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CEO Today Mi dd l e Ea s t Award s 2022 - COUNTRY - - 4 -
- 5 - C EO T O D A Y BUSINESS WOMEN O F T H E Y E A R A W A R D S 2 0 2 2 Welcome to the 2022 edition of the CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards! Over the past year, the proportion of women in senior management around the world has risen from 31% in 2021 to 32% today. This figure has increased by 11% since 2012. Although gender parity in leadership across the globe continues to improve and more and more businesses are taking deliberate action to create inclusive working practices, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to allow female talent access to senior positions. Dedicated to recognising the achievements of today’s female leaders and entrepreneurs, the CEOToday BusinessWomen of the Year Awards serve as a celebration of the world’s most inspiring and successful women in business – those who push the envelope and challenge gender stereotypes in their respective field every day. We are delighted to present the special 2022 edition of the CEO Today BusinessWomen of the Year Awards – a celebration of the female leaders redefining business today. Congratulations to all our winners and finalists!
China Founde r, Cha i r pe rson , & CEO, DHGATE corporate .dhgate . com Diane Wang iane Wang is the founder, chairperson and CEO of DHgate (corporate.dhgate.com) - one of the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce platforms in China. Founded in 2004, DHgate takes a stand for fair world trade and upholds diversity and creativity by connecting micro, small, and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs) from every corner of the world with high-quality products. Diane has leveraged over 30 years of business and digital experience to drive DHgate’s mission to empower people through digitalisation. The critical focus of the organisation is accelerating digital transformation for MSMEs and partners and empowering women and societies through digital inclusion. Currently, the company has actively engaged 2.2 million sellers and 31 million buyers from 222 countries/regions, with access to 32 million products. Before founding DHgate, Diane served as the youngest senior executive at Microsoft China and the only female in a top position at Cisco. In 1999, as a member of the first generation of e-commerce entrepreneurs in China, she established Joyo.com, China’s first B2C trading platform. D
7 www. ceotodaymagazine . com China DHgate has seen some incredible successes! Can you tell us about the things that make the company unique? As a female entrepreneur, I’ve brought a diversified perspective to themale-dominated business world. We think the business needs both conquest and win-win cooperation. Our philosophy is not to compete with local e-commerce and retailers. Instead, we want to empower everyone to participate in global trade. With this value in mind, we were able to build out a stronger ecosystem with our partners, including individuals, retailers, and logistics companies worldwide, to innovate our business continuously. The pandemic has made digital transformation a top priority and a key trend for all industries. The companies without digitalisation are lagging. Digital equality, especially for MSMEs, is a critical challenge. Our de-centralized social e-commerce SaaS platform – MyyShop (www.myyshop. com), can help lower the entry barriers for everyone. Without enough capital, anyone can build up their own e-commerce stores within just a few clicks, all the server setup and maintenance are taken care by the platform, and are easily connected with various services, including product selection, logistics, payment, marketing services and so on. You care deeply about helping other women in business. What are some of the ways you support them? My unchanged belief is women help women. Being one of the first-generation women entrepreneurs in China in the internet era, I have committed to engaging with international organisations such as APEC Business Advisory Council, B20, BRICS Women’s Business Alliance (WBA) and associated working groups that uphold women’s economic participation, promoting gender equality and inclusion, and many more for years. Our goal is to connect the dots across different organisations, coordinate efforts and maximise resources. More importantly, increase visibility to get our voices for women heard. I also request my team to provide more chances for women leaders to show their talents and demonstrate their unique strengths in the world. We have worked with the APEC Business Advisory Council and APEC Women Connect to launch Her Power Entrepreneurship Competition, which works as a platform to unlock new thinking for businesswomen, inspire them by leveraging the digital tools and give them a chance to show their presence and visibility in the world of business. I advocate an inclusive, empowering culture in the company and the company policies are designed to create an equal work environment for male and female employees, which is quite important to the continuous development of the company. At DHgate, women are granted fair opportunities and can enjoy the same rights and benefits as men in terms of recruitment, promotion, talent development and other areas. Currently, the proportion of women employees reached 55.72% in 2020, and the share of female leaders has risen to 40.79%. In addition, women can enjoy other benefits, like at least 128 days of full-pay maternity leave, baby care rooms for new moms and so on. What are your top tips for women who are starting now?What would you have told your younger self if you could? From my point of view, the centralisationdominated era is a past, which has created a kind of unfairness in the business world. We believe the future is a de-centralised era and women should be given more opportunities to show their leadership. At DHgate, our vision is to help others succeed, and only in this way, we will become more successful. I believe the digital tool is a perfect solution in addressing gender inequality. Womenled businesses, particularly MSMEs, should revisit their digitalisation in the organisation, digital transformation strategy regularly, proactively identify the challenges and opportunities for internal efficiency improvement and external innovation to keep business thriving. Let me show you one example. Last year, 756 female entrepreneurs all over the world, mainly from Africa, America, Asia and Europe, took part in the Her Power Entrepreneurship competition and shared their innovative and visionary voices on success with the help of digital tools. The story of Miriam Febechukwu is very inspiring. Coming from Nigeria, she is the champion of last year’s competition. Due to the inequity she faced in the workplace, she quit her job despite of medical background and then leveraged the power of e-commerce to start her own business. Now she has made a difference in the e-commerce world by making a living from the e-commerce business and helping other women to succeed in this field. In addition, women need to always seek innovation, which is a must-have for businesses to survive and thrive, particularly for MSMEs and women-led businesses. Working in the digital trade business, I fully recognize the necessity and the power of innovation for a business to survive in today’s fierce competition. Not to mention to thrive. We must further promote women’s participation in technology-intensive and innovation-driven sectors. What does this award mean to you? I am greatly honoured to win this award. This is a testament to my team’s continuous efforts in empowering MSMEs and female entrepreneurs in the era of the digital world. I am passionate about what we are doing now and will spare no efforts to equip more women with digital tools to succeed in the business world.
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EUROPE 10 Irena Markovic Lifestyle Properties 12 Tanya Kosseva- Boshova Park Lane Developments 13 Martina Dalić Podravka 14 Kinga Stanisławska Experior Venture Fund 15 Camelia Ene MOL Romania 17 Serpil Timuray Vodafone 18 Kathryn Chapman Milner Therapeutics Institute, University of Cambridge
ABOUT IRENA MARKOVIC I enjoyed my school education in Vienna and understood the seriousness of life very early. Born in Serbia in 1989, my childhood was marked by war, loss and rather modest circumstances. As a young girl I had to experience what it means to be totally dependent and therefore vulnerable. It became clear to me very early on that a good education and hard work offered a way out of this and paved the way to freedom of one’s own opinion, feelings and financial security. I developed a strong spirit and created a plan during this difficult time - my dream - to take life into my own hands, well educated and with a good portion of boldness. Parallel to my studies at the Vienna Business School I started my modeling career - in October 2007 I already had my first success with the 1st place at the casting of a well-known fashion brand. Numerous shootings and TV appearances followed, as well as invitations to prominent society events. At the age of only 19, I went into business for myself in 2009 and founded my own event agency. At that time, some of my competitors thought it was “scandalous” that a naive 19-year-old model, entered the tough world of business and became an entrepreneur. As a powerful answer, I intuitively founded the event platform “Scandalous”, which established itself as a get-together for guests from society, business, culture, diplomacy, politics and sports. This resulted in a network of more than 10,000 contacts. ] Almost at the same time, I entered the real estate business, first as an employee of a well-known company, until I started my own company Lifestyle Properties in 2016. Hard work, tireless dedication, ambition and commitment helped me to assert myself in this male-dominated industry. Basically, skills that I had to acquire very early on. I had to face the tremendous competition in the real estate industry when I was just 26 years old. It became clear tome that I did not want to compete with anyone, but rather to clearly distinguish myself from the competition. There were many setbacks along my professional path. I literally had to fight my way through and stand my ground. I faced situations and difficulties, as did many other women. Especially many rumors and prejudices because of my young age, gender, as well as my background. Numerous cover stories followed, as well as awards and prizes. Among others, I was awarded the Luxury Entrepreneur Award “Flair de Parfum” by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. These two activities in combination with my young age, my gender, as well as my origin, caused quite a sensation. But the hatred on the net and the cyberbullying in combination with outstanding entrepreneurial successes only made me 10 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Aus t r i a Irena Markovic CONTACT 1010 Vienna | Stock-im-Eisen-Platz 3/26 | Palais Equitable (Graben/corner of Kärntnerstraße) Tel.: +43 1 512 14 84 Fax: +43 1 512 14 84 Mobile: +43 699 111 654 68 CEO Lifestyl e Propert ies
FIRM PROFILE LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES is the most beautiful address for real estate in Vienna. LIFESTYLE PROPERTIES takes you on a journey through the most beautiful properties in Vienna, privately and professionally. stronger and showed that I did everything right. My persistence and endurance were rewarded. Today, Lifestyle Properties is one of Vienna’s most respected real estate firms in the investment sector, as well as in the luxury segment. From luxury penthouses in Vienna’s city center with their own rooftop pool to historic castles, we offer our clients the most exclusive private residences and also broker properties that are suitable as investments, such as apartment buildings and other investment properties from Austria’s most prominent “real estate sharks”. What makes me particularly happy, however, is that my company is now in a position to support other people in realizing their dreams and goals. Lifestyle Properties attracts attention because of the structure of the company, the well-mixed average age, the management style, the flexibility, as well as the professional support of the customers. It is important for me to be a role model for all young women, but also for young men who may be discouraged - that is why it gives me great pleasure to welcome newcomers and train them to become real estate professionals. Today I have 11 employees (70% of them women) and successfully run my real estate office Lifestyle Properties - despite the Corona pandemic - at the most beautiful address - Stock-im-EisenPlatz 3.
ABOUT TANYAKOSSEVABOSHOVA Tanya Kosseva-Boshova has 19 years of experience on the SEE commercial property market. She is founder and Chair-Person of the Association of Commercial Building Owners in Bulgaria. www.acbo. bg. Mrs Kosseva acted as partner and managing director of the largest and most successful property companies inBulgaria–Colliers International, European Trade Center and Landmark Property Management. Tanya Kosseva-Boshova graduated the AmericanUniversity in Bulgaria with honors with double major in Applied Economics and Business Administration. FIRMPROFILE Park Lane Developments is part of AG Capital – a leading real estate investment group in Bulgaria. The company is established on the strong foundation of the group’s expertise in commercial real estate development and asset management. With more than 26 years of experience in the industry, the Group has created long-lasting partnerships with institutional investors, private equity funds and real estate investment firms. Park Lane Developments has a highly skilled team of professionals with extensive expertise across all phases of the development cycle including acquisition, planning, construction and asset management. Our commitment to excellence is reflected in the design and execution of each of our projects. At Park Lane Developments we deliver some of the most ambitious and innovative developments in the region. We work in close partnership with leading consultants, funders and developers who share our ambition and commitment to deliver grade A marketleading office buildings. Approach and Fundamentals Park Lane Developments focuses on commercial assets and acquisitions, develops and directly manages prime office and logistics/ light-industrial real estate assets. Our clients are multinational companies and financial institutions who rely on our professionalism, expertise and credibility. At Park Lane Developments we recognize that the real estate industry has a pivotal role in the development of a more sustainable world with responsible use of land and resources and positive effect on livelihoods. The company’s mission is to create value for its shareholders, tenants, partners and the local communities by acting consistently in an ethical and socially responsible manner. Services Built to Suit is an innovative way of leasing commercial property, in which the developer or landlord builds to a tenant’s exact specification. The developer finances the project and is responsible for its design, construction and completion. The developer retains ownership once the building(s) are leased to the tenant. Development and construction management are also part of our company’s services portfolio. Tailoring our services to the exact needs of our clients allows for a cost effective and focused approach in achieving the specific project goals. With a highly qualified team of construction managers, document and project administrators, and accounting staff, we provide complete project support from acquisition to occupancy. Our team is engaged throughout the lifecycle of the project. PLD’s approach to construction management focuses on lowering costs, delivering on schedule, improving quality and minimizing claims. 1 2 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Bulgar ia CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Tanya Kosseva- Boshova www.park-lane.eu Manag ing Par tne r Park Lane Deve lopments
ABOUTMARTINADALIĆ Martina Dalić, Ph.D. has a wealth of experience in both the private and public sector, as well as in international institutions. She joins the Podravka d.d. management board as its President from the position of director of Callidus Certus d.o.o., a business consultation firm she established. In her career in the public sector, she served as Vice-president of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of the Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts (2016 – 2018), and earlier as Minister of Finance (2010 – 2011), State Secretary (2004 – 2008), and Assistant Finance Minister (1997 – 2000). She began her career in the public sector in the Ministry of Finance in 1995. Furthermore, in 2011 she was elected a Member of Parliament in the Croatian Parliament until the end of her mandate in 2015. She also gained significant experience in the private sector, as the President of the Management Board of Partner Bank Zagreb from 2008 – 2010, and Chief Economist at Privredna Bank Zagreb, a member of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, from 2000 to 2004. In the period from 2015 to 2016, she was a permanent advisor on public finance management to the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. From 2005 to 2012, Martina Dalić, Ph.D. also served as the deputy chief negotiator and as a negotiator on the negotiation team for the accession of the Republic of Croatia into European Union membership in four chapters (Customs Union, Taxation, Financial Control and Budgetary and Financial Provisions). Martina Dalić is a graduate of the Faculty of Economics, University of Zagreb, where also began her professional career as a researcher in the Department of Organisation and Management. She received her Master’s degree in 1994 and the title of doctor of science (Ph.D.) in 2012. FIRMPROFILE Podravka, one of the leading companies in SouthEast, Central and Eastern Europe, has emerged in 1947 on the foundations of former jams factory and fruit processing workshop, owned by thr Wolf brothers. Headquartered in Koprivnica, we operate today in two main business segments: food and pharmaceuticals, and numerous consumers have recognized the value of our products and have given us their trust, in more than forty countries around the world. We find the trust of our consumers our biggest success. We have built it for decades and thanks to it we have become a leading food brand in the region. Together with our consumers, we respect the tradition and its values, and combines with latest creative methods and technological achievements we set standards and create latest market trends. We’re proud and honoured to be one of the leading companies in Europe and worldwide. Millions of people rely on our brands and appreciate the superior taste of our products in over 40 countries across all five continents. Our basic values are creativity – ideas that move the heart, because the heart moves everything else, trust – as a stock of every good meal, passion – what turns a meal into a feast, consumer satisfaction – we do not have consumers, we have guests at our table, and in everything we do we add excellence. 13 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Croat ia CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Martina Dalić www.podravka.com Pre s i dent of the Management Board Podravka
ABOUT KINGA STANISŁAWSKA Kinga is General Partner and Founder of Experior Venture Fund. Kinga has been working in investments, banking and finance for the past 20 years. Today she sits on the boards of Tourmedica, Tylko, Cosmose from the fund’s portfolio. Prior to EVF, she was the Global Head of TMT at Raiffeisen Investment in Vienna from 2007 to 2009. She started her career in banking at Salomon Smith Barney (Citigroup, London) and followed on to become a Manager in Equity Capital Markets team of ING Barings, with responsibility for the EMEA region. In 2001-2007 she was a Principal Banker at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (London and Warsaw), where she led investment and financing projects across the TMT and infrastructure sectors. She was responsible for supervising selected assets of EBRD’s equity portfolio as Supervisory Board member. Kinga is the Vice President of the Polish PE/VC Funds Association (PSIK). She sits on supervisory boards of publicly listed companies as an independent board member. She is active in supporting womenled companies – Kinga is a mentor in Vital Voices and Foundation for Women Entrepreneurship. She established the European Women in VC platform with the aim of increasing the number of female partners at venture funds across Europe from the current low single digit percentage number it is today. The platform boasts 19 country ambassadors in Europe and Israel. Kinga is also a member of the European Innovation Council - High Level Group and now sits on the Advisory Board to the European Commission’s European Innovation Council. She is advising EU Commissioner M.Gabriel on innovation. In 2017 and in 2018, Kinga was named one of the TOP 50 of Europe’s most influential women in the start-up and venture capital space. In 2018, she was named on the list of top 50 women in tech in Europe by Forbes. FIRMPROFILE Experior Venture Fund invests in small and medium-sized enterprises with high growth potential. We invest in enterprises, offering them growth and expansion capital. Besides capital, we also offer strategic and operational support (to owners and executive teams) in order to maximize a business’s value. The Experior team has many years of experience in investments, corporate governance, seeking funds, strategic management and new business development. The Fund executives also have corporate governance expertise. Experior Venture Fund was co-founded by Krajowy Fundusz Kapitałowy (the National Capital Fund, KFK). Assets invested by KFK come from the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme. he Fund is capitalized at PLN 80 million. Half of the capital has been contributed by the KFK, while the other half by private investors. 14 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Poland CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Kinga Stanisławska www.evf.com.pl Manag ing Par tne r and Founde r Exper ior Venture Fund
ABOUT CAMELIA ENE Camelia Ene took over the position of Country Chairman & CEO of MOL Romania in November 2016, after accumulating an experience of almost 10 years within the company. Camelia joined the MOL Romania team inMarch 2007, as ShopManager. In October 2010 he also took over the coordination duties of the marketing department, and inMay 2013 he became Head of Retail. From this position, Camelia was responsible for coordinating the activity of the network of over 200 gas stations of MOL Romania. Between 2000 and 2007 he held various positions in FMCG, gaining significant experience in sales and business relations. She has a degree in Economics from the Romanian-American University of Bucharest and studied at the Thunderbird School of GlobalManagement (Glendale, USA). FIRMPROFILE MOL Romania is a subsidiary of MOL Group and one of the most important oil companies in Romania, with a presence of over 20 years on the domestic market. MOL Romania has an extensive portfolio of products and services in the field of trade in fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and bitumen. Currently, the company has a number of 218 service stations, 2 fuel depots in Giurgiu and Tileagd and an LPG terminal in Tileagd. MOL Romania was the first oil company to implement a loyalty program, MOL MultiBonus, twice awarded the 1st place for quality in the ranking of loyalty programs in Romania in the QUDAL market research. Starting with 2017, MOL Romania is part of the NEXT-E project which aims to install 40 charging stations for electric vehicles. MOL Romania is an active member of the communities in which it operates, through an extensive platform of social programs such as the Mentor Award, the Children’s Health Program, the Permit for the Future, the Talent Promotion Program or Green Spaces. MOL Romania has its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca, its business headquarters in Bucharest, an administrative headquarters in Arad and a number of approximately 250 employees. In 2015, MOL Romania started implementing the Fresh Corner concept in its service stations. Fresh Corner is the retail component of MOL stations, with a focus on gastronomy and daily home shopping. With a full range of coffee, gastro products (selection of hot and cold sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, soups, etc.), fresh bakery products and consumer goods, in a completely redesigned space, Fresh Corner is present now in 115 of the 218 MOL Romania service stations. As for the coffee, customers can choose from the 26 types of freshly ground coffee, with vanilla, caramel or praline flavors, from the self-service area or from the 19 types of coffee prepared by espresso, also available in the low fat version. or decaffeinated. MOL is a company that values people. “We are a company that values people, knowing that any successful business is accelerated by talented people, with ideas and initiatives of impact, for which there is no impossible word . We appreciate and encourage people’s expression and believe in the power of a partnership-based, mutually beneficial relationship for people and business development. ” ( Camelia Ene, CEO) Our colleagues are at the heart of our business. “We focus on creating a framework that provides our colleagues with the best possible workplace experience, ensuring that each of us finds a purpose and growth opportunities here to become our best version. We bring our best to the work environment and combine our talents to create a memorable experience for both our customers and us. We are a real team where “us” is always before “me”. We work together, we challenge, we transform. Together as a team. ” ( Gabriela Neamtu, Head of Corporate Center & HR) 15 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Romania CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Camelia Ene www.molromania.ro Count r y Cha i rman & CEO MOL Romania
ABOUT SERPIL TIMURAY Executive Committee member since January 2014 Serpil Timuray was appointed as the CEO of the Europe Cluster in October 2018, which comprises Albania, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Turkey. She also oversees Egypt and Vodafone’s interest in the Netherlands joint venture with Liberty Global. She is the Chairperson of Vodafone Turkey, ViceChairperson of VodafoneZiggo Netherlands and a Board member of Vodafone Egypt. Prior to her current role, she was the Group Chief Commercial Operations and Strategy Officer. Formerly she was the Regional CEO for AMAP (Africa, Middle East, Asia, Pacific) where she served as a Board member of the listed companies of Vodacom Group, Safaricom and Vodafone Qatar, of our subsidiaries in India, Egypt and of our joint venture Vodafone Hutchison Australia. Serpil joined Vodafone in 2009 as the CEO of Turkey. Prior to joining Vodafone, Serpil was the CEO of Danone Turkey from 2002 to 2008. She began her career at Procter & Gamble in 1991, where she held several marketing roles and was subsequently appointed to the Executive Committee in Turkey. Serpil is a Non-Executive Director of Danone Group Plc since April 2015 and chairs the Engagement Committee. She is a member of the Young Global Leader Alumni of the World Economic Forum and a member of the Global 50. FIRMPROFILE Vodafone is a leading telecommunications company keeping society connected and building a digital future for everyone. At Vodafone, our purpose is to connect for a better future Our expertise and scale as a global business gives us a unique opportunity to drive positive change in the world. Our aim is to build a sustainable digital society that is inclusive for all, where technology and connectivity are enhancing the future and improving people’s lives. Enabling a digital society Connecting people, places and things through gigabit fixed and mobile networks. We believe in the power of connectivity and digital services to strengthen the resilience of economies. Through our mobile and fixed networks, data flows at speed, connecting people and communities. Over the past year, the COVID-19 crisis has tested the resilience of our societies, of businesses small and large, and of public services. We have also seen how connectivity and digital services became a lifeline allowing people to work, learn, stay in touch with friends and family, access healthcare and more. This year, in response to the COVID-19 crisis and informed by our social contract, we shifted the focus of the Digital Society pillar towards digitalising critical sectors, whilst continuing to invest in our network infrastructure and coverage. We have specifically focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’), smart cities, agriculture and health. 17 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Uni ted Kingdom CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Serpil Timuray www.vodafone.com CEO Europe Clus te r Vodafone
18 www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Kathryn Chapman www.milner.cam.ac.uk I have a biomedical research background and have carried out research in multiple disease areas at the University of Manchester, Harvard Medical School, Wellcome Sanger Institute and GlaxoSmithKline. Deputy Di re c tor Mi lner Therapeut i cs Inst i tute , Univers i ty of Cambr idge “ “
Tell us about yourself. My passion is working at the interface between academic discovery and realworld application, ensuring that scientific research is translated into benefits for patients. Collaboration and partnerships are critical to achieving this, andmy current role is to combine the strengths of academic innovation, industry expertise and clinical know-how to better understand disease and accelerate the development of new therapies. I joined the University of Cambridge, UK in 2016 to set up a new Institute which would become a physical research hub for academics, start-up companies and pharmaceutical companies to work together to develop new therapies. This includes a Consortiumof 11 pharmaceutical companies and 3 academic institutions, including the University of Cambridge, working together to find new therapies in many different disease areas. The Milner Therapeutics Institute opened in late 2019 in the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, the largest Biomedical Campus in Europe. The Institute is a centre of excellence for drug target validation through artificial intelligence, machine learning and functional genomics (using genomics and human cell-based models to understand disease). I have a biomedical research background and have carried out research in multiple disease areas at the University of Manchester, Harvard Medical School, Wellcome Sanger Institute and GlaxoSmithKline. I have 50+ research publications and have been on a wide range of national and international reviewpanels. I hold an honorary professorship at the University of Coventry where I sit on the Vice Chancellor’s advisory group. Prior to joining the Milner Therapeutics Institute, I was Head of Innovation and Translation at the NC3Rs where I worked with over 40 pharmaceutical companies in the US and Europe to improve scientific and business processes which would reduce the use of animals in drug development. What have been your and Milner Therapeutics Institute’s biggest achievements over the past two years? Our first priority in 2016 was to develop a scientific, business andoperational strategy for the Institute which was financially viable and would produce world-leading research that would help patients. Our biggest achievement over the last two years has been to see that strategy come to fruition and evolve, particularly given the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. We opened in November 2019 and our vision was to create a physical environment that fostered interdisciplinary, cross-sector research, networking and physical sharing of space. In March 2020, at the start of the first lockdown, we had to amend our strategy significantly. Many of the organisations we were working with were switching to a virtual model and we had to put a whole range of new measures in place to enable us to open our Institute safely. This was at the same time as our scientists were working 24/7 to try to find a treatment for COVID and also continue the potentially life-saving research for new cancer therapies. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we have won awards for Innovation which have recognised what we have achieved in such a short time. We have housed 12 start-up companies in the Institute that have received approximately £25 million in venture capital investment and we have set up over 40 projects between academia and industry resulting in over £10 million of research funding. The partnerships we have put in place have resulted in 35 peerreviewed research publications covering advances in the fields of infectious diseases (COVID-19), cancer and inflammation (inflammatory bowel disease). What’s the most rewarding part about your role at Milner Therapeutics Institute? By far the most rewarding part of my role is working with an outstanding network of individuals towards a common vision that benefits patients. We are dedicated to forging new ground in the ways that we work, breaking down barriers between academia and business and changing the culture towards a more collaborative one, where all skills and expertise are recognised and used to their full advantage. It’s exciting to see what we can achieve when we bring all our strengths together. There are many complex therapeutic areas, for example, neurodegeneration where finding new treatments is a mammoth challenge that is impossible to overcome by working alone. By bringing together expert clinicians, academic researchers and industry scientists we bring hope that progress will be made. Can you add a few words about what this award means to you? I am really excited to receive this award. To me, it is recognition and celebration of all the hard work that the team and our collaborators have put in to make the Milner Therapeutics Institute a success. When you are starting up something entirely new you do not have a precedent to draw on and have to rely on a lot of goodwill and faith. People have believed in what we are doing at the Milner and this award shows that their faith was justified. I am very proud of what we have achieved at the Milner Therapeutics Institute and proud to receive this award that recognises our achievements. 19 www. ceotodaymagazine . com Uni ted Kingdom
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Americas 22 Jesika Young Cimtech 24 Jessica Ollenburg Ollenburg LLC 26 Nichole Jordan Grant Thornton LLP 28 Shannon Shoemaker Cisive 30 Victoria Elder Victori Solutions
FIRMPROFILE At Cimtech, we employ systems at the forefront of today’s technology to produce thousands of component parts every day. Using Computer Integrated Manufacturing Technology, Cimtech satisfies the demands of today’s original equipment manufacturers, bringing quality parts to satisfied customers time after time after time. Cimtech is dedicated to becoming the vendor of choice to its customers, it operates at a different level from the competition. The company employs systems at the forefront of today’s technology enabling capabilities in producing thousands of component parts daily. This is accomplished through using state-of-the-art CNC machines that operate on 4-axis systems. The company also provides assembly, welding, cutting, bending, milling, punching services and production overflow assistance that allow us to be the “total machine shop package” in manufacturing. Because of Cimtech’s capabilities, a diverse manufacturing base is served. Cimtech develops personal, hands-on partnerships with industry businesses forming a critical role in assisting in the identification and achievement of specific customer goals. The company assists ISO certified customers who require a vendor that has the capabilities to machine to tight tolerances to be government spec compliant. Whether it be a quality issue, production issue, design issue, delivery or inventory challenge, Cimtech works to serve our customers and deliver professional solutions to everyday challenges. THIS is what separates Cimtech from other machine shops. Today, Cimtech is identified as a top performing machine shop with the capabilities to meet the complex needs of major manufacturers; yet maintains the ability to support smaller companies that need expertise in the field of machine work. Precision Machining. Fabrication. Assembly. A computer integrated manufacturing technology company. Cimtech is a premier manufacturer of precision machined parts, welding, tube bending, and assembly for all types industries. Having of 700+ years of experience, Cimtech prides itself on quality precision parts, on time delivery, and customer service that is unmatched. Notable industries served include automotive, food and beverage, HVAC, industrial, rail, environmental and more. We are here to work with you and deliver excellence. 22 www. ceotodaymagazine . com USA Jesika Young W: www.cimtechinc.net We are here to work with you and deliver excellence. Pres ident & CEO Cimtech “ “
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A seasoned serial entrepreneur, educator, author, philanthropist and community leader, Jessica Ollenburg. Serves as Principal Consultant and Managing Partner of Ollenburg LLC. OLLC proudly delivers multi-award-winning executive consulting, especially concentrated at the intersection of employment law, behavioural science, leadership and entrepreneurial success. The practice is the culmination of 4 decades of entrepreneurship, business scaling/change management, professorship and legal risk management in a variety of industries and working with thousands of employers and hundred-thousands of employees. An internationally triple-certified educator-author-consultant, Jessica’s focus is to present research and visionary solutions to employer clients, for-profit and not-for-profit, ranging from 1-100,000+ employees. Called upon regularly by academia, media and professional development forums to discuss new findings and future forecasts, she loves surprising clients with unexpected value. Integral to Jessica’s practice is a long history of service to board and advisory roles, ownership in other ventures, certified management consulting, charitable giveback and lifelong learning. 24 www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Jessica Ollenburg Contact Jessica and Ollenburg LLC at info@ollenburgllc.com or by visiting OllenburgLLC.com. Pr inc i pa l Consul tant & Manag ing Par tne r Ol l enburg LLC
Can you share a little bit about what you’ve been up to over the past 12 months? Research and application in a changing world is never-ending. Our best successes combine old school savvy with new school invention. Given changing employment law, economy and talent optimisation, our executive decision tools and coaching have been laser-focused on up-to-theminute research and adaptation. Some of our recent successes in the legal realm have included navigating changing laws with holistic playbooks, guiding clients through business mergers and acquisitions, protecting intellectual property, identifying new threats and applying legal risk management, policy/practice establishment, corrective action plans and affirmative defence. Recent projects in the behavioural science world include understanding talent motivation, leadership coaching, executive planning for best talent engagement, new demand opportunity, establishing employee ownership plans, chairing business owner advisory groups, incredible growth for our Lawfulchecks brand and more. Our deliverables focus on overcoming challenges, bespoke action plans and facilitating a changed mindset from fear to opportunity. We’ve been applying our daily study of changing case and statutory law, fluctuations in the business environment and decades of hands-on entrepreneurial experience, which creates an authentic bigpicture lens with tactical insight. While most of our work is confidential to clients, a great deal of our aggregate insights has been showcased more publicly. Appreciative inquiry, daily case study research and grit have been relentlessly deployed from our arsenal. The studies of behavioural science are everywhere, and we’re constantly honing our skills at understanding the changing mindset through such an era of rapid change and tumultuous opportunity. While classic concepts such as Maslow’s Hierarchy, Blanchard’s Situational Leadership and deBono’s Six Hats of Thinking remain precisely relevant today, the variables feeding these analytics are changing. It’s been challenging to stay on top of change, and we’re dedicated to the embrace and predictability of it. What are the achievements you’re most proud of? I’m most proud of the measurable and high impact success for our clients. When we can attach quantifiable business wins to the work we’ve delivered, we see clients’ posture for new success with confidence and attain that success. Examples include business turnaround, overcomingobstacles, invention and capturing opportunities where it’s not obvious to others. The wins for our clients include fiscal savings upward of 300%, legal risk mitigation, building organisational alignment and solving specific problems. Every expression of appreciation from our clients and the business community is really treasured. Appreciation is our fuel. As the world continues to build and improve technology, I am so proud to have developed business technology used worldwide today and recognised by the US Patent and Trademark Office. I watch other seasoned business leaders who simply don’t adapt and fail to stay relevant. I’m proud of relentless dedication to bring new value each day, and I’m proud of the many, many obstacles and knock-downs we’ve overcome. It’s the most difficult trials navigated of which I’m most proud. I’m proud of my continued service to charity, community and greater good. I’m proud that no job is too small or too dirty, and no job is too large or too daunting. I’m proud every time we receive a “thank you” for easing someone’s stress, improving financial security or creating betterment of any kind. I’m proud of our impact and how it is recognised. On the crisis management side, we’ve successfully neutralised shooter threats and we’ve contained pandemic breakouts. I’m proud that for established clients, we’ve been proactive and preventative to successfully avoid such threats. I’m proud of building and serving a family business. I’m so fortunate to have built businesses with my exceptional son Matt and I’ve learned so much through the challenge of working with other family members where conflict may arise. While much of my career has been working with juggernaut and publicly-traded businesses, I really appreciate working with small to midsized businesses, especially those that can be more nimble, and they are becoming a larger sector of our client portfolio. What are your top tips for other women in business? Don’t be afraid if you need to be better than the male baseline. Every opportunity and challenge can lead to greatness. The early years of my career occurred in a world where the glass ceiling was much lower and harder to break. It’s been said many times that I “shattered” it. I credit necessity as my motivation. I suggest that whomever you call family can be your motivation. In my case, it was a driving caregiver need that sparked an early career that’s lasted so long. My family needed support in ways I could only address with a full-throttle career win. “Necessity is the mother of invention” and needing to be better can lead to actually being better than you would be under less pressure. Women today need to understand that those who are biased have their biases shaped through ignorance. While it’s a problem to address, there are workarounds and great men and women to surround themselves with motivation and an elevated mindset. What are you looking forward to for the future? I’ve been steadily working since the age of 8. I’ve overcome major obstacles that many would have accepted as insurmountable. Stubbornness was sometimes involved, but it sure led to great learning and excellent tools for the arsenal. I’ve already scaled businesses through exponential growth, including to $50M and 1500+ employees. What I’m scaling now is my expertise, client businesses and new OLLC ventures. Our flagship executive consulting business continues to bring on new clients regularly, and we love it! Because most of our work for clients is project/transformation-based, we create quick results and can transition easily between client projects, and I love that! It is not my goal to ever retire but rather to continue work and relevance as long as I possibly can. It’s exciting to bring this much learning and apply forward-thinking invention for the win. I’m dedicated to bringing greater value to our clients each and every day. 25 www. ceotodaymagazine . com USA
Above all else, I’m a problem-solver. I work tirelessly to identify the barriers standing between our people, our clients and their goals — then I do everything I can to support and accelerate their success. My official job title is Managing Partner for the Central Region of Grant Thornton LLP. Grant Thornton is one of the world’s largest audit, tax, and advisory firms, and the Central Region is our largest geographic area in the country. It includes 10 states and 17 offices, which means I have the incredible fortune of working with 3,000 talented professionals as they serve clients across 45 industry sectors. It’s my job to help leadmy firm’s revenue growth by supporting those clients and their ambitions while ensuring an exceptional experience for GT’s talent across the region. That responsibility is a privilege, and I’mhumbled to say that the last 12 months have seen our region grow 20% in revenue. 26 www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Bus i ne ss Women Awa rds 202 2 Nichole Jordan www.grantthornton.com Cent ra l Reg i on Manag ing Par tne r Grant Thornton LLP
Throughout my 27—year career, I have been fortunate to advise and work on hundreds of transactions valued in excess of $500M. I meet with over 100 executives a year, advising clients from startups to members of the Fortune 50 on a range of engagements within audit, tax and advisory, as well as corporate governance, sales, marketing, digital transformation, key account management, ESG, DE&I, risk management and talent management. I also have extensive industry experience in financial services, technology, and media, as well as with capital markets, IPOs, SPACs, and public and private companies. Additionally, I serve as the global client service partner for Fortune 50 clients and as the Leadership Partner on several of GT’s high—value clients of strategic significance to the firm. These responsibilities are the continuation of a decades—long career which has included awide variety of roles, including National Managing Partner of Markets, Clients & Industry, Senior Client Advisor to F500 clients, National Banking & Securities Industry Leader, New York Territory Markets & Industry Leader, and Partner in Charge of New York – Downtown. I have also served on the firm’s Partnership Board. For the last decade, I’ve been the executive sponsor of GT’s strategic relationship with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and GT’s C—Suite and Corporate Director programs. On a personal note, I am a CPA, an NACD Board Leadership Fellow, an investor, advisor, and coach to entrepreneurs. I serve on the Audit Committee of the Consumer Technology Association – the host of the Consumer Electronics Show – The University of Texas at Austin Accounting Advisory Board, and the US Chamber of Commerce Corporate Governance / Capital Markets Advisory Board. I am also honored to serve as the executive sponsor of GT’s Veterans and Allies Business Resource Group (BRG). When I’m not at work, I enjoy volunteering with my husband and two amazing children. We have a particular penchant for working withMeals onWheels and Students &Athletes Serving Others. What is GT doing to empower women in the workplace? Above all else, our firm ismeetingwomenwhere they’re at while striving for equity in every facet of our firm. That work takes many forms. For example, we recently enhanced the career development programs and benefits we offer to improve our support of long—term career planning, mentoring, leadership development, networking, and health and wellness, as well as childcare and eldercare. We buttressed those benefits with new offerings like subsidies for tutoring and meal delivery. Each of these new or enhanced benefits was the result of active listening, a tool that has become especially vital during the COVID—19 pandemic. We know women face distinctive challenges at home and at work, so we asked them, “What support do you need that you don’t have right now?” Then, we listened and took action to drive change. It sounds simple, but of course, the true challenge is scale: When your organization boasts over 9,000 members, how do you make sure you are equipping and empowering all women to achieve their goals and attain the work—life balance your employees need? We implemented various strategies through our BRGs: engaging, employee—led communities comprised of colleagues who care deeply about one another and the challenges they face. For example, our Women & Allies BRG and our Working Parents BRG both provide vital support systems, sounding boards, and collaborative problem—solving communities for our professionals. Furthermore, at the beginning of the pandemic, we began rolling out monthly playbooks to local office leaders so they could support working parents and other professionals contending with challenges at work and at home. Working toward widespread empowerment and true equity is a long process in which we are engaged every single day. We do this seminal work by amplifying our colleagues in every sense of the word: telling their stories, nominating them for awards, accolades, and promotions, and cultivating an inclusive workplace where women thrive both personally and professionally. What are your top tips for women on the journey to the top? My biggest piece of advice is to surround yourself with people who support you for exactly who you are and will challenge you to think differently. Don’t let naysayers or negative people into your life; build a community that supports your personal and professional passions. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I think it’s paramount to ask for what you want. That promotion? Build a convincing case for why you deserve it — and then go for it. Additionally, I’ve included my nine leadership principles – each of which I believe has value for all leaders striving for professional success. My Leadership Success Principles: Go the extra mile Make the extra, special efforts to support your people and serve your clients. Pay it Forward Develop and nurture relationships. Connect with those who might want to learn from you and help others achieve their priorities. Have a bias for bold action This is how you learn and grow. You won’t regret making bold decisions. Lead with Self—awareness Take ownership of your life, your career, and your actions by taking responsibility. Always ask, ‘what could I have done better? Just Ask. “No” is not fatal. Communicate all the time. Develop your own views and confidence in asking for what you want. Lead with Integrity. Do the right thing for the right reasons even when it’s not easy or popular. Surround yourself with great people that have similar visions but different experiences and backgrounds. Be resilient. Resiliency is key, because change is certain. When you focus on identifying patterns and trends, you can learn to be comfortable in uncharted territory – then use your skill for identification to optimize your team and business. Be persistent. Don’t take setbacks personally – and don’t be afraid to laugh. Fix your mistakes and move on. Build new skills and make the most of opportunities. Embrace the act of being a lifelong learner. If you are perpetually curious, your colleagues will take note. 27 www. ceotodaymagazine . com USA
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