in May of 2020. The first was expanding the
Making a Difference in eCommerce
“For a serial entrepreneur, the highs are very high, but the lows can be very low. During those lows, you
must be able to pick yourself up and persevere. Having a team that fights for common goals alongside you
is also important, as is utilizing clearly defined metrics on what constitutes success,” believes Julie
Fergerson, the CEO of the Merchant Risk Council (MRC). With aforesaid, Julie has always inculcated
resilience in her leadership.
Servant Style Leadership
Julie prefers Servant Style leadership. She believes in hiring
capable, passionate people who she knows will excel at
their work. Her job is to ensure they have everything they
need to be successful, and every opportunity to do their
best. She believes that when people feel empowered, have
the tools and resources they need, and have a leader who
believes in them, anything can be accomplished.
Proven Track Record
Julie has over 25 years of experience developing,
delivering, and promoting Internet-based technologies. She
generates enthusiasm about new technologies. She is adept
at evaluating new technologies to determine flaws,
competitors, and obstacles. She has a proven track record of
positioning existing technology to meet the needs of an
audience without changing the fundamental value of that
technology. She is a resourceful problem solver and a
motivating leader.
Addressing Varied Challenges
For Julie, the best part of guiding the MRC is addressing
the varied challenges and issues that keep members up at
night. By connecting those members with their peers and
encouraging cooperation, they can develop mutually
beneficial solutions, and help to solve industry-wide
problems in creative ways. Since day one, the MRC family
has made a clear difference in eCommerce, and that’s
always exciting.

I truly believe in the
mission of the Merchant
Risk Council; that we can work
together to build better
commerce for everyone. That
goal guides every
professional decision
I make.
“
“
Julie Fergerson
CEO
Merchant Risk
Council (MRC)
41
|
March 2021

MRC’s online membership engagement. The MRC wants to
be sure its members are aware of the comprehensive
educational resources and tools available to them. MRC
membership is much more than just conferences. It also
consists of a massive eCommerce content library,
networking opportunities, career development, discussion
forums, communities, and more, all at your fingertips.
The second fundamental shift was migrating the MRC’s
popular events from in-person to online. During its first
virtual conference, the average attendee spent over six
hours participating, and conversations were so vibrant and
engaging that many people reported feeling like they were
speaking face to face.
Though nothing can replace in-person communication, the
MRC discovered some upsides to hosting its events online.
It is now hoping to apply some of these learnings as it
transitions back to in-person events. For example, the
organization is considering creating a virtual event as a
supplement to future in-person conferences, so those that
can’t attend physically can still benefit from the networking
opportunities and educational resources.
The live Q&A sessions were also very engaging due to the
live chat function. The MRC is now incorporating that
functionality into webinars and considering ways to
leverage that live interaction for future events, both in-
person and online.
Embracing Challenges and Being Reasonable
Julie also mentioned that success increases our
responsibility, because it increases expectations. Learning
to embrace success and the challenges it brings is a hard
lesson. She has always strived to solve problems and help
people. She is not driven by money. It’s nice to have, but
it’s not what pushes her to succeed. That said, as a leader,
she is vigilant about issues like revenue and paying the
bills. Learning to prioritize financial considerations
alongside building great products and relationships with
customers is a learned skill that Julie focuses on every day.
CEOs assume an active role in shaping the future of a
company, by putting the right people in the right roles, and
steering the ship. That leadership role can be a lonely
experience, however. One of the biggest hurdles CEOs must
overcome is not having anyone to confide in. Given that
Julie naturally likes to collaborate and seek the opinions of
others, she sometimes finds it challenging to keep things to
herself. She recognizes that not having a peer or
professional partner to celebrate her successes or share her
struggles with can be a challenge. However, Julie considers
herself lucky to have found mentors in her career that she
can lean on and having a great team at her side certainly
helps too.
Valuing the Role of Mentorship
Julie advises aspiring entrepreneurs to ask for help when in
need. People want to help, and many find it rewarding. One
consistent truth throughout Julie’s career is that when she
has struggled with challenges, she asks for help. She is
always stunned by how far people are willing to go to help
her overcome those challenges. Mentors are everywhere,
and she advises to utilize that resource, and ask for help.
Because the MRC knows the value of the mentee/mentor
relationship, it developed a mentorship program to help
facilitate those connections. Mentorship is an important
component in preparing the next generation of industry
leaders, and the MRC is committed to nurturing that
development.
Complete eCommerce Resource
The MRC will always remain focused on providing value to
its members and being the go-to resource for everything
eCommerce related. Part of that commitment involves
prioritizing education, which is why it continues to build
out its online learning platform. RAPID Edu allows for on-
demand learning on subjects like chargebacks, fraud, and
payment essentials, and provides a foundational
understanding of these critical eCommerce topics. It intends
to continue investing in these educational resources in the
coming years.
The MRC has also developed a comprehensive collection of
webinars, whitepapers, presentations, and a wide selection
of other educational resources that are available to
members. This collection of content has been developed by
some of the brightest minds in the eCommerce industry and
is an invaluable resource to industry professionals of any
experience level.
There’s always more to learn about this exciting industry,
and the MRC is proud to be on the forefront of that effort.

MARY
SENKOWSKA
Redefining Approach to Career Development of Youths
tanding with a mission to equalise access to
Sopportunities for early talent, Mary Senkowska
formed Creative Brain. It all started with an idea
that young people are the future of this world, but they are
being shaped right now. Mary along with her team mapped
the development paths of young leaders who managed to
progress faster and create more impact relevant to their
peers. They engineered a method to measure future
potential, guide and track their development, accounting for
experiences that usually fall through the cracks.
Creative Brain is a purpose-driven team that wants to start a
societal transformation, redefining the definition of success
and most importantly, show the young people that they have
a choice. It wants to raise awareness that everyone needs to
take ownership of their own progress, heighten self-
awareness to benefit from those experiences that make them
unique, stronger, able to create impact.
The company has gone through several iterations. Mary
along with her team are continuously researching and
adapting their approach, improving methodology, and
advocating for change. The team is expanding and learning
along the way.
A Take on Impactful Leadership
Mary believes that organisations are from people and
people are from organisations, and just like that, we, all,
evolve. Her idea of leadership involves facilitating success
of others. To facilitate the success of others one needs to
first learn what success means to every individual, what is
their purpose that fuels them, and help them align with
organisational vision and objectives. After knowing all this,
one then should ask to self how do he or she needs to be to
support them. This perception aligns with her personal
purpose to create opportunities.
Mary mentions that Creative Brain is first and foremost
connected by purpose. It deeply cares about its mission.
This just trumps any qualifications, time zone differences,
amount of workload. She states, “When we get
brainstorming, that energy keep me hyped for a week!
Secondly, we talk. We talk about everything and nothing or
we talk when situations get difficult, and they do when
we’re crazy busy, our private lives take us through mud or
we simply have a bad day. We’re not perfect, we’re human.
We make time for one another. I think we know what each of
us is good at and also what we enjoy doing, which
sometimes are not two same things, but we use these
datapoints to our benefit and we always find a way. No idea
is too big, and no idea is too crazy. Lastly, we allow room to
learn; from each other, on mistakes and continuously.”
Went Forth and Conquered
Mary has a feeling that she has always been much. Coming
from, a small, then, village in Poland, with very traditional
parents, she has always been told she only has a limited
number of options. She thinks it made her a child that went
‘’Watch me’’ in response to that and it’s her thinking ever
since.
It is a belief that we live in the world where your gender is
enough to challenge your potential. Your age is enough to
challenge you skills. Your race is enough to make you
struggle trying to fundraise. Your social class is enough to
make you doubt your opportunities. Mary finds this belief
wrong and always strives to break these glass ceilings.

Mary Senkowska,
CEO
45
|
March 2021

Mary once has been asked if she is sure she wants to stay
for the time of the presentation because she may not be able
to follow, when she was the one to deliver it. She was
assumed to be an assistant, a girlfriend, an observer. After
she became the youngest, to her knowledge, PCC certiﬁed
coach in the world she was even asked to cut her hair so she
looks older and clients could feel more comfortable. She
thinks all these experiences were a blessing. She doesn’t
think she would be be where she is right now without them.
Every single thought taught her something, challenged her
thinking, motivated her to create change.
Imparting Wisdom
In her advice to budding entrepreneurs, Mary says, “Don’t
try to do it all alone. Don’t be perfect or afraid of failing.
See every hiccup as a learning lesson. Observe, accept,
calibrate, improve and don’t lose Focus. These are your
foundation.”
“On top of that, be kind. It goes a long way. And never
forget to keep creating opportunities for others. We learn
from both people who have succeeded us and those who are
earlier on their path. Being attentive and present can make
you notice concepts and lessons also in personal life that
will help your organisation, stimulate innovation and
creativity” she adds.
Building the Next Generation of Talent
In the near future, Creative Brain will launch a platform
that is a personal control centre for youth’s accelerated,
purpose-driven, holistic growth.
The data model the company is working on will enable to
also account for skills built through experiences like healing
from trauma, dealing with environment’s realities etc.,
when measuring potential; going beyond age, gender, race,
social class or fancy school names and job titles; working
towards equal access to opportunities. It will provide people
with a dynamic learning ID, that will ensure they are on the
most optimal track to realizing their purpose, remain
balanced and mentally healthy and remain futureproof.
With the right support, the company hopes to scale it to
underprivileged communities and use to help the youth
from poorest regions grow as well.
Creative Brain aims to partner with educational institutions,
organisations and governments to help building the next
generation of talent that is well-aware, purpose-driven and
eager.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO
MAXIMISE POTENTIAL OF AN
INDIVIDUAL IF YOU’RE NOT
SEEING THEM FOR THE
WHOLE PERSON THEY ARE?
“
“

OVID-19 Fast-TrackedtheTrend toOnline
C
Even before the pandemic, the education market was
already in the transition from offline to online, the shift
accelerating in the past years. This age of quarantine, social
distancing, and remote working has fast-tracked the trend,
and online education has become in many cases the only
possiblewayoflearning.
While there has been a slowdown in the growth of the
education market as a whole, EdTech has offered a
lifeline to learners, institutions and employers attempt-
ing to continue Education & Training, and it is now
forecasted to grow at a rate greater than anticipated
before the coronavirus pandemic came along. Global
EdTech spend is now expected step change in 2021 and
continue strong growth thereafter, projected to grow at
an average of 14.5% and 16.4% per year to about
$400bn in 2025, accounting for 5% to 6% of the overall
education market. (IBIS Capital Cairneagle
Associates).
For corporate training, it is estimated that the offline
sector will suffer big losses, while online is holding
and will grow once (training) budgets are approved
again, L&D budgets also shifting from offline to
online. At the same time, employees are becoming
accustomed with online distant communication,
meaning that the changes the coronavirus has caused
might be here to stay.
Polarization in the Online Arena
COVID-19 has completely changed the world as we
know it, causing major disruption to many businesses.
In response to this increase in demand for online
training, the established players have been rushing to
find a quick fix, moving their existing solutions online.
Good remote training, however, is not just a matter of
adding a tech solution for the virtual classroom and
moving a teacher from a physical classroom to a
computer, but it requires a more fundamental re-
thinking of the total learning experience and a whole
new set of capabilities, different from those of offline
education. The way the training is delivered, the
teaching, the content, the interaction, all need to
change in order to provide a good user experience.
While many of the traditional offline companies have
been challenged by this sudden shift, online players
like mYngle were already in the ‘right place’, leverag-
ing many years of experience and proven capabilities
to deliver successful online training.
This is progressively bringing a polarization in the
market: those players developing sustainable capabili-
ties and investing the necessary resources to build high
quality online solutions, and those implementing
improvised solutions, lacking preparation for a method
different from a classroom setup, resulting in a poor
user experience.

Classes Becoming
New Normal
Virtual
49
|
March 2021
Leader’s Viewpoint

From Pioneering to Mass Market
When the first pioneers of virtual education- amongst
which mYngle- started offering live online training,
they had to bypass all sorts of resistance from a still
immature market, especially the stereotypes that
consumers had in their minds about education. The
common perception was that a class, to be effective,
had to be conducted face-to-face. This simply
because that was the way it had been done till then.
Like other internet disruptors, the new education
players had the hard task to not only identify and
develop the right products and solutions, but also to
educate the market on the benefits of the online
versus the better-known traditional solutions.
It took a major shake, like COVID’s social distancing,
to force the adoption of alternative solutions and open
the mass market to this new opportunity. Customers
were suddenly forced into this new modality of
learning, but what they are also discovering along the
way are all the extra advantages of virtual education
compared to traditional physical classroom learning.
Advantages of Virtual Education
For learners, virtual lessons offer the same results, but it is
significantly more convenient, with the possibility to take
lessons 24/7, from any location, with much more flexible
scheduling and rescheduling. This means that lessons are
easier to fit into busy agendas, also after the end of
COVID restrictions, for all those learners who struggle to
make time for class while working full-time jobs and
raising families. Additionally, learners can benefit from
the skills of teachers who are not located in geographical
proximity, making a whole new pool of teachers available,
apart from where in the world they are located.
At the same time, L&D professionals are discovering that
virtual education offers the possibility of more closely
monitoring progresses and results, and much easier
coordination, all at a better cost as the bricks and mortar
infrastructure of traditional classes is no longer needed.
Also, virtual learning can deliver a better (and more
measurable) ROI. Traditionally measurements have been
limited to the most visible, direct program costs, and
seldom the evaluation of benefits has gone beyond a like/
dislike judgment of the course and some measurement of
acquired skills and knowledge.
Virtual training does not have hidden costs and its
emphasis on measurable results means a shift towards
more quantitative evaluations, facilitating a more
objective measurement of the ROI.
These are all benefits that go beyond the short-term
limitations of the lockdown, but they opened the
customers’ eyes to new possibilities, modernizing the
world of education.
Becoming the New Normal
It is clear now that online education is here to stay. After
years of encouraging e-Learning and virtual classroom
approaches, the pandemic has helped move the needle on
to technology acceptance, for learners and L&D profes-
sionals alike. That is why the adoption of online solutions
will continue post- pandemic, accelerating over the next
years.
The integration of information technology in education
will further accelerate and online education will become
an integral component of education. L&D budgets will
shift from offline to online learning, which is the only
viable option with remote working, and learners who
embrace online learning during these difficult
circumstances may stick to it after the pandemic has
passed.
Online learning will be an intrinsic part of the new normal.
AUTHOR
Marina Togne : Founder and CEO of mYngle.
mYngle offers customized language training programs
through video conferencing in 45 different languages
any me, anywhere. Our lessons are one-on-one, with
highly qualified na ve coaches and related to the
learner’s job posi on. Our virtual classrooms enable
learners to take classes 24/7.
mYngle is the solu on for busy professionals who
need language training to be successful in their
interna onal business, and for Companies that
want great learning results and a transparent and
controllable learning process to make their
investment a success.
Our lesson score is 4.8 out of 5.0. Results speak for
themselves!
You can see how it works: www.myngle.com

Monica
Boudreau
fter spending the early years of her career working
Ain events, marketing, and advertising, Monica
Boudreau founded posh media in July 2019. Posh
Media, a full-service bilingual marketing firm with a team
of passionate and experienced marketing professionals
handpicked from across North America. Monica wanted to
fill a void between independent freelancers and large
agencies to give small business owners a more tailored and
personal approach. According to Monica, posh media
started with just herself, and in just over a year has grown
into a team of 30+ top-tier industry collaborators. She says
her focus is on making local brands thrive in their
communities – 2020 has proved all the importance of
supporting local businesses.
The Power of Collaboration
For Monica, the most common success factor that truly
illustrate the posh difference is:
Ÿ Collaboration- As a collective team, the team at posh
media strongly believes in the power of collaboration
and wanted to ensure it was rooted in their business
model. The team works alongside their clients to
accomplish a shared goal. “Our team will always
choose collaboration over competition, our client’s
journey is not about us – it’s about them,” opines
Monica.
Authenticity: What Defines a Leader
Monica believes the greatest traits a leader can possess are
loyalty, great communication skills, the ability to delegate,
be humble, and sincere enthusiasm. These qualities give
leaders the privilege to “influence” their team which leads
to an open space where ideas are welcomed, not judged.
Authenticity promotes honesty and makes leaders “human”;
easier to connect with. Monica states “Valuing your team’s
thoughts, ideas, and opinions is extremely impactful and
rewarding. I’d say my current leadership style is mostly
Charismatic and Visionary - my main priority is to inspire
my team to give each project their all. I paint a clear
picture of the end goal and together we decide how to get
there. My ability to help them focus and give 110% has been
the key to our success.”
Be Prepared for Upcoming Challenges
This past year has challenged everyone in more ways than
one. The key is to plan ahead, but one should always be
open to adapt his/her plan. The industry is very fast-paced
nature, so the team at posh media prepares for multiple
scenarios as regulations around covid-19 continues to
evolve.
Monica illustrates “Our business structure has always
encouraged a remote and flexible work environment, which
allowed for a smooth virtual transition into expanding our
team.” She further says, “We ensure our clients are well-
informed on project status through multiple touch-points
and continue to communicate and meet regularly via
Zoom.”
Adopting Post Pandemic Changes
Monica describes the biggest challenge of her career as an
entrepreneur has been to juggle business growth during a
pandemic. Over the last year, the company had to triple its
team of collaborators while pivoting all its clients
marketing efforts to reflect the new #WFH reality. With an
everchanging competitive landscape, it continues to adapt,
and has reallocated its efforts and its client’s budgets
towards digital and social media advertising. She thought
“the reality is that your target audience is no longer driving
by billboards on their way to work or listening to radio
while dropping off the kids at basketball practice, they’re
Building Growth Marketing Strategies for Brands
53
|
March 2021

working from home listening to Spotify, staying informed
through online news channels and creating TikToks with the
kids.”
A Note for Emerging Leaders
“Don’t wait for the ‘perfect’timing or until you have the
‘perfect’plan in place, because it’ll never happen,” says
Monica. She further adds, the founder of LinkedIn, Reid
Hoffman says it best: “If you are not embarrassed by the
first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”
“The biggest lessons you can learn as an entrepreneur are
from your own mistakes. And surrounding yourself with
mentors or people you inspire to become is always
rewarding.”
Helping to Grow Local Brands
“My goal is to continue to establish thriving partnerships
with local brands,” says Monica. She plans to continue to
help as many small businesses as she can to achieve their
full potential and posh their brand. They currently have
partners throughout North America and want to grow
beyond. Posh media’s goal is to set your direction, invent
your presence and realize your potential.
The posh media team is in constant expansion. It is
expanding its skillset and expertise by introducing new
services and refining its current services. Monica asserts
“My goal is to onboard industry leaders who goes beyond
traditional ways of working and bring next level results to
the table.”
‘‘
‘‘
In a world full of
noise, we strive
to ensure
brands find
their North Star.
Monica Boudreau
Founder
posh media

Ruth
Darby
eal estate has always been considered a male
Rdominated sector, and is making progress towards
acknowledging women participation, and moving
towards that change. Over the years, the real estate sector
has grown considerably. With the sector getting more
organized, there has been increased global penetration into
the local markets and increased service offerings. In this
scenario, limiting the sector to only one section of the
population, also curbs the available resources and talent
base that is required to take the sector forward. The
extension of companies and the need for talent, inspired the
inclusion of more women into the segment. One such
woman leader is Ruth Darby, Member at Keyser, who
plays multiple roles at the company. As a broker, she
represents both single location tenants and large global
corporate accounts.
Ruth has over 21 years of comprehensive commercial real
estate experience working with, national corporate clients,
and single- and multi-location tenants and also oversees the
sales side of the business as well as mentor of younger
brokers and staff. “There are some days when all I do is
read legal documents. Other days, when not completely
booked with client or internal meetings, I’m reviewing
client portfolios or touring sites in Phoenix or elsewhere.
There’s never a dull moment,” says Ruth.
Below are the highlights of the interview conducted
between Insights Success and Ruth Darby:
What makes your organization a preferred choice of
your clients over the competition?
Keyser is a commercial real estate firm who only represents
tenants and occupiers of space, including leasing,
purchasing, constructing, and disposing of facilities. Being
a tenant-only firm frees our advisors from any conflicts of
interest, which are unfortunately all too common in the
commercial real estate industry. When a broker represents
both sides of a deal, tenants often get the short end of the
stick because the multi-deal relationship with the
landlord/developer is too valuable for the broker to risk on a
tenant’s one-off transaction. In other words, keeping
landlord/developer clients happy, and agreeing to the terms
they set, often means a steady stream of income to the
broker representing them. This often causes tenants to
receive poor lease terms and landlord-friendly agreements
that do not serve their business’ best interests. With Keyser,
a true tenant-only firm, there’s no question whose side your
broker is on.
What is your idea of impactful leadership? What style of
leadership do you personally prefer and have you
implemented at your company?
Impactful leadership leans on the collective strengths of an
organization’s people, empowering everyone to lean into
and take ownership of the success of the company.
Leadership is a collaborative process that isn’t given to you,
it is something that you must earn. Personally, I believe that
there isn’t enough importance put on listening, and as
simple as that sounds, truly listening allows you to more
clearly understand what is happening throughout your
organization. It opens up the lines of communication within
your organization and allows you to take the real pulse of
how things are going. Most questions can be answered by
simply allowing your team to communicate to you
uninterrupted, thereby giving you all of the information
needed to effectively solve the issue at hand. This also
fosters a more collaborative working environment and
typically, when someone feels heard they are happier and
more productive because they feel they have a voice.
A Multirole Leader with
Extensive Work Experience

Ruth Darby,
Member,
Keyser
57
|
March 2021

Taking into consideration the current pandemic and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving Keyser
to sustain operations accordingly?
The pandemic has certainly put business leaders in a tough
situation, but it has also presented Keyser the opportunity to
better serve our clients in their time of need. Because so
many companies currently need money saving solutions,
especially with regard to long-term commitments like
commercial real estate, our client communications,
negotiations, and streams of opportunity have not faltered,
allowing us to thrive in these economic conditions.
According to you, what essential traits should an
entrepreneur possess to thrive in the present-day
cutthroat business ecosystem?
An entrepreneur should possess patience, perseverance, and
a true desire to help people—it doesn’t need to be cutthroat
to win.
What were the challenges you came across in your
career as a business leader?
Finding balance where its hard-to-find balance. The
commercial real estate industry is extremely competitive,
and clients have very high expectations. Finding the
balance between, personal life, family and work is a
constant challenge, and you have to work at it daily.
The elephant in the room, being a woman in a male
dominated industry. I used to think this was working against
me but as the world evolves, I feel this actually works in
my favor. Women tend to bring a different viewpoint and
way of working to the table that clients appreciate.
Finding your hustle, no safety net. This is a fast moving,
hard driving industry and it’s commission only, getting
creative about how you enter this industry so that you can
survive while building your business is imperative.
Whether that means you have a weekend and evenings job
or you start out in the Research department like I did, the
struggle is totally worth it and this job while hard work,
offers so much flexibility and opportunity.
What would be your advice to the upcoming
entrepreneurs aspiring to enter the domain?
Expect to roll up your sleeves and work hard if you plan to
work in commercial real estate. While technology has eased
some of the ways that we do business, it still takes hustle
and market knowledge and those two go hand in hand.
There is no formula for figuring out what to do next, you
have to get your hands dirty. Learn the markets, understand
what your clients want, and listen to what they're asking
and saying. So many people miss that last step and it’s
probably the most important.
What have you envisioned for your company’s future, in
terms of expansion, introduction of new services, and
talent acquisition?
Keyser is a rapidly growing company, and we are
frequently adding new lines of business to better serve our
clients. Through lease administration, project management,
negotiating new space, or selling a business, we make sure
that our clients are cared for. Although we have recently
been adding talent like crazy, we don’t hire everyone who
wants to work here. While we’re always looking to add the
best and the brightest to our Keyser family, I would argue
that the most important part of our hiring process is making
sure that they’re a good fit into our culture of selfless
service.
Keyser is so much
more than a
commercial real
estate rm, we’re a
partner to our clients
long after the ink
dries.

Shannon Shoemaker,
Vice President, Solutions,
Marketing, and Partnerships,
Cisive

Shannon
Shoemaker
In today’s highly regulated environment and
technology-driven landscape, employers are competing
for top talent more than ever in digital-first world
exacerbated by the Coronavirus global pandemic. As a
result, they must focus on providing the best candidate
experience, which normally means balancing compliance
and due diligence with efficiency. Efficient processes that
leverage the latest technology can determine whether an
employer meets their hiring goals. With Cisive’s
technology, employers can have both without compromise.
Shannon Shoemaker oversees Cisive’s Solutions,
Marketing, and Partnerships as Vice President. In less than
3 years, her leadership and vision for Marketing, Solution
Management and Partnerships have established the Cisive
brand as the premier provider in the screening industry. Due
to Shannon’s efforts, Cisive is widely recognized across the
globe. Shannon was also recently recognized as ‘Business
Women of the Year 2020’ by CEO Today and the Top 10
Most Influential Businesswomen for 2021 by CIO Look.
She also serves within the Human Resources community
and served as a board member for the Human Resources
Association of Central Ohio (HRACO) and the Ohio
SHRM State Council.
Building and Motivating Strong Teams
As Vice President, Shannon has been challenged with
leading the company to long-term growth. Under Shannon's
leadership, Cisive's Marketing, Solution Management and
Partnership teams have thrived despite the challenges
presented by the Coronavirus pandemic. Although the
workplace has been changed forever, Shannon continues to
build and motivate a strong and growing teams that have
learned to innovate and collaborate more than ever in the
midst of disruption.
Providing Comprehensive Services
Cisive is a global provider of compliance-driven human
capital management and risk management solutions. The
company’s core onboarding and pre-employment
background screening offering provides clients with a
streamlined, high quality, and regulatory compliant
solution. Comprehensive services include background
screening, vendor/contractor screening, executive
screening, drug testing, fingerprinting, paperless
onboarding, and electronic Form I-9/E-Verify solutions.
Today, Cisive provides comprehensive global background
investigations on potential and current employees, vendors,
clients, and business partners. It also provides drug testing
and fingerprinting services through their additional brands
and partners.
Meeting Unique Requirements of Clients
At Cisive, its team is expert in the specific risks and
regulations that apply to the financial services and other
highly regulated industries. For over 40 years, it has
61
|
March 2021

provided tailored solutions to meet the unique requirements
of its clients. It has launched its onboarding suite of
technologies in 2007 to cater to enterprise clients’ talent
acquisition needs, and have been enhancing the platform
ever since. Founded in 1977 as CARCO Group Inc., it
launched its new brand Cisive in 2017 to keep pace with its
incredible growth and its clients’ increasingly complex
challenges for accurate information and insights to make
confident decisions.
Prioritizing People’s Health and Safety
Cisive believes that the human capital landscape is going to
continue to change over the next few years, a change that
has been accelerated by the Coronavirus global pandemic.
Cisive will be at the forefront. As a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, it has developed three solutions, SAFE19,
CONTACT19, and ACCESS19, each designed to work
together to help businesses and organizations safely re-open
during the ongoing crisis.
Nurturing Creativity of Team
As a leader, Shannon has supported her team throughout the
pandemic. In order to support their creativity, she
implemented quarterly “Creative days”, where team
members can take a break from their daily routine to focus
on learning new skills, seek inspiration from other sources
and industries, and so forth to reinvigorate their creativity,
reset and foster new ideas.
Developing Innovative Solutions
The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way the
world operates. As a result, companies like Cisive have
risen to the occasion to develop innovative solutions that
address the world’s critical business needs amid the new
challenges presented by the pandemic. In a digital-first
world, companies are relying on technology more than ever
to conduct business. That’s why solutions like Cisive’s
SAFE19 COVID-19 Clearinghouse repository were
developed to help businesses re-open safely during the
pandemic.
Developing Leading-edge Technology
Cisive is going to continue to develop leading-edge
technology as the approach to talent acquisition and
management continues to evolve. The nature of background
screening is going to undergo a revolution in the next few
years due to advances in technologies such as distributed
ledgers (blockchain) and this will change the business
models for background screening companies. Cisive is
seizing on that opportunity and will be out in front.
Expanding Capabilities
Cisive recently joined 14 other leading enterprise
multinational labor market organizations to launch the
Velocity Network Foundation (VNF). VNF is a
collaborative, vendor-neutral, nonprofit organization
established to define, deploy, and champion the Velocity
Network: a globally accessible, trustworthy “Internet of
Careers” powered by innovative blockchain technology in
response to growing data privacy, security, and market
pressures.
As Artificial Intelligence in HR gets smarter and more
focused on solving specific problems, Cisive expects to see
even further capabilities: smart matching of individuals and
career opportunities, predictive analytics and smart people
development recommendations.
Cisive is a global provider
of compliance-driven
human capital
management and risk
management solutions.
“
“

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