Tapan Vaidya, a passionate, innovative, and veteran in the industry and on Caterer Middle East Power 50 List 2020, is currently spearheading the growth of PJP Investments Group in the role of CEO with his https://tycoonsuccess.com/an-industry-veteran-is-walking-the-unique-path-to-success-leading-pjp-investments-group-tapan-vaidya/

1. AN INDUSTRY VETERAN IS
WALKING THE UNIQUE PATH
TO SUCCESS LEADING PJP
INVESTMENTS GROUP
Tapan Vaidya
SEPTEMBER, 2021
TYCOONSUCCESS.COM
Tapan Vaidya
CEO
TOP
10
Innovative
Business
Leaders
to Follow in 2021

4. C o n t e n t
An Industry Veteran Is Walking the Unique
Path to Success leading PJP Investments Group
Tapan Vaidya
COVER
STORY
08

5. t s
The Cybersecurity
Threat Landscape
Farah Emara
Young Inspiring
Entrepreneur Focused
Towards Disrupting
The Agri-value Chain
With Freshsource
A Combination Of Inspiration,
Innovation, And Expertise:
Meet The Accomplished
Legal Practitioner
Henzie Healley
Jeremy Denisty
Nurturing The Business
Growth With
Comprehensive
Consulting Solutions
At Scopernia
Nathan Hunta
Dynamic, Hands-On Leader
Empowering Business
To Grow At Gateway
Group Of Companies
CXO
20
14
16
24
28

7. Prashant C.
Editor In Chief
Ehsan Jami
Managing Editor
Alexis, Michael
Publishing Control Team
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Visualiser
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Art And Pictures Editor
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Marketing Manager
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Technical Head
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Assistant Technical Head
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Digital Marketing Manager
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Research Analyst
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8. TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021
W
ith the constant development in the start-
up ecosystem, more and more women are
chasing the entrepreneurial dream and
succeeding in their ventures. Women leadership in
today’s world has been on a rising graph in the recent
years. In this day and age, we can proudly say that
women leadership is not an obscure concept any
longer. Women are in the news every day, ruling all
segments of industry and all facets of life. Successful
women leaders and subject matter experts who have
created a very strong knowledge pool are helping
innovators to shape ideas into reality.
With a set of strengths and professional code of
conduct that women are very well suited for;
organizations are actively seeking women for
leadership roles and female entrepreneurs are starting
businesses at a faster rate than any other time in the
past. Several organizations too are enabling women to
grow and flourish in both their professional and
personal lives, enabling them to thrive on their own
path, based on their own professional and personal
priorities. Their expertise and thought leadership are
fuelling organizations' impressive success. In a country
like India where most of the women aren't encouraged
to think big, there are some who have soared higher
than one would expect from a constrictive setup.
These wonder women are inspiring other ladies to
venture on the path of start-ups through the stories of
their personal struggles and challenges. Our current
edition speaks of such inspiring stories of women
entrepreneurs who are disabling the think-leader-
think-male norm and touching the sky. The number of
female founders shining in our country will only rise,
and we could not be prouder of our women.
Flip the pages and Happy reading…!!
Tycoon Success Magazine
editor@tycoonsuccess.com
Editorial
Desk
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

10. An Industry Veteran Is
Walking the Unique Path
to Success leading PJP
Investments Group
Tapan Vaidya
COVER STORY
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

11. Tapan Vaidya
CEO

12. apan Vaidya, a passionate, innovative, and
Tveteran in the industry and on Caterer Middle
East Power 50 List 2020, is currently
spearheading the growth of PJP Investments Group in
the role of CEO with his own investment. PJP is the
owner-operator of Papa John's in the UAE & Saudi
Arabia.
In his 35-year long work journey, across the Middle East
& India, Tapan has been associated with the
development of hundreds of restaurants across these
markets with brands including Papa John's, Chili's,
Burger King, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse… it is a
long list. Tapan also founded Talli Turmeric® - a hugely
popular polished casual dining brand serving authentic
Indian food from across Indian regional cuisines,
celebrating Turmeric's position in the Indian culinary
landscape, in South Mumbai, India. This October, Talli
Turmeric® will launch in Dubai in a virtual format
through a partnership with cloud kitchen unicorn Kitopi.
Currently focused on developing and expanding Papa
John's in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Tapan is keen to
give back to the industry from his deep knowledge and
hands-on experience. With the current crisis that the
industry has now faced for over a year, Tapan has dug
deep to bring new insights and creative solutions in
handling his business, and he is a successful versatile
leader. In academics, Tapan has done BSc in
Mathematics from St. Xavier's College & a Business
Diploma from NMIMS, Mumbai, India.
A Glimpse of PJP Investments Group
PJP Investments Group owns and operates 62 Papa
John's restaurants in the United Arab
Emirates, with strong expansion plans to
build 110 restaurants by 2026. PJP has
recently signed on the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and opened its first restaurant in
Riyadh last month. The development
plan includes 100 restaurant openings in
10 years.
While talking about his consumer base,
Mr Vaidya said, “Consumers of all ages
and nationalities are our customers – that
is the power pizza enjoys as comfort food.
Quality of ingredients and operational
execution in our restaurants are two key
elements that contribute to our success.
These are not easily achieved, there are
processes in place to systematically
achieve these two on a daily basis, every
day.”
The Inspiration behind the Initiation
Tapan Vaidya waited at tables in a local
restaurant during his university days and
that experience made him fall in love with
the restaurant industry, the trigger was
the instant appreciation of a great effort.
You serve great food and provide
excellent service to a dining guest; you
receive an instant reward in the form of a
Tip. Simple start of falling in love, but has
taken him on a roller-coaster-like
exhilarating ride in his career.
Hurdles on the Way
The PJP Investments Group grew from one restaurant
in 2005 to 62 restaurants today. This did not happen
without teething problems, in fact, the problems grew
exponentially large each year as the company
struggled to ensure various elements were aligned with
the objectives, including recruitment, training, supply
chain, striking the right balance between menu price
and cost of goods sold – this list is long. However, the
team stayed focused on getting the quality of
ingredients right and ensuring flawless restaurant
operations. This helped them make customers happy
and they kept coming back.
Have No Men
in your team
rather than have
Yes Men
in your team!
‘‘
‘‘

13. A Day in Tapan's Life
“I wake up early at 5 am every workday and head off for
my main physical as well as a mental exercise – half a
round of Golf at Emirates Golf Club. I avoid the Golf
Cart and walk the course. After a shower at the Club, I
drive straight to my office for a day full of excitement.
Once a week I would usually have a session with new
joiners. I insist on spending a half-hour with them to talk
about our Vision, Mission and Values. Then there are the
weekly Trade Meetings where the entire management
team comes together to discuss last week's
performance”, asserted Tapan when asked about his
daily routine.
“Every day, I personally spend time with our operations
team from across all emirates, to discuss each feedback
received from our customers, negative and positive. A
customer who sent in negative feedback is informed
and won back while customers who sent in positive
feedback are thanked well”, he further added.
The Support System
Consistent focus on the quality of ingredients used and
the passion to make every customer return is what has
helped Tapan and his venture grow consistently. Papa
John's has a great brand promise of Better Ingredients

14. Better Pizza and they stay true to it at all times, never
compromise on quality. And this does not escape
customers' notice.
The visionary insists that the teams in restaurants focus
on ROC and not ROI! ROC is Return of Customer –
that each team member must focus on taking great
care of each transaction, each customer in such a way
that the customer only thinks about coming back to
Papa John's!
“If we take care of ROC, then ROI will take care of itself”,
said Tapan Vaidya.
Growing through the Pandemic
“At the height of the pandemic at the end of March
2020, when we were facing the closure of half our
restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, I took the
decision of not letting a single team member go. I knew
the restaurants will reopen once the pandemic subsides,
but where will we get trained personnel from? Who will
make our customers return, if not our trained teams? I
am happy and proud to confirm that we not only lived
up to not letting any job go to COVID, but we started
recruiting even more employees to fuel our expansion,
with over a dozen restaurant openings since then”, Mr
Vaidya proudly shared.
Favourite Book
My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi
Future Roadmap
The future is very exciting! PJP Investments Group has
62 restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, with over 10
locations in the pipeline. The company is expanding
fast, it will exceed the target of 110 restaurants by 2026.
Recently, they have just opened their first restaurant in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia very successfully – all set
to exceed their target of 100 restaurants by 2030.
Features in the Crown
• International Franchisee of the Year in the global
Papa John's system for 2014.
• Tapan Vaidya was named in the Power 50 in F&B in
the Middle East by the prestigious Caterer Middle
East Magazine for 2020.
• He was appointed to the Advisory Board of Dubai
Restaurants Group (DRG), patronised by the Dubai
Chamber of Commerce. DRG is the voice of the
restaurant industry in Dubai.
• He was awarded RetailME Icons Award 2021 by
Images RetailME.
• Featured by The CEO Magazine in their June 2021
EMEA edition.
A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Female
Entrepreneurs
Use your instincts to make a decision especially when
in doubt, your instincts have been more accurate since
time immemorial. Secondly, is a simple truth easier said
than done, ensure your revenues exceed your costs –
you can do that if you make your customers return.

16. There are no secrets to success. It is the result of
preparation, hard work and learning from failure.”
- Colin Powell
Quote that describes the mindset of the inspiring young
entrepreneur Farah Emara, CEO, FreshSource, a great
initiative to streamline the fresh food value chain through
the use of data and technology. The 30-year old leading
lady, Farah is passionate about entrepreneurship, value
chains, and getting rid of unnecessary inefficiencies. With
her co-founder, Omar Emara, they are the brains behind
FreshSource Global, they launched the firm in January
2019.
The inception that happened just three years ago, grew into
a strong innovative platform. FreshSource is currently
disrupting the Egyptian agriculture industry by streamlining
the value chain through technology. It is the region's first
platform for fresh produce, transforming the lives of
producers, businesses, and consumers. As of now, the firm
is working with many established businesses in the country
with a belief that the level of service it provides is what
makes them loyal to FreshSource. Because of their
outstanding contributions and innovative solutions, Farah
and her venture were honoured with the Digital Agriculture
Award of the year by the World Bank and the IFC. They
were also awarded the Mashrou3 Amal award by MBC.
Further, the leading lady apprised, “An idea, no matter how
unique or great it is, is just an idea. Determination,
perseverance, and transforming your setbacks into
comebacks is what will build a truly successful enterprise.
We work hard to prepare our team and our company for
exponential growth and always make data-driven decisions
for our strategies. We are building a strong team with a
solid foundation and processes in place that will enable us
to transform the Egyptian agriculture industry.”
The Inspiration behind the Initiative
Omar and Farah grew up in the agriculture industry and it
was always a passion for them. At the time she was working
in P&G and Omar was in London. Farah had a background
in FMCG and Omar in Finance and Technology in
Goldman Sachs London. They always knew that they
wanted to start something that will have an impact on their
country. They started researching the industry and
uncovered immense inefficiencies that exist in the value
chain. Through their research, they found that an average of
45% of crops are lost before hitting store shelves due to
poor harvesting, transportation, and storage. With an
exponentially growing population, greater stress is being
placed on food security. Producers are not getting their fair
cut due to middlemen and businesses are overpaying for
their crops making prices extremely high for the end-
consumer.. So, they launched FreshSource to revolutionize
agriculture in Egypt and transform it through technology.
Major Hiccups & Support on the Way
The agriculture industry is always very risky and dynamic,
so challenges are how to withstand some of the changes that
were caused by the global pandemic and how to build a
foundation that can strive.
While talking about her support system, Farah happily
said, “My co-founder, Omar, is the number one reason I am
where I am today. He provides unparalleled support and a
great direction for FreshSource that has made it possible
for us to achieve what we have.”
“To create a More Balanced and Equal Industry, Always
focus on the female representation in the workforce, if you
are not tracking it then odds are you have an extremely low
number of females in your team. Without this diversity,
FARAH EMARA
Young Inspiring Entrepreneur Focused Towards
Disrupting the Agri-value Chain with FreshSource
“
14 DECEMBER 2021
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

17. Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
You must be aggressive, while it may be uncomfortable for
some people to be assertive and it might not come naturally,
unfortunately, it is seen as a sign of weakness by investors
and other stakeholders. So, if you want to get far, you must
be determined and assertive.
companies are missing out on so much, from
Sales to Operations”, she further added.
A Day in Farah's Life
She wakes up at 7 every day as the fruit and
vegetable industry is one that is most active in
the mornings. She begins her day by checking
the communication channels with the team.
After that, she gets up and walks her two
beautiful dogs, Mocha and Yogi. Then she
goes to the gym at Gezira Club to get some
morning endorphins and grabs a coffee. After
that, she either goes to the office, meets with
investors, farms, or cold storage facilities
depending on the situation.
Favourite Source of Inspiration &
Education
A podcast- Startup Theory.
“I love Startup Theory and I recommend all
entrepreneurs listen to it. Being an
entrepreneur can sometimes be a lonely
journey. I am lucky enough to have my
brother with me, but other sole founders don't.
They need to get the message that obstacles
will always arise and sometimes doubting
yourself can be more detrimental than the
actual issue you are facing. We usually only
see the tip of the iceberg on media platforms
of startups raising millions and it usually
looks so easy. However, each startup is going
through its own pains, and keeping your headset in the right
direction is what will make you sink or swim”, Farah
apprised.
The Future
The young woman believes that blockchain will have an
immense impact on the value chain of food. This has
already started happening and will only continue to
transform the industry. Agriculture accounts for 40% of the
global workforce and represents 6.4% of the entire world's
economic production. Getting food from farm to table is an
extremely complicated process with a lot of intermediaries.
People are oblivious to what has been sprayed on the food
they are eating or how it has been handled. Using
blockchain to promote the traceability of food will have a
transformative impact.
Farah Emara
CEO
15
DECEMBER 2021

18. Responding to the pressing need for a platform
where lawyers can join and serve their clients,
without taking the stress of running a sole
business, an accomplished and skilled lawyer, Henzie
Healley has launched Mezzle in the Middle East with her
esteemed business partners Mel Kang and Raj Sumal,
who also launched Mezzle in the UK. Henzie is a
common law qualified lawyer living in Dubai but
servicing clients from all around the world.
She studied Business Management in Canada, before
going on to study law in New Zealand. She qualified
with an LLB with Honors in New Zealand and was
admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of
New Zealand in 2014. She then moved to Dubai in 2014
after being offered a permanent role at an international
law firm she interned for during her school vacations.
In 2019 Henzie founded her own legal consultancy and
simultaneously, started an organic paint company both of
which have been hugely successful and have grown very
quickly. In 2021 she merged the Abu Dhabi legal
consultancy with a UK firm, rebranded, and is now a
partner in, and Managing Director of, Mezzle Middle
East.
Mezzle, all set to Disrupt the Provision of Legal
Services
Mezzle Middle East is a legal consultancy that is seeking
to disrupt the provision of legal services and the way that
lawyers conduct their business. Providing a platform
through which lawyers can join and continue to service
their clients, without having to worry about the endless
non-billable hours taken up by admin and running a
business solo.
Mezzle allows lawyers to join a global brand, have the
support that they need to provide the highest level of
service efficiently and effectively to their clients while
having the freedom to enjoy life and be their own boss.
Clients & Corporate Ethos
Mezzle Middle East services clients from all over the
world, having started predominantly with a focus on
start-ups and high-growth companies, it has since grown
to include many SMEs, large international companies,
and family offices in the UAE.
Mezzle is a technology-focused law firm that provides
clients with the best possible service. Here is a team of
legal experts who strive hard to ensure each project gets
done right, fast, and efficiently. The team is always
looking for new ways to improve their services, whether
it be through technological advancements or process
improvements.
The Driving Force
God played a huge role in getting Henzie Healley to
where she is today. From the beginning, when she started
HENZIE HEALLEY
A Combination Of Inspiration, Innovation,
And Expertise: Meet The Accomplished
Legal Practitioner
16 DECEMBER 2021
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

19. the company, they never had any problems getting
clients. Big names wanted to work with them, and they
would receive calls out of the blue from people they had
never heard of, that wanted to help them grow their
brand, promote them and use their services.
Further the leading lady apprised, “We have many
people to thank for our success including Yann Mrazek
and the team at MH/Q, Greg Shippee/David Linklater
and the team at Re/Think, Pratik and the team at
Sanctuary, Tasawar Ul Haq, Preston McIntyre (one-man
army), Sherif El Hennawy and the team at Plug & Play,
Zille Rehman and the team at Astrolabs, Rosheen
Ngorima (founder of Neeps Consulting), Maxime
Casinelli (owner of MCG), Leo Garcia (Women's
Investment Empowerment Forum), and a mystery Mr X
(who would like to remain anonymous, but knows who
he is) and all of our clients that have supported us along
the way.”
The Phenomenal Team
When asked about her team Henzie shared, “One is also
only as strong as one's team and we have been blessed
with a phenomenal team at Mezzle. Everyone that is a
part of the Mezzle team, is genuinely committed, pitches
in, and works hard as a team. A special shout out to
Shameeg who has helped me significantly along the way,
my family, who invested in me and all pitched in when
things got really busy (my mom, my dad, and my
stepmom – literally, I would not have been able to do
this without you), my friends who were always happy for
“One day you will
wake up and there won't be
any more days to do the
things you wanted.
Do it now”.
‘
‘
‘
‘
Henzie Healley
Managing Director
17
DECEMBER 2021

20. me and stayed friends with me even though I was too
busy to see them (and still helped me with all kinds of
things which needed to be in the media when I could –
Kohl & Rouge), and Khader who pushed me to start the
business and supported me all the way.”
Creating a more Balanced & Equal Industry
The legal system is changing. COVID has shown people
that so much more can be done remotely, and money is
no longer the most important thing to work for.
Traditional law firms are becoming a thing of the past.
There's never been a better time to join the movement
and help create something new: one that works for you,
not against you.
Henzie stated, “Everyone loves money, don't get me
wrong, but a lot of people are seeing that freedom from a
desk is way more valuable. In my opinion, companies
need to be more flexible, understanding what is
important to people and realising that not everyone's the
same. They should embrace technology and be open-
minded to new ways of doing things”.
Favourite Book
The Efficientpreneur by AK.
Future Roadmap
Henzie Healley is most excited about the possibilities
that Mezzle provides and how it can change people's
lives. It gives lawyers freedom, freedom to work for
themselves, earn a good living, but also make more time
for the important things in life and loved ones. Mezzle is
the way of the future. It's what every lawyer should
strive for. Life is short and time is precious. Time spent
is time that one will never get back… it should be
rationed and used wisely. Mezzle is for people who are
tired of the old ways.
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
“You can do it! We live in a society that tells people they
can do anything and achieve anything. Some think that's
wrong and breads entitlement or too much emotional
sensitivity, but I truly believe the sky is the limit. If you
put your mind to it and have God supporting it, you can
do anything”, advised Henzie.
“While many women have found it challenging to enter
the workplace and have encountered various obstacles, I
don't want to offend anyone, but I have never felt that my
gender has been a hindrance to my success in the
workplace or in the legal sector. Quite the opposite
actually. I believe both men and women in this industry
can achieve equal success”, she further added.
18 DECEMBER 2021

22. With the prevalence of 24-hour connectivity
and modern advancements in technology,
threats are evolving rapidly to exploit
different aspects of these technologies. Any device is
vulnerable to attack, and with the Internet of Things
(IoT) this became a reality. The IoT has seen
increased usage of digital communication and the
increased transfer of data via digital platforms
increases the risk of data interception by malicious
individuals. Pervasive surveillance through digital
devices is also a recent threat with the increased use of
smartphones. Governments can now engage in digital
surveillance of their citizenry with the excuse of
providing security against
potential terrorist
threats. Criminals can
also do similar tasks to
the detriment of the
targeted victims. In
2014, ESET, an internet
security company,
reported 73,000
unprotected security
cameras with default
passwords.
In April 2017, IOActive
found 7,000 vulnerable
Linksys routers in use,
although they said that
there could be up to
100,000 additional
routers exposed to this
vulnerability.
In 2018, Marriott
Hotels disclosed that
500 million customers'
data was leaked, and in
April 2020 they
disclosed another data
breach affecting 5
million customers.
In 2019, First American
Corporation a real
estate title insurer,
disclosed quarters of a
billion mortgage deal
documents, including
bank account numbers,
THE
CYBERSECURITY
THREAT
LANDSCAPE
Erdal Ozkaya
Chief Cybersecurity Strategist
20 DECEMBER 2021

23. tax records, Social Security numbers, wire transaction
receipts, and driver's license images.
In 2020, Fire one of the largest cybersecurity companies in
world , disclosed that they had been hacked, likely by a
government, and that an arsenal of hacking tools used to
test the defenses of its clients had been stolen.
April 2021, Facebook disclosed one more data leakage this
time 540 of its users data , including Mark Zuckerberg's
data…
Cybersecurity and COVID-19
The cybersecurity landscape is always evolving and
presenting new challenges, but since the COVID-19 global
pandemic began, the cyber landscape has shifted at rapid
speeds, leaving IT security professionals around the world
scrambling to adapt to the new threat landscape. This has
driven the IT world to adopt innovative methods of
managing the business resilience and digital needs of a fully
remote workforce, for example, with the use of video
conference technology.
One of those technologies is Zoom: free, accessible, and
easy to use. Zoom's user base rocketed from 10 million in
December 2019 to 200 million by the end of April 2020.
This rapid increase caught the attention of security
researchers, who found many security issues that have cast
a shadow over the product.
Of course, Zoom is not the only company to feel the pinch
during the pandemic. Cybersecurity threats have heightened
during the crisis, as cybercriminals look to take advantage
of companies that haven't adopted the best practices of this
rapid change and, as a result, are not operating as securely
as they usually would.
When a company CEO asks what the vulnerabilities in a
home device have to do with their company, the Chief
Information Security Officer (CISO) should be ready to
give an answer. The CISO should have a better
understanding of the threat landscape and how home user
devices may impact the overall security that the company
needs to enforce. The answer comes in two simple
scenarios, remote access and Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD).
While remote access is not new, the number of remote
workers is growing exponentially. 43% of employed
Americans report spending at least some time working
remotely, according to Gallup, which means they are using
their own infrastructure to access a company's resources.
Compounding this issue, we have a growth in the number
of companies allowing BYOD in the workplace. This use of
unmanaged devices is opening doors for adversaries, who
have shifted quickly to exploit the newly increased attack
surface and overstretched IT resources. This rapid shift in
the threat landscape has left organizations scrambling to
scale their security systems to meet the rise in the use of
personal home networks, handheld devices, and apps
beyond the scope of the enterprise environment.
Keep in mind that there are ways to implement BYOD
securely, but most of the failures in a BYOD scenario
usually happen because of poor planning and network
architecture, which lead to an insecure implementation.
What is the commonality among the previously mentioned
technologies? To operate them you need a user, which is the
greatest target for attack: human error is the weakest link in
the security chain. For this reason, old threats such as
phishing are still on the rise. This is because they attack the
psychological aspects of the user by enticing them to click
on something, such as a file attachment or malicious link.
Once the user performs one of these actions, their device
usually either becomes compromised by malicious software
(malware) or is remotely accessed by a hacker.
Understanding the attack surface
In very simple terms, the attack surface is the collection of
all potential vulnerabilities that, if exploited, can allow
unauthorized access to the system, data, or network. These
vulnerabilities are often also called attack vectors, and
they can span from software to hardware, to a network, and
to users (which is the human factor). The risk of being
attacked or compromised is directly proportional to the
extent of attack surface exposure. The higher the number of
attack vectors, the larger the attack surface, and the higher
the risk of compromise.
Just to give you the extent of an attack surface and its
exposure, let's look into MITRE's Common Vulnerabilities
and Exposures (CVE) database, here:
https://cve.mitre.org/cve/. The database provides a list of
cybersecurity vulnerabilities that have been targeted in the
past, to make organizations aware of them should they use
the same software or hardware systems. It has 108,915
CVE entries at the time of writing, which have been
identified over the past few decades. Certainly, many of
21
DECEMBER 2021
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

24. these have been fixed, but some may still exist. This huge
number indicates how big the risk of exposure is.
Any software that is running on a system can potentially be
exploited using vulnerabilities in the software, either
remotely or locally. This applies particularly to software
that is web-facing, as it is more exposed, and the attack
surface is much larger. Often, these vulnerable applications
and software can lead to the compromise of the entire
network, posing a risk to the data it is managing.
Furthermore, there is another risk that these applications or
software are often exposed to: insider threat, where any
authenticated user can gain access to data that is
unprotected due to badly implemented access controls.
An attack surface may be exposed to network attacks that
can be categorized as either passive or active, depending on
the nature of the attack. These can force network services to
collapse, making services temporarily unavailable, allow
unauthorized access to the data flowing through the
network, and other negative business impacts.
In the event of a passive attack, the network might be
monitored by the adversary to capture passwords, or to
capture sensitive information. During a passive attack, an
attacker can leverage the network traffic to intercept
communications between sensitive systems and steal
information. This can be done without the user even
knowing about it. Alternatively, during an active attack, the
adversary will try to bypass the protection systems using
malware or other forms of network-based vulnerabilities to
break into the network assets; active attacks can lead to the
exposure of data and sensitive files. Active attacks can also
lead to Denial-of-Service (DoS) type attacks. Some
common types of attack vectors are:
• Social engineering scams
• Drive-by downloads
• Malicious URLs and scripts
• Browser-based attacks
• Attacks on the supply chain (which are becoming
increasingly common)
• Network-based attack vectors
To find out more about this topic, I would highly
recommend that you download and read Verizon data
breach reports:
https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/.
What follows is a relevant excerpt, which indicates the
various factors that shape an organization's attack surface:
"Errors definitely win the award for best supporting action
this year. They are now equally as common as Social
breaches and more common than Malware, and are truly
ubiquitous across all industries. Only Hacking remains
higher, and that is due to credential theft and use, which we
have already touched upon. Misconfiguration errors have
been increasing. This can be, in large part, associated with
internet-exposed storage discovered by security researchers
and unrelated third parties.”
According to the Verizon breach report, hackers' tactics and
motives have not changed much over the last 5 years, with
63% of breaches launched for financial gain, and 52% of
breaches featuring hacking. Ransomware attacks account
for nearly 24% of attacks involving malware, and breaches
continue to take a long time to be detected, with 56% taking
several months or longer to be discovered. And typically, by
the time the breach has been discovered, the damage has
already been done.
With every passing day, the network of connected devices is
increasing, and, while this growth of connectivity continues
to grow bigger, the risk of exposure is also increasing.
Furthermore, it is no longer dependent on how big or small
businesses are. In today's cyberspace, it is hard to establish
whether any network or application is prone to attacks, but
it has become extremely important to have a sustainable,
dependable, and efficient network system, as well as
applications. Properly configured systems and applications
will help reduce the risk of attack, but we might not ever be
able to eliminate the risk of attack completely.
22 DECEMBER 2021

26. Founded in 2011, Scopernia has been connecting with
big and small enterprises, offering them a sneak
peek of what's next and help them flourish in an
evolving world under the guidance of Jeremy Denisty.
Scopernia is the brainchild of two visionaries, Dado van
Peteghem and Jo Caudron. They founded this company 11
years ago and Jeremy took the helm in 2020 as the
Managing Director.
Personifying an amazing, hardworking, organized,
inspiring, optimistic, and self-motivated individual who
diligently transverses the path to achieving, Jeremy holds
great expertise and extensive knowledge because of his
continuous dedication.
The 30-year-old business leader was born and raised in
Belgium, and he grew up walking on the path of artistic
life. Jeremy started acting lessons when he was 4, was a
child actor as main characters in French feature films from
2005 up until 2019, worked as a radio host, and in some TV
programs.
Besides his involvement in the media, Jeremy continued his
studies and ended up getting a Bachelor's Degree in
Political Sciences and 2 MSc in International Management
and Management Sciences. His first business professional
experience was at Procter & Gamble in France, working on
Pampers.
At the end of his studies, Jeremy decided to put his artistic
life aside and had the opportunity to join Henkel, P&G, or
Unilever. He chose Unilever and spent 5 amazing years at
Unilever as a Sales & Marketing Manager in France,
Belgium, and The Netherlands.
Jeremy and his wife always wanted to move abroad, so
when she had the opportunity to transfer to Dubai at the end
of 2019, he quit his beloved Unilever job and they moved to
Dubai. The day Mr Denisty landed in Dubai he met
Scopernia's Founding Partner, Dado Van Peteghem. One
week later he started working as an Engagement Manager. 5
months later, in the heart of the COVID crisis, Jeremy took
the lead of the office with a clear strategic plan in mind for
the Firm's future. And, the plan was successful, they tripled
their revenues in one year.
Scopernia, Making Organizations Future-fit and a Force
for Good
At the core, Scopernia helps people transform and grow
faster & better in a complex and fast-changing world.
Concretely, they help public and private organisations solve
complex problems to:
- Optimize their core business to accelerate growth
- Transform their business ideas into a reality
- Find new revenue streams
- (Re)Define their Organization of the Future
- Target Gen Z through Gaming with Scopernia Gaming
A lot of consulting companies claim they do all of that
What really sets Scopernia apart is how they do it:
- By focusing on: involving employees, stakeholders,
customers in the process
- Through innovative methodologies
- By co-creating the solution with the client
- By making it fun and engaging for all involved, creating
faster buy-in and ownership
- By focusing on the implemented impact
“Our vision is to change the way strategy &
management consulting is being done, and help
clients across industries grow, whether they are
not sure how, don't have the people, or don't have the time”,
said Mr Denisty.
JEREMY DENISTY
Nurturing The Business Growth With
Comprehensive Consulting Solutions At Scopernia
24 DECEMBER 2021
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

27. What Inspired Jeremy to be an Author?
Communication and playing with words have always been
something Jeremy enjoyed and felt comfortable with, from
his early days in his acting career.” When he understood the
force for good it could be in business, it pushed him into
writing.
Clients & Unbreakable Faith
Scopernia serves every organization with more than 100
employees. By design in the region, since the company got
here through a massive transformation project with the
Chalhoub Group, they tend to have more clients in Luxury,
Retail, and Consumer Goods.
List of 10 current and past clients:
- Chalhoub Group, the organization itself as well as many
of their portfolio brands individually: Faces, Lacoste,
Tumi, Level Shoes, etc.
- Trafalgar Luxury Group (distributors of Patek Philippe,
Tag Heuer, Chopard, and many other luxury brands in
the Middle East)
- Mapyr (leading distributors of baby gear brands in the
Middle East)
- Sprecher Berrier Group of Companies (distributor of
perfume brands)
- Unilever Middle East
- GlaxoSmithKline
- HSBC MENA
- BNP Paribas
- Engie Mescat
- Aliaxis (global leader in water and energy solutions)
A plan without execution
is the slowest route to
victory. Execution
without a plan is the
noise before defeat.”
- Sun Tzu
‘
‘
‘
‘
Jeremy Denisty
Managing Director
25
DECEMBER 2021

28. - Cartamundi Group (worldwide leader in card and board
games)
While discussing how he assures the faith of the clients,
Jeremy apprised, “We have 0 compromises on delivery
quality and our clients know it. We are 100% reliable, strive
to deliver above expectations, always, and consider
ourselves as advisors rather than contractors. That mindset
is a standard in our organization. On top of that, we don't
price based on hours spent but fixed on the value created.”
Hurdles on the Way
When asked about his initial challenges, Jeremy Denisty
said, “The primary challenge was to re-think who we were
going to serve, helping them solve which problems. We re-
focused our organization on business growth and
transformation (what it was initially founded on) and
managed the pivot with success.”
The Driving Force
Here are the 10 things that so far worked out for Jeremy
Denisty and led him to where he is today.
1. Having focus: single-minded focus will put you closer
to your goal(s)
2. Be curious: be open-minded and learn new things
every day
3. See the world through others' eyes: search for new
perspectives, whether it is to innovate or to empathize
4. Strive for perfection: never settle for average, detail
matter and will make a difference
5. Be loyal and operate with integrity: great leaders will
want you at their side, trust unlocks everything
6. Hard work is easy: be disciplined, commit to yourself
and what you can accomplish.
7. Live multiple lives: be open to new opportunities,
pivot, change, add, and subtract
8. Don't let failures take you down: they are part of the
process, they exist to make us better, smarter, and
more mature.
9. Leverage every skill you have: what do you do better
than 99% of the people you know?Figure it out,
leverage it.
10. Love, and be loved: nurture relationships, listen more
than you talk, be truthful, thankful, and genuinely
happy for the success of others
“On top of that, I've had the chance to be trusted by
amazing mentors. Dado Van Peteghem in particular, our
Founding Partner, has put his trust in me to lead this office,
and I am very thankful for that”, shared Mr Denisty.
Favorite Book
Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath
Future Roadmap
Jeremy Denisty is focused on building a niche boutique
consulting firm with exceptional people, delivering
unparalleled quality of work. He believes in changing the
way consulting has been done for the last 50 years.
Besides, in the coming 3 years, he would also like to open a
pro-bono vertical with a dedicated team, helping social and
purposeful entrepreneurs & businesses to grow in the
region.
Awards & Milestones
Jeremy proudly shared, The first book, Written and
published by our Founding Partners, “Digital
Transformation: A model to master digital disruption”
(2012) is an international bestseller sold in more than 55
countries.
And, Jo Caudron's last book
Scopernia's Founding Partner,
“The World is Round: An optimistic master plan for the
transformation of business and society” (2020) has won a
Management Book of the Year award.
It was published the day the lockdown started, and it
appeared most transformations that he had thought of for
the next 10 years happened in 10 days because of COVID.
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
Reach out and get in touch with female entrepreneurs that
are a bit further in the journey. Don't go at it alone, there are
many brilliant entrepreneurs out there, reach out, get
support, share your ideas, listen to others that have done it,
don't be afraid to ask for help.
26 DECEMBER 2021

30. An Award-winning Business Leader and
Company Formation Specialist, Nathan Hunt
formed Gateway to help companies get licensed
to do business in Abu Dhabi & Dubai. Presently, he is
successfully spearheading Gateway as the CEO to
expand its services to provide more business setup
solutions, including free zones setups and Tajer Abu
Dhabi licenses for entrepreneurs. Additionally, he
launched and heads up the Food & Beverage consultancy
and management services under the Gateway Group
brand, working with both existing businesses and
startups to develop solutions and focus on business
growth for success.
Nathan is a trained chef with experience in Europe and
the West Indies before settling in the UAE in 2004 where
he continued in the food and beverage industry until he
reached the top of his profession as a Regional Group
Executive Chef.
Further, Nathan apprised, “Working as a chef is a highly
pressured job and the management skills, I had gained
over the years were easily transferable and
complemented Gateway's business, such as managing
teams, stakeholders, and suppliers; striving for
excellence; cost control; implementing standard
operating procedures, keeping on top of trends and
anticipating the next, etc.”
More about the Firm
The Gateway Group Of Companies helps organisations
to mitigate the risks of getting licensed to do business in
the UAE. They help organisations to choose the right
license for their business & long-term goals, ensuring the
protection of their assets and profits. Their on-the-ground
knowledge and experience ensure license procedures are
carried out efficiently and their nominee corporate
sponsor service provides our clients with the control and
protection of their business. They also organise residence
visas to help their client's employees and their families to
live and work here legally.
Clientele & Corporate Ethos
Gateway was originally established to help organisations
overcome the difficulties of getting licensed to do
business in the UAE. Gateway identified recurring issues
companies were experiencing, such as wrong licenses,
empty promises, being stuck in exclusivity contracts, no
exit strategies, uncooperative local sponsors, lost profits,
and more, and created no-nonsense, transparent, and
well-communicated services to address them.
Establishing a presence in the UAE doesn't need to be
difficult, providing you engage the right expertise at the
outset. So Gateway's approach has always been client-
focused and doing what is in their best interests. Their
corporate strapline is Reassuringly Honest.
Here, the clientele includes SMEs to large international
organizations. Once clients have had a bad experience
and they switch to their services, they are usually
surprised and impressed at the quality and smoothness of
our operations, which means they can spend more time
focusing on their own businesses.
Overcoming Entrepreneurial Hindrances & the
Inspiring Team
Nathan and his colleagues go through the same
challenges as any other business, namely employing
the right people at the right time and constantly
NATHAN HUNT
A Dynamic, Hands-On Leader Empowering Business
To Grow At Gateway Group Of Companies
28 DECEMBER 2021
TOP
10INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS LEADERS
TO FOLLOW IN 2021

31. innovating their service offering to remain relevant to the
clients.
There is a fantastic team and we work together as a
family. Their values match those of the organisation,
which is Honesty. Trust. Integrity. And, the management
gives their employees the freedom to develop. They each
genuinely contribute to the development of Gateway.
“We are extremely proud to say that we have never lost
a staff member”, said Mr Nathan.
The team is working on the front line and they are the
ones who experience regulatory changes or client
challenges first and are often the ones to therefore
suggest changes to the services when they are needed.
Nathan's Views on Creating a Balanced and Equal
Industry
According to Nathan, companies should give more
value to their employees. Employees are the cogs
of a business and without them, there is no business.
By hiring the right person for each role, remunerating
them fairly, motivating them appropriately and
genuinely making them feel a part of the team,
and showing them the value they contribute to the
business will make for happier employees and
will also benefit the business in terms of
productivity enormously. Too many organisations
consider their employees a cost rather than an asset to
invest in.
Don't do your
best, do whatever
it takes
- JT Foxx.
‘
‘
‘
‘ Nathan Hunt
CEO
29
DECEMBER 2021

32. A Day in Nathan Hunt's Life
“I get up early, let the dogs out and head straight into
our home office, usually, around 4:30 am. Getting up
and getting on with your day is essential for business
success. I can get a good couple of hours of work done
before the team gets to the office. I can clear emails that
arrived overnight and also have virtual meetings with
both the Far East and the US. It means I can take
advantage of the time zones. During office hours, no two
days are the same, but they will generally be made up of
virtual meetings and calls if I'm working from home or
face-to-face meetings if I'm working in Dubai or Abu
Dhabi. When I have the opportunity, I get in a round of
golf. This is a great way to combine business and my
hobby. I'm also currently Vice-Captain of the Al Ain Golf
Club. Evenings can be spent at home having a meal with
my wife, attending networking events, or playing golf, so
days end at varying times”, shared Nathan when asked
about his daily routine.
Favourite Book
Millionnaire Underdog by JT FOXX. JT is one of
Nathan's business coaches. His book consolidates
practical ideas and strategies for scaling your businesses.
Each time you read it, you pull out ideas to implement
that are particularly relevant to you at that particular time
or get reminded about things you used to do for your
business and need to start doing again. It's an easy read,
full of energy to make you take action and based upon
proven results!
What's Next on the Cards?
The future looks very exciting for Gateway. The
company is about to expand its services into Abu Dhabi
Global Market (ADGM) meaning that they can
specifically help their clients wishing to set up SPV's to
hold assets such as shares of private companies, shares in
publicly listed companies, real estate, intellectual
property rights ('IP rights') (e.g. trademarks), etc.
Accreditation on the Way
Gateway has received numerous accolades over the
years. This year it was awarded with the 'Best Onshore
Business Sponsorship Services UAE' by MEA Markets
and their founding partner is in FORBES' Top 100 Most
Influential Women In The Middle East. These certainly
reinforce their credibility in the market.
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs
It's very easy as an entrepreneur to get caught up in the
operations of a business, rather than leading it, especially
in the early days, so having the foresight to step out of
your business and take a look at it will help with future
planning and decision making. Be prepared to be
uncomfortable – if you are living in your comfort zone,
you aren't leading and making changes and growing.
Learn from others – you can avoid the common business
mistakes entrepreneurs make if you take time to study
other business leaders and their strategies – they have
already made the mistakes and this means you can avoid
them. Get a business coach to keep you accountable and
focused. Surround yourself with people who know more
than you.
30 DECEMBER 2021

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