“The story of humanity is essentially the story of human movement. In the near future , people will move even more, particularly if, as some predict, climate change sparks mass migration on an…
Shenna Fortner, CEO, Carbon Market Exchange Ltd. has a track record of crossing cultural and socio-economic barriers to resolve environmental problems and advocate for marginalized people. This innate ability to marry compassion and empathy with legal and business experience skills has resulted in a potent force for addressing complex problems holistically. Harnessing some creative thinking, she, along with her team, initiated the company’s first nature-based carbon offset project held in perpetuity that created the most significant preservation of land north of the Amazon. “I think as a woman we are often juggling so many very different things, and that can give us an edge when it comes to creating new solutions. Bringing these ideas to the business has certainly helped us navigate some challenging situations.”
Like many women, Shenna struggled against herself first and the ingrained narrative that made her second-guess things. Overcoming this meant no longer presenting a diminutive self or questioning her ability but realizing that she has the tools to make a difference in this world and building the confidence to charge forward with that. “Barriers then became opportunities of growth, and the way we approach those barriers is everything and speaks to the strength of that newly-won growth.”
Shenna participates in Industry Women Empowered events and collaborations because she particularly enjoys working with creative, empowered women who see the complex and intricate ecosystems and still move forward to make the world a better place.
As women increasingly break into male-dominated spheres, it is essential to support each other and give someone else encouragement or help when it is possible. “I am always happy to listen to other women who may be going through something I have experienced and offer what advice I may have,” she says. “We all remember the people throughout our lives who have taken the time to shine a light on trying things we may have been facing, and I think it is a great honor to be able to do that for someone else.”
She encourages her team members to continue learning, share their knowledge and empower them to succeed. “One thing I have found that is a central pillar of building a great team that not only functions in the present moment, but also is endowed with the tools to carry successes forward, is in fostering an environment where all thoughts and ideas are welcome and up for discussion,” explains the steadfast leader. “This has been particularly interesting in the case of our company because we all came from established positions in other industries and so had a wide array of experience and many different ways of looking at things.” This has reminded Shenna of the great possibilities that become available when one allows people the space to be vulnerable and test theories without fear, leading to some of the best innovations and problem-solving.
At 40 years old, Shenna has concluded that success is a matter of the mind. Her conversations around reaching success are essential that she had to choose to succeed and follow through. Once she decided wholeheartedly on her idea of success, serendipitous events occurred to help her get there, which may have been contacts that she needed, or team members who would help grow the business and opportunities presented themselves. “Success happens well before it appears; it is in the planning, the preparation, and the permission to oneself to do whatever it takes to reach those goals.” Armed with such a unique ideology, Shenna takes the company to new heights.
Carbon Market Exchange Ltd. has revolutionized the standards of nature-based carbon offsets and created a diverse portfolio aggregating over millions of credits. Their nature-backed offsets preserve hectares of standing native forest, protect critically endangered biodiversity, provide a fair and equitable exchange of carbon rights, promote cultural exchange, and empower land stewardship. When the global political and business communities are looking towards combating climate change more seriously than ever, Carbon Market Exchange Ltd. is proud to be offering solutions that form a part of the much-needed attention on this significant issue. “It means a lot to us and energizes our work that we can contribute to these internationally-held goals.” WL
Ruby Raley, VP Sales, Healthcare and Life Sciences of Axway, is collaborative, innovative, and a great mentor. She focuses on continuous improvement and tries to help everyone do more for customers. Since returning to Axway, she has re-energized the Healthcare and Life Sciences selling teams and earned a global sales leadership award. She partnered with product management to bring a new product to market in a unique way (Verification Routing Service, part of the DSCSA, drug serialization regulation). She is currently partnering with marketing and solution delivery leaders to help customers comply with the Interoperability Rule and Transparency in Coverage rule (requirements to allow patients to access their health records online through Open APIs).
Ruby has worked for more than ten years with Stragistics, a Memphis, Tennessee certified Minority and Women-Owned Business (MWBE), in an advisory role. She is partnering with a woman CEO of a patient access application, introducing her to accounts and providing marketing opportunities. “I strive to be a positive force for women. I work hard to listen to and support my colleagues when they need someone to chat with and encourage them to take action where and when needed. I believe in modeling how to be professional and direct to accomplish your goals. I always advocate for fellow female colleagues and give them recognition and corporate-wide attention through Axway’s internal recognition platform,” says Ruby.
According to Ruby, “There is always pressure to be available to work, whether it is a phone call or email after hours, working while on vacation, or in my case having to decide to do a technology demonstration or stay with my daughter in the hospital.” She adds, “In the latter case I chose to honor my commitment and fly to the west coast to do a technology demonstration, and it still bothers me to this day. As a woman sometimes we feel pressure to put work first in order to be as “respected” as our male counterparts. Whether we self-impose that pressure or it is true we all need to be empathic and understanding of people’s work life balance.” Ruby advises that being visibly angry and upset is not helpful to communicate their point of view. “Once you are viewed through an emotional lens, your viewpoints lose the respect of the men in the room. This is true even when the men are acting emotionally. This is not to say that you should hide your passion for ideas and for doing the right thing but it does mean that as a woman you need to think through your responses more carefully and more completely than a man does.” Armed with this ideology, Ruby has been leading the company to new heights.
Axway and many of Axway’s acquisitions were founded to help customers move data securely at scale. From the beginning, Axway’s goals were to automate and secure processes that are critical to many companies:
• Authorizing the movement of dollars from one account to another (typically for payroll)
• Exchanging sensitive data like health and financial records
• Receiving and processing orders and invoices for manufacturers
• Shippers
• Service organizations
“We are honored to share that Axway’s Amplify API Management Platform, MFT, and B2B Integration services are used by top global organizations in finance, healthcare, logistics, and government,” says Ruby. “Today, we believe that to create the most value for our customers, their customers, and their partners; companies need to Open Everything by securely integrating and moving data across a complex world of new technologies. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are the building blocks of this Open Everything vision.
“We give heritage IT infrastructure new life, helping more than 11,000 customers worldwide build on what they already have to digitally transform, add new business capabilities, and drive growth. With our Amplify API Management Platform — the only open, independent platform for managing and governing APIs across teams, the hybrid cloud, and third-party solutions — we help companies move forward faster, reach new markets, and create brilliant digital experiences,” elucidates Ruby. IEWL
For Jennifer Brooks, her career has been quite an exciting journey. Before joining GOLO, she spent several years refining her sales and marketing skills and studying the science behind nutrition and food. Her journey ultimately included becoming Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition and holding degrees in Culinary Arts and Mind-Body Transformational Psychology. This diverse set of experiences provides her with a unique perspective on the many challenges people face when grappling with their personal wellness, whether it’s reaching weight loss goals, understanding how to incorporate exercise into their day, or learning the foundational elements of good nutrition.
With GOLO, Jennifer is proud that they spent the time and effort to develop a comprehensive approach to better health and wellness that is unique. “It is the driving force behind our success as a company. For instance, our meal plan isn’t a conventional diet. It is a multidimensional approach to creating balanced meals using fresh, wholesome ingredients familiar to everyone,” she says.
GOLO also developed customizable support tools to address common triggers that cause emotional or stress eating. Jennifer’s team provides free coaching sessions to help with the plan for customers and offers other wellness products that fit into a healthy lifestyle, including at-home fitness equipment. GOLO empowers people by providing them with the knowledge they need to make better and healthier decisions. Jennifer’s job is to ensure they never stray from this core principle.
Even though the wellness industry is incredibly fast-moving, Jennifer makes it a priority to take time to mentor other female employees who are looking to further their careers. In her opinion, one of the best things women can do to mentor or support other women is to be present and engaged. Being a supportive resource for other women can take many forms, including offering internships, attending networking events, or just having a conversation and listening. “For instance, I’m a member of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) and a Certified Dietary Supplement Professional (CDSP), and I make a point of sharing my business experiences with other women through my involvement with these and other industry associations,” adds Jennifer. She inspires and empowers her team members at GOLO by listening to them and investing in the tools and training they need to be successful.
“Our employee training and development efforts are essential to our business, and we work hard to adapt our process based on each employee’s job function and unique skill set,” explains Jennifer. “For instance, GOLO’s employee training and skills development programs for our customer service team members are second to none within the industry. This allows us to attract and retain top talent. We’re incredibly proud that our customer service representatives are primarily in-house employees instead of having all those capabilities outsourced.”
GOLO has reached many milestones over the past few years. Still, their proudest achievement is reaching over two million customers globally who have incorporated GOLO products and services into their journey to a healthier lifestyle. “To be able to play a role in helping others get healthier so they can play with their children again or have the energy and stamina to take a walk without pain is why we do what we do,” says Jennifer. “There is no better feeling than hearing our customers tell us that they have given up diet and processed foods and are now eating whole fresh food again and feeling so much better.” Nothing tells the company’s story better than GOLO’s customers. They recently unveiled a series of new television commercials showcasing some of their customers’ unique and inspirational stories. The testimonial-driven campaign allowed customers to take center stage by showing that getting healthy is not only possible but achievable and sustainable. “Our fundamental purpose as an organization, now and in the future, is to help people transition to healthier lifestyles. We take this responsibility seriously, and our team is laser-focused on our current portfolio and on developing the next generation of natural, affordable, and sustainable health and wellness plans, products, and services,” adds the steadfast leader. WL
Ronit Pinto, founder of the award-winning media company Honeysuckle Magazine, has been a bold and creative thinker her entire life. Raised in Texas, after graduating college she cultivated her professional interest in art and culture in Tel Aviv, where she worked at an art gallery with European dealers and interned at City Lights, the lifestyle edition of The Jerusalem Post.
“At The Jerusalem Post, I interviewed directors, artists, Tarot card readers, environmentalists, animal rights activists, and filmmakers… [I] was kind of ‘let loose’ to do whatever I wanted,” Pinto says. “It was a wonderful experience that enabled me to get out there on the street. That ‘boots on the ground’ approach and form of agency has informed my personal and professional approach today. You want to learn something? Go and find out about it!”
Pinto has carried over the “boots on the ground” philosophy to Honeysuckle. The brand was incorporated in Detroit in 2013, the city Ronit made her home after leaving Tel Aviv. (“It’s where my mom’s family is from originally,” she notes.) While working on film sets in Detroit – such as Michael Bay’s Transformers series and projects for Jim Jarmusch and the late Wesley Craven – Ronit also grew her journalistic portfolio. She became Allure’s Detroit beauty writer and worked as a publisher’s assistant for a fashion and design magazine. With Honeysuckle’s creation, Pinto merged her passions for film and journalism into a source for intellectual curiosity with a soul – an educational and stimulating publication through a cultural lens.
“Honeysuckle has always been a platform encouraging hope and individual expression in the face of challenging and extraordinary circumstances,” she says. “Even when facing an international pandemic!”
Since relocating its headquarters to New York, Honeysuckle’s media footprint has grown exponentially. The brand has won awards for its social justice reporting, including two New York State government honors: A New York State Assembly Citation Award from Assemblywoman Inez E. Dickens of Harlem for significant contribution to the culture and community of New York City, and an award from State Senator Brian Benjamin for taking a progressive stance on the social and economic issues plaguing our society. In one of Pinto’s proudest moments, Honeysuckle also aided in securing a female inmate’s compassionate release from a California state prison.
Particularly known for its edgy initiatives, Honeysuckle has hit remarkable milestones in its coverage of the cannabis industry. Pinto and her team have led three innovative policy-changing Times Square billboard campaigns, the inaugural project being the first time in history that cannabis and hemp brands were allowed to advertise in the iconic space. Along with publicly-traded companies, the event offered an opportunity for many marginalized and minority-owned brands to gain mainstream recognition.
Honeysuckle’s latest Times Square billboard campaign spotlighted “the greatest rapper in the world,” Lil Wayne, and his cannabis brand GKUA (also the cover story subjects of the magazine’s most recent print edition). As it wouldn’t be Honeysuckle without another glass ceiling shattered, this campaign also featured the first Indigenous cannabis brands ever to advertise in Times Square. Brand partners Legacy 420, a retailer based in Ontario’s Mohawk Territory, and the Idaho-based Tribal Hemp & Cannabis Magazine from the Indigenous Cannabis Coalition joined forces in the world’s premiere international Indigenous cannabis collaboration. Other campaign partners include Green Bee Life, Hamptons Medi Spa, My Bud Vase, The Herb Somm, and High Tea.Today.
For Honeysuckle’s next steps, Ronit says, “We are expanding our model over our different platforms. Now that adult-use cannabis has become legal in New York through the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), it will be a lot easier for us to do what we’ve been trying to do for the past four years, in terms of exploring the intersection of various industries.”
Reflecting on what brought her through the most challenging times, she adds, “I think it is extremely hard to do your own thing and make it in any kind of arts category. It’s sad, but true. Part of our mission is to normalize creativity and freedom in the workplace. It’s a hard road, but sometimes not doing it can be even harder and require more energy. But there is only one way to change your environment and that is just to do it! If you wait for others to do it, it probably won’t happen.”
Fortunately, Honeysuckle is happening and blossoming all over, thanks to Pinto’s far-projecting vision. “We always try to stay ahead of the curve,” she asserts. “Some of that is natural, as my close friends joke that I am ‘from the future.’ I’ve also had the honor and privilege of working with extraordinarily talented and intelligent people. Especially given our independent status, it is these elements combined which make Honeysuckle stand out.” IE
HoneySuckle
Ronit Pinto
Founder
We are an internationally distributed print and digital publication focusing on sustainability, social issues, spirituality and culture brought to you in a sexy package! www.honeysucklemag.com
Dr. Bonnie Schmidt is the Founder and President of Let’s Talk Science, a Canadian education charity that she started in 1991 while completing a PhD in Physiology at Western University. She started the organization as a small outreach project in response to an economic recession that saw severe cuts to research funding.
In the early 90’s, little public outreach was happening, and when the funding began to disappear, researchers realized that the public didn’t understand the meaning and value of their work. That’s when Bonnie and a small group of graduate students decided to change that and Let’s Talk Science was born. They reached out to teachers, visited classrooms and brought students to campus to share interesting activities, enthusiasm and knowledge about science.
Pursuing the creation of the organization during her PhD studies turned out to be one of the best decisions she could have made and has set her up for an amazing adventure over the past three decades. Today, through Let’s Talk Science, Bonnie continues to bring together people who care deeply about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), education, and youth across Canada.
Today, Let’s Talk Science is a trusted national partner in education, working with thousands of schools and organizations to offer programs at no cost in English and French. The organization helps children and youth fulfill their potential and prepare for their future careers and citizenship role by supporting their learning through STEM engagement. Let’s Talk Science offers a robust suite of programming and has surpassed 11.4 million interactions with youth, educators, and parents since its inception. The foundation’s partnerships currently include over 53 universities, colleges, and research institutes; many STEM-based organizations and industries, schools and school boards, among others.
Let’s Talk Science has led several successful bold projects because of its deep commitment to collaboration and continuous learning. Bonnie has encouraged and actively worked at partnering with diverse organizations to ensure youth in Canada have the skills they need to contribute and thrive. “We rarely do things alone, and we are not afraid to fail as we innovate. Our depth and breadth of programming has allowed us to remain a relevant and trusted partner in education,” adds the steadfast leader. “Thanks to our strong foundation and close relationships across the education sector, we have been able to adapt and change our programing to meet the evolving needs of educators over the past 30 years.”
With the desire to catalyze sustained change, Bonnie spearheaded Canada 2067, an ambitious initiative to shape the future of STEM education. She is also actively engaged in the STEM community in Canada and internationally. She currently serves on the Genome Canada Board of Directors, is a member of the Federal Government’s AI Public Awareness Working Group, and she is helping reinvigorate outreach programming with the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS).
In 2020, she was a member of the PISA Expert Strategic Visioning Group to the OECD, which set about developing a new vision for the international science test. Bonnie is an effective communicator who clearly articulates why Let’s Talk Science exists and what it achieves. At the core of her work is a commitment to supporting youth development by creating relevant and meaningful connections between the education and scientific ecosystems.
For her efforts in education and youth development, Bonnie has received more than a dozen awards, including an Honorary Degree from Ryerson University. She was named a Member of the Order of Canada and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
One of Bonnie’s important leadership qualities is her desire to help those around her grow and develop their leadership capacity. She encourages those she works with to take risks, explore new ideas and take on projects and work that challenges them. At the heart of her leadership is a commitment to collaboration and continuous learning, which she brings into the workplace. These values encourage team members to work together to meet challenges collectively and commit to their learning – which she is happy to support through access to training, coaching, and conversations – to help them grow their skills and leadership capacity.
A respected leader, Bonnie is a role model who leads by example and lives the values of the organization. This creates a stimulating, encouraging and supportive environment for all team members. She is also committed to mentoring and supporting people who are early in their careers and trying to determine their pathway (i.e. students, early stage entrepreneurs).
The pandemic presented many leadership challenges. It also underscored the importance of STEM for the global response and the value of scientific literacy to mitigate negative impacts of misinformation and disinformation. For Bonnie, the past two years have reinforced the importance of Let’s Talk Science in helping youth develop skills and characteristics that are more important than ever. WL
Laura Cuttill, a 20-year marketing expert, has proven her ability to integrate corporate, financial, and technological objectives into simplified, successful operations. Laura works with clients at every level of the marketing process, from developing dramatic and engaging customer experiences to integrating big data and machine learning-enabled procedures, to help them improve their account-based marketing efforts. Laura Cuttill’s roles as “Chief Educator” and “Chief Inventor” have had a significant influence on Advertas’ success. Advertas is a tenacious problem-solver for its customers. When a company’s internal marketing or sales team needs a boost of creativity or is facing a difficult situation, they turn to Advertas as a digital marketing firm.
“Advertas combines the best in strategy, marketing technology, and content to deliver measurable results. We bring years of experience, a team of specialists, and finely tuned processes to give you the differentiation and competitive advantage of market leaders.”
Laura says “I’m a serial entrepreneur. I started with a degree in marketing from Texas A&M University, did technical writing for some large companies, and co-founded Advertas in 2004. Later, I co-founded a security software company called 2FA, built that up, sold it off, and returned to Advertas. When I started, I wanted to do everything. I wrote business plans as a freelancer and then later went into technical writing at the intersection of oil and gas and cybersecurity. While I’m a serial entrepreneur with several successful startups under my belt, the advice I’d give to anyone else is to go work for someone else for a while. You really get invaluable experience and contacts while working for larger companies. You find the best ways of doing things, and then later, when you start your own venture, you have those fundamentals to pull from and aren’t re-inventing the wheel with every step.”
The mission of Advertas is to provide effective marketing and lead generation results for B2B technology companies. Advertas combines the best in processes, technology, and talent to support internal marketing teams in bringing their efforts to the next level. Whether SEO, ad campaigns, showing an ROI on events, or highly personalized outreach campaigns to senior executives, the Advertas team weave together creativity with detailed analysis to develop effective campaigns.
Advertas has been in business for 17 years. In and of itself, that is a tremendous feat in the world of digital marketing agencies. Advertas clients stay with it an average of five years or longer. For years, Advertas have maintained that a company’s website is the storefront of the 21st century, and the pandemic has amplified this idea ten-fold. In 2021, Advertas won a gold Hermes Creative Award in the Live or Virtual Event category for its 2020 Oil & Gas Machine Learning Symposium. It’s a compliment to the Advertas team for pivoting rapidly in the midst of the COVID outbreak to flawlessly deliver on converting a traditionally live event into a totally immersive digital experience.
Laura says, “As CMO of Advertas, the growth of our agency rolls up to me. Good ideas come from many sources, so our success is a credit to our team and our collaborative efforts. We put our heads together, come up with the best solutions, and I give a framework and some quality control to our initiatives. They’re a resourceful, capable group of rockstars, and I’m proud of the work we do.” Laura also adds, “I read, and I ask an insatiable amount of questions. I glean from any source I can, as often as I can. I listen twice as much as I talk. I have my own podcast, “The CMO’s Guide to Everything,” specifically designed to sit down with thought leaders and exchange ideas. We all have our respective areas of deep expertise, and I’m always on the lookout for someone who knows more than I do in any given area. One of my favorite quotes is “If you look around and you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” Laura’s significant effort not only helps the company succeed but she is also an exemplary role model for many as an Influential Women Leader.IEWL
Advertas
Laura Cuttill
CMO of Advertas
Increasing revenue is best driven by breaking down traditional silos of marketing and sales while consistently innovating and evolving to find new ways of reaching people with the right message at the right time.
Although admittedly a frequently overused cliché, Referential is often heralded as having all the positive traits of being a family, albeit a large one spread worldwide. Leveraging her experiences from larger companies to identify and expand on best-in-class practices, Helen Feber, Managing Partner, has nurtured a pervasive atmosphere of trust, collaboration and transparency throughout the team. The appeal and advantages of this culture are evidenced by the continual stream of clients seeking positions within the company, and by the lengthy average tenure of the current Referential employees. Helen’s instinctively caring, supportive and, at times, protective nature permeates all aspects of the company and its operations. As a result of the Referential family spirit, the team is willing to do whatever it takes to deliver professional, world-class services to further the company’s reputation.
Helen earned an honors degree in Electronic, Computer and Systems Engineering from one of the top engineering universities in Europe and holds metalwork Industrial Studies certifications – both significant achievements in heavily male-dominated disciplines. She has applied her analytical skills to business areas where results have traditionally been very subjective: With Helen’s expertise, Referential has spearheaded the revolution of using innovative and pervasive metrics that enable customer advocacy program leaders to harness data to manage their operations in a highly analytical and controlled fashion.
Moving beyond the typical ‘smiley face’ measures that have habitually been associated with legacy marketing initiatives, Referential is equipping managers with the tools and knowledge to quantify their teams’ business impact. Recently, Referential has donated substantial time to helping the Institute of Certified Customer Advocacy Professionals (ICCAP.Expert) establish three levels of certification. These efforts have tangibly elevated the standing of advocacy-related initiatives in even the biggest of companies; programs that were once irretrievably buried in the depths of marketing organizations now frequently report directly to a C-suite executive. Under Helen’s guidance and vocally corroborated by countless appreciative clients, Referential has been instrumental in fueling this metamorphosis.
““Helen is definitely one of the founders and molders of the customer advocacy domain. She and team Referential have helped so many companies build great programs.” – Gal Biran, CEO, Crowdvocate”
Helen has personally coached numerous professionals to instill a core belief in themselves and their natural abilities. Leading by example, Helen has been a role model in repeatedly demonstrating the mentality and skills necessary to be successful, irrespective of gender. Helen maintains a broad network of many hundreds of professionals that she encourages, collaborates with and learns from. Being an active participant in this strong confederation of practitioners energizes Helen and inspires her to share her expertise and experiences whenever it can make a difference.
Referential has delivered strategic guidance to some of the biggest and best-known companies globally, including Microsoft, Cisco, HP, Alcatel-Lucent, Novell, Rackspace, RSA and Time-Warner, to name just a few. It provides customer marketing services to the full gamete of organizations, from Fortune 50 behemoths to fledging startups. Irrespective of company size, the approach to becoming a trusted advisor has always been built on the same underpinning tenet; having a broad understanding of the subject areas to be able to take a meta-view of dependencies and predicates but being honest where expertise and experience lies, and where it doesn’t.
Helen’s pragmatic, collaborative, lead-by-doing style of engaging with clients has been the driving force behind Referential’s almost three decades of success – starting as an individual contributor and growing the company to a multi-million-dollar agency with clients, employees and fans around the world.
The Referential team’s fundamental philosophy is to impart the knowledge needed for clients to become ‘rock stars’ in their respective companies. Many clients have felt ill-equipped and unable to articulate the true impact of their programs in a way that resonates with their management. Referential’s metrics-centric approach enables program managers to use data to convey the value objectively in an irrefutable and powerful way. Knowledge transfer techniques are used to empower clients further to continue their professional growth even after an engagement with Referential.
More recently, inspired by Tami Forman’s work with Path Forward, Referential has started a ‘return to work’ initiative. This effort – aimed at parents that want to return to the workforce after taking time out to raise children – seeks to identify interested individuals that are intrigued by the possibility of a career in customer marketing and advocacy. Helen loves the thrill of mentoring an individual in a way that tangibly improves that person’s trajectory. IEWL
Referential, Inc.
Helen Feber
Managing Partner of Referential, Inc.
Referential, Inc. is a US corporation established in 2012, but our experience in the advocacy and reference sector spans more than two decades. The company has always specialized in delivering innovative, high-quality advocacy-related services.
Monica Chikhani, CVO, MEC workshop, graduated with a degree in Advertising design in an era where the internet and computer were not yet a big thing. And this did not stop her from honing all the skills she has today to update her knowledge and know-how. Monica started MECworkshop in 1996 with zero capital. It was more of a one-person do-it-all. But she was eager to show the world what she could create as a change. “I nailed several projects that needed extra resources that shared my passion and boundless creativity. So, I approached like-minded talents that wanted to work but did not have their network or sales skills to sell themselves,” Monica elucidates. “Here, the idea of the freelance incubator has seen the light, and despite being told, ‘you must be crazy, it will never work,’ I persevered in my idea and concept, grew MEC’s portfolio and relationships. We continued growing and soon were approached by an agency in Dubai to partner with them and lead their Creative and Experiential departments. I saw new horizons and expenditures for MECworkshop beyond the Lebanese borders” That experience inspired Monica to look for other areas of the advertising and marketing industry that would benefit from a novel ‘cheaper, better, no worries’ approach.
The steadfast leader’s most significant career barrier was in the early days when she needed to manage a remote team and ensure they were delivered on time. Zoom did not exist, and she had a dial-up internet barely, so briefing the team and monitoring the deliverables was very challenging. “Nevertheless, I know I was very blessed to start my career as a graphic designer. Hence, I did have all the adobe cloud skills, so I managed to step in whenever / wherever needed to complete the job and keep the customer satisfied,” says Monica. “I still do it today, but on infrequent occasions, all the new technologies, specifically the ones that boomed because of COVID-19, supported our business proposition in so many ways and made our lives much more manageable.”
Monica has joined different NGOs where women empowerment was the center of their mission. She helped form the young women of tomorrow in understanding that diversity is essential in the workplace, and when they put their minds into doing something, they can if they deal with all their limiting believes. Her advice to all women is to lean forward in any meeting, discussion, or relationship they take part in. Lean-to speak up their ideas; lean-to speak up their point of view, learn to speak up what they foresee. “Do not be afraid of what you speak up as one has to learn from their mistakes, and a person who doesn’t make mistakes is a person who is not trying and staying in the shadows of others. I continuously say to my team, “the day you stop learning is the day you stop living” hence celebrate your mistake and learn new skills, read and show up at events to grow your network.” Armed with a different yet unique approach, Monica has been taking the company to new heights.
“MECworkshop combines strategists, designers, mentors, and consultants to deliver marketing cloud solutions to its clienteles. MECworkshop to introduce NFTs into its service model soon. This new digital currency will benefit both their clientele and their resources.”
MECworkshop, as mentioned earlier, was born in 1996 in Beirut when Monica knew that being an employee was not made for her. Although she works as a consultant for many organizations across the Middle East and Europe today, being part of their team, MECworkshop is still her top priority. MEC delivers on a need Monica saw in the market at that time, providing the quality of multinational agencies with the prices of freelancers. With MECworkshop’s value proposition then and unique cloud structure today, it is considered today as THE solution for both businesses and freelancers, specifically during these unprecedented times we are going through. “Our rates are unbeatable given our unique structure that has close to Zero overhead cost,” says Monica
So how does MECworkshop work? For businesses, MECworkshop ensures they have turnkey marketing solutions at competitive prices. They combine strategists, designers, mentors, and consultants to deliver marketing cloud solutions. While for freelancers, MECworkshop extends a complete solution to each expert who has either lost their job because of COVID-19 or are independent talents by ensuring they work on the right project that positively impacts and embraces their skills. “Currently, we are partnering with high tech professional organizations to introduce NFTs, or “nonfungible tokens,” into our service model. This new digital currency will benefit both our clientele and our freelancers.” Monica concluded when asked about what can we expect in the near future from MECworkshop. IEWL
Charlene DiGiuseppe, CFO, Achievers, leads with many years of diverse experience under her belt, but it was specifically her time in the technology space that made her realize how quickly the world is changing, and with it, the evolving role of the CFO.
Traditional finance expertise is no longer enough for today’s CFO, as they now manage many functions and drive substantive change for their companies. For DiGiuseppe, she is more than familiar with this responsibility and the challenges that come with setting the pace of change. “Every day I am looking to the horizon and asking, ‘Are we ready? What does great look like, and are we there?’ The obvious conclusion is that we’ve still got work to do and my bias is action.”
DiGiuseppe’s goal is to break down the legacy barriers in accounting and finance to develop professionals who are valued as equal business partners to the operation and bring value to shareholders. “The modern CFO sees the path forward and supports the organization on the road to success. On a tactical level, people, processes and systems are the key variables to successfully enable change in that journey,” she explains. “We are only as strong as our weakest link, and I boldly address all three key variables in my role at Achievers. My fellow C-suite team and colleagues will attest that I ask the hard questions, fearlessly tackle difficult topics and hold the bar high for excellence.”
As a strong woman leader, DiGiuseppe advises women in similar positions to not only lead by example but with empathy. “I am human, I am vulnerable, I admit challenges and mistakes all while allowing others to make them through my transparency. I lead with raw passion and energy and that emotion is not a weakness; it allows me to be understood, be relatable, be connected and therefore trusted.” For DiGiuseppe, one of the key ingredients to success is people. Regardless of gender, she encourages everyone to be the leader people want to follow and learn from. “In my career, I have chased great leadership and chosen my personal journey based on the ‘who’ I would support, partner with, learn from, and go to battle with. It starts with the choices you make and the choices you’ve earned.” Armed with this ideology, Charlene has taken the company to new heights.
In 2021, Achievers made the Great Place to Work ® list for Best Workplaces in Canada, UK, Australia, and a Great Place to Work ® for Inclusion and Women. When an organization and its leadership genuinely celebrate diversity and inclusion, success and growth are exponential. “At Achievers, we practice what we preach, and we have proven — with data — that employee engagement drives results. With our employee experience platform, you can enable a culture that celebrates performance and elevates engagement through recognition, reward, and the employee voice,” explains DiGiuseppe. “To truly create a meaningful culture of recognition, the Achievers Workforce Institute — our research and science arm — has found that recognition has to have particular qualities to be effective and drive behavior change. You will find the highest impact when a recognition is timely, specific, and values-based.”
While data is the key to modern employee engagement technology, the insights organizations can gain from that data and how leaders act on those insights are where they move the dial on delivering a better employee experience, according to DiGiuseppe. Most organizations have so much data at their fingertips but there needs to be a bridge between measurement and action for this data to be impactful.
Achievers provides real-time feedback that helps leaders understand where there needs to be change and how to start. Specifically, with the Achievers Listen™ product, multiple voices of employee functions are consolidated within one suite to engage employees and empower their managers. Achievers removes the roadblocks that prevent managers from acting on feedback with a toolset that guides them to take meaningful action with structured outcomes with targeted analytics and automated action functionalities.
Reflecting on her career journey and where the CFO role is headed, DiGiuseppe is optimistic about the value diversity is starting to bring to the table. “I encourage women to make their voices heard – know that what you have to say is important, and say it with the unwavering confidence that you can solve any problem and those who surround you know it.” IEWL
Achievers
Charlene DiGiuseppe
CFO of Achievers
Achievers’ employee voice and recognition solutions bring your organization’s values and strategy to life by activating employee participation and accelerating a culture of performance. Achievers leverages the science behind behavior change, so your people and your organization can experience sustainable, data-driven business results anywhere in the world. Integrated insights fuel smarter solutions that deliver just-in-time nudges to the entire organization and an industry-best customer success and support team guides you on every step of the journey.