Before the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Support Services Group (SSG) was relatively small but growing. Staff worked in contact centers, and success was driven by how well the company’s culture of caring translated down to frontline agents. The pandemic forced SSG to rethink just about everything. To protect employees and guarantee service to clients, SSG deployed thousands of employees to work-from-home in weeks. Marcy Payne led the transition effort, leveraging her prior experience leading a team of 5,000 remote employees. Due to swift action and careful planning, SSG maintained full service for their clients, protecting their business and servicing their customers.

Marcy also needed to preserve SSG’s culture. That meant ensuring teams stayed connected, supporting remote employees, and

remembering that everyone was going through stressful times. People had child-care issues to resolve, Wi-Fi connectivity to sort out, and sick family members to worry about. SSG had to get nimble fast, and it was up to Marcy and the rest of the SSG leadership team to make it happen. “The overriding theme was to do right by our people and clients; the rest would take care of itself.”

Today, SSG has more than doubled in size since COVID-19 struck because they successfully navigated challenges while competitors struggled. Marcy is intelligent, decisive, and empathetic. She is a team builder and wants those around her to succeed.

“It starts with giving a voice to our people,” says Marcy. “I want to be sure every employee is comfortable and feels like part of the team. They need to understand that they aren’t here just to do a job, they are here to advance their careers.”

Marcy’s nurturing approach is clearly working, said Bryan Gross, SSG CEO:

“It is one thing to talk about culture and doing things the right way, but it is another to be able to execute and get buy-in from frontline staff,” he says. . “Whatever center I walk into, whomever I meet along the way, I’m driven by how connected our people are to the company. That’s Marcy. We are now a global organization, and somehow, she has been able to keep the family culture alive and well.”

When a leader takes the time to genuinely connect with her staff, culture evolves, and attitudes change. “In our last employee survey, 94% of our staff said they would recommend SSG as a great place to work,” says Marcy. “That kind of employee satisfaction is rare these days.”

A true inspiration to all the women, Marcy says, “I want women to know they can be great mothers and executives at the same time. The migration to work from home is a blessing in that regard. Children get a clearer understanding of what mom does during the day, and mothers get more time with their children. Yes, work and home life intersect at times, and that’s OK.”

The steadfast leader has a unique ideology owing to her grandmother, Gwen Schellstede, the first woman in Fertilizer at Phillips Petroleum company back in the ’50s. “She challenged the norm in a male-dominated oil company and advanced her career as a female executive managing shipping all over the US,” explains Marcy. “Her determination to continue to learn and advance in a career she loved during constant challenges, and gaining respect as a female leader, helped guide me into a career in business focused on advancing to an executive leader.” Armed with such a unique ideology, Marcy has been transforming the company.

Support Services Group was first a tech support company for the electronics industry. As the need for customer care became more prevalent, the company added verticals and now serves most sectors of the economy. “There is intense competition in the outsourcing space. Many companies hire agents before they even know what program they’ll be working on,” says Marcy. “SSG aims to earn customers for life, so we go to great lengths to recruit, train, and retain top talent. We also provide dedicated program management and hands-on, executive-level client support to our partners. We customize our programs to the EXACT requirements and needs of each client. The last piece is providing leading technology that reduces costs for our partners.”

SSG maintains a strong virtual connection and managerial oversight between agents and leadership by employing video conferencing, video chat, chat rooms, and more. “We have also used Virtual Town Hall meetings to bring teams in different parts of the world together as a large group. Our entire recruiting process is digital now, too,” explains Marcy. “We can hire around the world without meeting a candidate in person. I’m really excited about the evolution of our technology platform. We are offering a truly omnichannel platform that will improve customer satisfaction and increase agent productivity.” IEWL

Support Services Group

Management

Marcy Payne
Chief Operating Officer of Support Services Group

Description

Support Services Group is a global, high-touch Omnichannel Outsource Contact Center solution company founded in 1981. Our 23 contact centers are in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Hungary, Malaysia, and the Philippines. We provide various types of services from Technical Support, Help Desk Services, Customer Service, E-commerce and Retail Support, RMA Management, Restaurant, and Automotive Customer Service, Utility Support, B2B/B2C Sales, Sales Support, Chat Support, Email Support, Knowledgebase Management, and more.

Dr. Martina Diekmann, CEO of vivitide, has been a beacon of positive attitude from the pandemic’s very onset. A leadership characteristic of hers is that she goes above and beyond to be available to her employees, ensuring everyone’s wellbeing. Martina played a critical role in quickly transforming the workforce into an agile, highly flexible, and extremely well-aligned organization, building on her key strengths such as striving to be ahead of the game and early, proactive, and fast decision making. Another pillar of Martina’s success is guiding the team in a people-oriented and collaborative way of working. An example is the new company name, vivitide, resulting from the creative work done internally by involving key people from the business. The same approach was used to identify the company values because Martina is convinced that vivitide’s employees are the true asset of the company. She said that actively listening to clients and employees alike and an open-door policy at vivitide are essential ingredients to achieve excellent customer care and profitable growth of the business while shaping the company for future success based on high customer and employee satisfaction.

“Inspiring leader with strong background in life sciences (PhD) and several years of experience in biotech R&D & commercialization. I am passionate about leading teams to achieve great results. I enjoy coaching, mentoring others and sharing experiences . I have gained extensive experience across both early stage and established businesses (with a bit of corporate citizenship)and successfully grown businesses in the areas of Research and Development and Life Sciences excellence in the past few years.”

Martina is a strong believer in leading by example. For her, “everyone is equal” means mentoring and coaching all managers to create a sense of familiarity, diversity, and acceptance in the workplace among both men and women. Empowering women means creating a workplace that allows them to grow to the very best version of themselves. In a nutshell, as Martina says, key prerequisites for tomorrow’s female leaders are still the same: the ability to articulate themselves, stand their ground, and gain influence.

vivitide was launched as a new brand in January 2021 to transform a business with a legacy of over 55 years of history into a global player. vivitide is specialized in manufacturing peptides that are present in numerous biological processes as messenger molecules and are widely used in pharmaceutical applications. From her very first day, Martina started emphasizing vivitide’s role and contribution to life science research convinced that a deep understanding of the big picture is the foundation needed to set the company apart. It was a game-changer for everyone at vivitide to realize the impact of vivitide’s contribution to the diagnosis, therapy, and cure of currently unmet medical needs. Going beyond the mere supply of biochemicals is the company’s core business, uniting the employees in their contribution.

“With a history of being flexible and easy to work with, we build true partnerships with our customers. They appreciate our open, transparent and proactive communication,” says Martina. “The expertise of our long-time employees, scientific experts in their field, allows scientists to engage and elaborate solutions with us as a team.” She adds, “vivitide’s consistent high quality allows our clients to focus on the science, knowing they can rely on our services and products and, as a consequence, trust in their results.”

With vivitide’s new brand, Martina’s and her team’s vision is to become one of the leading independent suppliers of peptides globally. “Our strategy is to serve our customers from early research activities all the way to clinical supply. Our new, mid-large scale production line in the USA is the first step along those lines and we target further expansion in the near future,” she says. The one piece of advice Martina would like to give all females is to start networking with other women to empower each other and allow them to benefit from both female support and competition. This translates to Martina’s private life. Martina is a passionate long-distance runner. She is also co-founder of FEEN, a female endurance community, empowering women worldwide to connect and support each other in an active lifestyle and enjoying the unique experience of female sports groups.IE

Vivitide

Management

Dr Martina Diekmann
CEO

Description

vivitide’s consistent high quality allows our clients to focus on the science, knowing they can rely on our services and products and, as a consequence, trust in their results

Cathy Vasilev is a strong female leader in an industry that’s highly regulated and rapidly evolving.

With the advent of digital media and a global marketplace, financial advisers, financial institutions and investment firms are under pressure to approve advertising and marketing material faster while at the same time reducing, or being mindful of, costs.

As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer for Red Oak Compliance Solution, Cathy uses her in-depth compliance expertise to guide client compliance efforts and to strategically influence the company’s software solutions.

Cathy spent 25 years developing her compliance expertise while working at leading financial advisory firms. She, along with Co-Founders Stephen Pope and Rick Grashel, saw the need for a better, more agile compliance solution to meet the evolving needs of compliance and marketing professionals.

In 2010, they formed Red Oak Compliance Solutions, where they developed SaaS technology designed to meet the needs of advertising and compliance professionals in the financial services market. The company’s flagship software is noted and respected throughout the regtech and financial services industries as an easy-to-use, compliant, and highly configurable solution that can be scaled to meet the needs of firms regardless of their size and the number of professionals working to ensure compliance standards are met.

Cathy focuses on building and leading two impactful teams within the Red Oak organization –implementations and consulting. The consulting team comprises knowledgeable professionals with extensive backgrounds in financial services, compliance and legal. Cathy’s team serves financial firms in several capacities – from advising on new regulatory developments to supplementing compliance departments for growing teams, to offering trainings and development written procedures to support for organizations and their development.

The implementations team works with new clients to ensure they are properly configured and ready to start using Red Oak’s compliance software. While many tech implementations can take several months, Cathy’s team strives to get clients up and running in a matter of weeks. And they’re very often successful because of the software’s flexibility, which empowers clients to start nimbly and continue to make adjustments as they learn how the software might work best for their organization.

As COO, at Red Oak, Cathy plays a key role in keeping the organization strong. She prioritizes employee growth, development, and empowerment and she works to create competitive and rewarding employee benefits and compensation packages. She also advocates for a culture of empowerment where employees are provided the space, opportunity, and support to professionally be the best they can be and thrive in the organization. Because of the culture Cathy has championed, Red Oak has become a great landing place for financial industry veterans, many of whom have moved over and joined the company’s sales, implementation and support teams.

While Cathy is a mentor to many in the compliance and financial services fields, she is especially focused on mentoring women within the Red Oak organization and the financial services industry, encouraging them to be their best, to conquer new challenges and to advocate for themselves. She provides valuable guidance and she is an advocate for learning by experience – letting them run the show when they have worked hard on a project or process.

As Red Oak continues to grow and to attract the attention of nationally recognized firms, the company continues to launch new software features, including:

– Smart Review – a disclosure management tool that uses predictive intelligence to streamline review processes between marketing and compliance teams

– Smart Registration – a licensing and registration module designed to reduce the time and effort required to maintain the many licenses required for financial advisors

As Red Oak continues to evolve and advance, Cathy and her team will be on hand to support clients as they onboard the flagship software or upgrade to additional modules, and to capture client feedback that inspires new solutions to meet the growing demands of the financial services industry. IEWL

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Sea Turtle Inc. was at the apex of growth and transitioning when Wendy Knight joined as the CEO. She quickly gave it groundwork support and business perspective to pursue more significant donations, corporate sponsorships and marketing campaigns. Nonprofits are appropriately viewed as mission-driven organizations. Wendy recognized that nonprofits are also business enterprises built on an underlying business model that makes the programs and organization operate and succeed. In less than a year, the Sea Turtle Inc staff continued its mission driven approach while adding a focused business mindset. This approach allowed the organization to increase admission count by 71% over the prior three years and greatly increased media as a fundraising strategy. This provide a stronger foundation to support the mission of educating the public, rehabilitate injured sea turtles, and leading with conservation efforts.

“Under Wendy’s leadership as CEO ,a hospital will be constructed that allows Sea Turtle Inc. to take its place as a visionary and innovator in rehabilitation and research. To learn more about Sea Turtle Inc. visit www.seaturtleinc.org ”

Before joining the nonprofit sector, Wendy had a 25-year career in insurance and financial services. As a COO, Wendy was responsible for daily operational excellence. Wendy’s background in operational execution, sales, and revenue-building has brought a unique concentration of skills to Sea Turtle Inc as they work to take their place as the most innovative Sea Turtle rehabilitation organization in the world.

Wendy’s passion and leadership was quickly put to the test in February 2021 when Sea Turtle Inc. was faced with the largest cold stun event in recorded history. The dedicated organization rescued more than 5,300 sea turtles from certain death over the span of 8 days when an unprecedented winter storm struck South Padre Island and most of Texas. Wendy’s leadership style of motivation and inspiration was critical as indicated by Ms. Zavala, Director of Marketing and Development. Ms. Zavala stated” Wendy is on your side through the big wins and thru the dark and challenging times. Wendy rallied the troops, she let us be tired, but she pushed us to get up. When there was no electricity, no water and we hadn’t slept she kept encouraging us. She reminded us not of who we were, but who we wanted to be. She challenged us to fill the void between who Sea Turtle Inc was in that moment and who we were going to be in the coming years. It was inspirational , emotional and rewarding to be there in that moment. Wendy’s leadership dedication was further memorialized by Dr. Amy Bonka, Chief Conservation Officer. Dr. Bonka recalls constant encouragement and support by Wendy during this time. “She reminded us we could do big things, hard things and as the cold stun progressed that the world was watching us. Ms. Zavala went on to state, “ Wendy pulls through on your toughest days, and that form of leadership comes along rarely. Aside from leading as CEO, she is mentoring her staff and is listening. I believe that is vital in a CEO, the ability to listen and really understand. That form of leadership is inspiring and you don’t see that every day. Wendy is the epitome of a strong female executive and people are taking noticing of what Wendy Knight is doing over at Sea Turtle Inc.”

Over the last year, Sea Turtle Inc. has faced a tidal wave of challenges. The pandemic forced the doors closed for the first time in 44 years and halted plans to open a state-of-the-art sea turtle rehabilitation and research center. “Just as our waves began to settle the currents rose with the largest cold stun event in recorded history, with more than 5,300 sea turtles impacted,” says Wendy. As the storm passed, Sea Turtle Inc. is still standing, dedicated, passionate, and focused on a new wave of change. The next big challenge for Wendy and Sea Turtle Inc is the execution of the Sea Turtle Inc. Rehabilitation and Research Facility. Wendy emphasizes that “The impact we have had in the rehabilitation of sea turtles over the last 44 years has severely outgrown the modest 400 square foot clinic facility we currently operate in. The new facility will be able to live up to the legacy and reputation of Sea Turtle Inc.” IEWL

Sea Turtle Inc rescues , rehabilitates and releases endangered sea turtles. A Non profit 501c3 organization Sea Turtle Inc was founded in 1977 and located In the southernmost part of Texas , South Padre Island Texas. Sea Turtle Inc has a three-tiered mission statement of Rehabilitation, Conservation and Education.

Sea Turtle Inc

Management

Wendy Knight
CEO of Sea Turtle Inc

Description

Sea Turtle, Inc. rescues, rehabilitates, and releases injured sea turtles. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. STI was founded in 1977 by Ila Fox Loetscher, better known as “The Turtle Lady of South Padre Island.” In 1999, STI moved from Ila’s backyard into its current location at 6617 Padre Blvd., South Padre Island, TX.

Lina Wang, Chief Investment Officer of Shandong Hi-Speed Group (SG) career, begins from Japan. She has a strong influence on the Japanese corporate culture, which is not to cause trouble to others and cooperate in teams. “They have simple and clear logic with perfect notes for the part of work they are responsible for, making it easy for both their successors and partners to get up to speed quickly,” she says. “And that is how I have imbibed myself.” From the very beginning, Lina’s strong influence to pursue excellence in any work she did can be seen in how she has taken the company to a new height. Her parents and siblings, and partners are her role models who have impacted her to grow as a leader.

As a teenager, Lina always admired successful women because they dared to be different and outstanding and made great achievements in various fields. “In the Fortune Global 500, I have observed that true leaders pay attention to cultivating subordinates and inspiring others to achieve big,” she explains. “Later, I found that industry leaders and ministers of state from different countries are more concerned with society as a whole and that they are working hard for the future of mankind. Even though their efforts may not pay off for a long time, they still insist on doing what they think is right and letting time do its work.” Today, Lina has numerous friends and predecessors guiding her in her journey to culminate into one of the most pioneering leaders and assist Shandong Hi-Speed Group in the best possible way.

According to Lina, today’s customers are looking not only for unique products but also for quality solutions and services. The clients want a complete package, not just an out-of-the-box solution. “We are a financial investment institution, but above that, we are a state-owned enterprise; as such, we cannot break away from national policies in the formulation of investment strategies,” she says. “For example, when selecting investment targets, we will focus on industries and directions encouraged by the state, and avoid investing in entertainment, casinos and other such industries.” Alongside Shandong Hi-Speed Group, under the aegis of Lina, is offering innovation and flexibility. “When shifting from a foreign investment bank to the overseas platform of a state-owned enterprise, I needed to have a process to adapt to different corporate styles and adjust my mindset,” she says. “Our group has two listed platforms in China and three listed platforms abroad. When investing overseas, we must develop new products and new markets that adapt to local styles.” She explains, “For example, our domestic financial institutions take divided operation, while foreign financial institutions take mixed operation.” When it comes to the final investment, solution providers must comply with the regulatory requirements of different countries and markets, requiring Shandong Hi-Speed Group to be agile to the extent of compliance, laws, and operations.

As the future investment environment may become more complicated, Lina believes that CIOs’ requirements will also increase. It will require more comprehensive skills, which may not be limited to investment, but also include laws, compliance, and operations. The investment experience and background may need to be combined with various industries and develop and evolve following the business characteristics of the group. “And I think the criteria for a good CIO will be more diversified. Therefore, for future CIOs, especially CIOs with non-traditional financial or investment backgrounds, there is no need to set limits for ourselves.” She adds, “If the time is right, we can boldly assume responsibility and lead the change. But at the same time, we need to strive to supplement our multidimensional knowledge and never stop learning.”

Lina knows that financial products are being continuously innovated where the current financial market is being challenged and may be overturned by non-traditional industries and non-traditional practitioners, such as digital banks and Bitcoin. “The non-traditional financial market is even at risk of being abandoned overnight, so the CIO must work hard to keep up with the changes,” she states.IE

SHANDONG HI-SPEED

Management

Lina Wang
CIO

Description

Shandong Hi-Speed (Singapore) was established in February 2014 with a registered capital of 10 million US dollars. It is mainly engaged in international trade and overseas investment and financing. It is a high-speed group that implements the “going out” strategy to establish overseas The first wholly-owned subsidiary.

Before 1977, lawyers and law firms were prohibited from advertising. It was rare that a firm even had a website for fear that the Attorney Grievance Commission would wage a complaint against them. Clients were obtained by referrals – from other clients and sometimes from other attorneys. Over time, the Bar rules loosened up. Advertising is now permitted. The digital age is upon us. Older attorneys resist change and the idea of digital marketing and advertising. Young lawyers are pros at everything digital, including any new developments in software, apps, and the digital marketplace for law. This creates more competition.

Marjorie G. DiLima, Managing Partner, Fait & DiLima, led the law firm out of the “dark ages” and attacked advertising and marketing with zeal. She created a vision for the firm that was unprecedented, and her perseverance to fulfill her vision for the firm is unparalleled. Marjorie has tirelessly researched and sought out education on many different issues related to marketing and advertising, running the firm with efficiency, providing better client service, and team building within the firm. This also includes getting up to speed in the digital age and reorganizing the whole filing system by adding software and training her team.

Marjorie and her partner, Dorothy Fait wrote a book called “Divorce in Maryland” for people who needed questions answered. The book empowers the reader with knowledge, including what to look for in an attorney. Some clients come to consults with their book — dog eared and highlighted. Marjorie is currently working on another book about divorce and sharing stories of divorce situations, including her own.

Marjorie belongs to EO – Entrepreneurs Organization. Through the organization, she has interacted and been involved with many women, as they support and inspire each other in their pursuits. Marjorie is often asked to mentor new women attorneys. Marjorie takes this role seriously and with delight. She takes women under her wing and teaches them about the law, court, judges, and the like. She also talks to them about their goals and possibilities of entrepreneurship.

“Marjorie G. DiLima, Managing Partner, Fait & DiLima, led the law firm out of the “dark ages” and attacked advertising and marketing with zeal. She created a vision for the firm that was unprecedented, and her perseverance to fulfill her vision for the firm is unparalleled.”

In addition, she counsels new attorneys who have gone out on their own and provides resources to assist them in their practice.

Marjorie is also an adjunct professor at a local college where she teaches Family Law to Paralegal Study students. She often focuses on empowering the students (mostly women) to go beyond school and be whatever they dream. If they can envision it, it is real and it will happen. Her partner provided mentorship to Marjorie with her professionalism, career goals, practicing law and by sharing valuable life lessons. That mentorship instilled confidence in Marjorie, who became more of a leader and sought to inspire others. “Dorothy Fait is the founding partner of our law firm. It was created to be a premier family law firm in the DMV area to meet the needs of clients with sensitivity, while maintaining the highest professional standards.”

The firm’s most significant achievement continues to be client satisfaction and exceeding their expectations. “As we grow rapidly, our long-term team members and client referrals grow with us. We are proud of the firm we have built and we have helped many, many clients get through the “divorce process” and come out on the other side better than ever and ready to start their new lives,” she says.

Fait & DiLima is implementing new systems and processes to show clients they value them from inception to close. “Our welcome packets will provide an abundance of information regarding services and products that we offer and will assist our clients during their journey,” explains Marjorie. “In addition, we are adding a civil and criminal department to our offices, which will expand our family law practice. The anticipation is that our clients will love our services and special treatment, and in turn, will provide strong testimonials, which will attract more potential clients, because people trust their peers, and then allow us to help more people.”

Marjorie and her team’s prioritization of client success is an essential aspect of their growth. “Our satisfied clients are important because they maintain loyalty, while increasing referrals and advertising on our behalf. Tracking this data allows us to assess what areas we need to work on to improve the health of our client base and to better serve our clients.”IEWL

Fait & DiLima, LLP

Management

Marjorie DiLima
Managing Partner of Fait & DiLima, LLP

Description

The delicate circumstances involved in any family law matter require the skilled legal counsel of a team of experienced attorneys. Fait & DiLima, LLP, provide exceptional representation to individuals who face the challenges brought on by family law disputes in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Marita Sæterli Kihle has transformed Sweet Tech—a sex-tech start-up that combines innovative hardware with customizable digital connectivity to create a complete and fulfilling physical experience—by focusing on a solid commitment to diversity, leading to a diverse company where women and minorities feature prominently, bringing new marketing perspectives. These perspectives and ethical guidelines of marketing should positively impact an industry where unprofessional actors abound.

“The Handy is an upscale automatic stroker designed and developed by SweetTech AS, a Norwegian company that has its headquarters in Oslo, Norway. Founded in 2017 by cybernetics engineer Alexander Bjorkmann, Economist Jens Petter Wilhelmsen and investor Nicolay Bang, the Handy is built with innovative design and high quality at its core.”

As per Marita, “marketing is hugely corrupted by black hat marketing techniques, aiming to adapt sales pitches to sell products to everyone rather than finding the right people who want and need your product. An ethical approach to this is focusing on a long-term game, building data and feedback to better tailor the targeting to the right people, rather than tailoring the methods to trick people into wanting your product.”

Marita is inspiring and empowering women entrepreneurs across industries by actively advocating for the importance of including people from different walks of life in developing a product aimed primarily at men. Marita inspires others to speak up with confidence in an industry that could easily be seen as an unwelcome environment for women. “Challenging biased ways of thinking is a hugely important part of leading the way for aspiring the women entrepreneurs of tomorrow.” Armed with such a unique ideology, Marita has been taking the company to new heights.

Sweet Tech was born due to a need in the market – both to create high-tech sex toys that work and a need to focus on pleasure for everyone, opening the doors to a more inclusive industry. “The porn and sex tech industry has been in need of innovation for a long time, and consumer products are becoming smart based on the aim to simplify peoples lives,” she says. “We saw the need for this same innovation to take place in the sex tech industry as well, and us being new to the industry allowed us to create a product with a fresh mind and perspective.”

The company has an open API that allows content providers and software companies to create features and assets for the Handy, and it is designed with this in mind. “We would rather open the doors for creative partnerships with other industry players, allowing us to create even better technology, and making sure that we all benefit from cooperating with each other. We believe that this brings a lot of value to us as a company, but even more it will benefit the end user,” explains Marita. “We mainly focus all our marketing efforts on digital strategies, and we have built a huge online community of loyal users who participate in daily conversations with our team to provide both feedback on what we are developing, but also sharing ideas and wishes for what we focus on next.”

According to Marita, when content providers integrate Handy into their website, they make their site interactive. “Watching a video is one thing, but integrating Handy means that you can feel what is actually happening on screen. This allows the users to feel more engaged with the content, and provides that extra element of interaction.”

Sweet Tech’s most significant achievement has been to create such an engaging online community that daily discusses subject matters that might be taboo in other forums. They know that many people struggle to talk about masturbation and sex toy use daily with friends and family. “We have opened up an arena where this is completely safe to do, and we see the users share tips and tricks with each other, as well as offering solutions to issues that might appear along the way,” adds Marita. “It has become a real community of supporting players all offering a helping hand to give the best experiences possible.”

Sweet Tech is continuously expanding its product portfolio based on the customer’s wishes. That means creating a new line of sleeves, a handsfree mount, and a vulva-oriented product that will be designed to sync with the Handy or to be used on its own. IEWL

Sweet Tech

Management

Marita Sæterli Kihle
CMO of Sweet Tech

Description

We believe that the most exciting solutions are best created through collaboration, which is why the Handy has an open API to allow the community to create apps and software that can work together with the Handy. Our aim is to be a world-leading provider of personalized digital pleasure – transforming the sexual experience through technology whilst normalizing sexual curiosity

The construction industry is sluggish. When Dr. Christine Lemaitre joined the DGNB thirteen years ago as a civil engineer with a doctorate, the non-profit organization was still small. The industry was confused about what the DGNB was up to: to create demonstrably better buildings in terms of holistic sustainability quality with the help of the DGNB certification system. Christine came along at just the right time. With her determined personality, she always manages to shake up the industry. She does not tolerate a look-away mentality. Instead, she puts her finger in open wounds around the topic of sustainable construction. She values self-reflection, an open culture of error and an honest look. These are essential qualities she brought to the DGNB and still cultivates today.

“We can’t keep reinventing the wheel, the knowledge is there, we just have to get started!” is one of Christine’s most said phrases. And she never tires of repeating her point of view. Her staying power is strong. Christine is about the cause, about working together in terms of content to achieve the common goal. She does not know the principle of waiting. While others have been shocked by Corona, the association has increased its activity level. For example, Christine launched the creation of the “Klimapositive Städte und Gemeinden” initiative, which promotes exchange among cities that want to act more sustainably. Before that, at her instigation, the Phase Sustainability initiative was founded, which brings architects and professional planners to the table to honestly reflect on their own planning and gradually change it. Another of her heartfelt projects is the “Wissensstiftung .”This non-profit organization aims to provide quick and easy access to directly applicable knowledge. Because building well is not rocket science, she is convinced. It also wants to encourage the industry to take action. And to learn from each other. She also advocates this conviction of learning from one another in an international context. She denounces the fact that buildings look the same all over the world, regardless of climatic and cultural conditions. To change this, she has launched the Building Sense Now initiative with partners from continents across the globe.

“There are not yet that many female managers in the construction industry. But as soon as the opportunity arises, I naturally support them wherever I can, regardless of whether they are men or women, young or old. Because the topic of sustainability in the construction industry can and should be worked on by everyone,” says Christine. “I think the most important advise we can impart is to remain flexible and agile in terms of your goals and how you measure success. Furthermore, critical self-reflection and the search for the best possibilities without being dogged helps.”

With this honest and convincing attitude, Christine has played her part in ensuring that the DGNB today has more than 1,600 member organizations and has grown to over 70 employees in the office. First as head of the department for the DGNB certification system and since 2010 as Executive Director of the DGNB. A mixture of persistence, persuasiveness, and modesty characterizes her. And for which she has also received several awards. In 2019, she received the ECO Innovator Award from the Global Green Economic Forum. In the same year, she received the Woman in Real Estate Award. She was honored twice in a row by the trade magazine immobilienmanager as one of the essential female influencers in the German real estate industry.

The emphasis on gender is alien to her in the male-dominated industry. Even the fact that she is the mother of three sons never puts her first. She is all about expertise and commitment. About saving the world. Because nothing less is what drives her and still motivates her in her tasks, even after thirteen years at DGNB. As Christine says, “I think it is very important to learn from each other, to network and to cooperate. This is the only way we can achieve the climate protection and sustainability goals, the only way we can save the world. Not everyone should reinvent the wheel, we lose too much time that way. And most of the knowledge is already there, we just have to apply it.” WL