Dahna K. Baisley has tried to change the way the organization views HR. In her time at Stephen Gould, she has been viewed as a trusted business partner — working through leadership transitions and organizational design to optimize performance & productivity. From creating faster Talent Acquisition processes and automating key HRIS functions to creating a greater sense of connectivity and awareness across the organization, with Dahna’s help, Stephen Gould is on a path of HR transformation that has helped them become more agile.

Dahna started her career in Human Resources at a computer consulting company. She gained experience managing benefit programs and collaborating with leaders. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much opportunity for growth, so she transitioned to Honeywell International as a benefits leader, where she found more stability and a chance for career development. Early on, she worked on the mergers and acquisitions team and led the medical appeals process for their health insurance plans. “Those two roles helped me gain exposure to some of Honeywell’s top leaders. I worked closely with the VP, Compensation and Benefits and the Chief Labor & Employment Counsel.” During her 20-year tenure at Honeywell, Dahna was fortunate to collaborate with many talented people and to have opportunities that challenged her both professionally and personally.

Dahna was an executive leader for more than 14 years, who spent time on both the business and corporate side of the organization. Some of her achievements include leading the Health and Insurance function and managing a $500M+ budget, leading International Benefits, serving as the VP, Talent & Diversity for their Performance Materials & Technology business, and leading Compensation & Benefits for their Specialty Materials business. She also held the role of VP HR for Honeywell’s SVP, General Counsel and the Company’s SVP, CIO & CTO, leading the HR function for more than 10,000 employees globally within IT, Engineering and Technology Solutions. Her work at Honeywell found her traveling extensively across the globe, including stops in many high-growth regions.

Dahna is drawing on her experience to take Stephen Gould to new heights. She believes HR should have a pulse and help give a voice to the collective workforce. “HR also plays a role in reinforcing and evolving the culture of an organization. We are a vital partner to the business. We help ensure the right talent is in the right place at the right time and create the foundation and processes that enable us to move quickly and efficiently. I am partnering with SG leadership to build out a talented HR team and to put in place key HR building blocks that will help ensure the company’s success as it continues to grow.”

Stephen Gould’s key differentiator is their creative and innovative strategy towards the business, which enables them to pivot in real-time and offer clients maximum flexibility and choice with their customized solutions. “We strive to be the execution partner, developing customized supply chain solutions that help our clients quickly bring their products to market. The all-encompassing, creative platform that Stephen Gould offers caters to bringing ideas to life. We partner with clients in as much of the life cycle as they need us to. It takes ninety-nine steps to bring a product to market, we can help with ninety-eight of them. This allows our clients to focus their time on their internal brand and leave everything else up to us.”

The steadfast leader considers herself lucky to have had strong and independent women around her as role models. “My grandmother was a leader of her generation. She lived through the great depression, WWII, raised a family and went on to be a Vice President of a bank. She had a passion for life and made it very clear that life was all about the relationships you have and the impact you have on them while you’re here and not about material things,” explains Dahna. “My other role model is my mother – the most selfless person I have ever met. 40 years later, she still has a strong referral business because of the special care she provided to each of her clients. It’s that dedication and genuine focus to my mom’s clients that I’ve tried to carry over in everything that I do professionally and personally.” Throughout her career, Dahna has also been privileged to work with many talented and inspirational women. One of these individuals — Honeywell’s then SVP and General Counsel (current General Counsel at Apple), Kate Adams — was a force to be reckoned with. “To observe Kate work was like watching an artist paint. She was Grace under pressure. She was able to influence the most senior leaders, push back when it called for and always maintained her composure. But, as impressive as Kate was, and is professionally, I admired her love for her family even more. Despite her great success, she never compromised her family. She always made sure she had quality time with her loved ones and worked hard to balance her career and family as best she could which was so refreshing,” explains Dahna. “So many female executives are afraid to make their families a priority for fear that they will not be taken as seriously as their male counterparts. And for me as a young mother in a growing career, Kate was a great support and role model, who also taught me not to be so hard on myself – do the best that I could, knowing that nothing was going to be perfect.”

Being a pioneering leader, Dahna strongly advises all budding entrepreneurs to be authentic, genuine, and grateful no matter what level or role. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am today, but I am forever grateful for the leaders, mentors and colleagues that I have worked with along the way. And would tell people starting out in their careers to be open to the journey, listen to their gut and stay true to their values throughout the process.” IEWL

Kristin Taner’s vision as a Chief Marketing Officer is to keep the end goal of growing Managecore in mind while applying marketing best practices and having fun. She believes that being creative and executing an agile marketing strategy based on success (data-driven) that can pivot and adapt at a moment’s notice is the key to achieving the highest success rate. Having vast experience working to build and grow relationships with strategic alliance partners such as – Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Intel, SUSE, and other SAP System Integrators, along with fifteen years of corporate marketing experience; ten of those years was SAP specific marketing Kristin is now one of the most sought-after leaders in the industry.

As a communication and marketing leader, I have extensive knowledge in the fields of communication, marketing, sales enablement, web design and psychology.

Kristin first became interested in management when she earned her Masters of Arts Degree for Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2012 and has since been able to apply those concepts to her daily corporate leadership roles. Her advice to all those aspiring marketers is first to apply marketing best practices, but also always keep your eye on the ultimate finish line, whether that is to maintain customer satisfaction, drive revenue growth, educate new customers or attain net new logos for your organization – secondary be creative and have fun with your marketing work. “Collaborating with my team on new creative ideas is one of the best parts of my job. I love holding free flowing brainstorm sessions where we think as far out of the box as possible (even coming up with some wild ideas) but then take those concepts and mold them into something realistic to execute on. These marketing campaigns have then been the most memorable and impactful.”

The steadfast CMO has been very fortunate to have amazing leaders in her life that she has directly reported to and have served as her mentors and role models in the fields of marketing and SAP. “Past and current managers in my life have taught me to lead by example, they were always willing to put in the hard work along with me and my team. Their positive attitude was infectious and inspired me to always continue to learn, to strive to achieve success and never give up,” explains Kristin. “Attitude, attitude, attitude is everything! Always be positive, focus on the outcome (don’t get lost in translation) and apply the basics – you will be surprised at what you can accomplish!” Armed with these ideologies, Kristin has been leading the company to new heights.

Founded by partners with over 20 years of experience in the SAP managed services market, Managecore was created to disrupt the way Managed Service Providers operate. They are proud of their transparent delivery model whereby all information related to the support of customers is provided on their client portal – Watchdog.

The Managecore difference is their way of approaching business relationships, that manifests itself in three very important ways: focused on relationships built on trust, and a deep understanding of clients’ business needs; delivering services transparently—enabling customers to see exactly what they see—so clients understand what is being recommended and why; and exceeding every aspect of what the clients expect from an MSP.

As an example, Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies. Direct Relief runs most of their core business functions on SAP, making it a critical application for their business. The company had already successfully migrated other business applications to the Cloud and sought to do the same with their SAP landscape with the help of Managecore, as this was the logical next step given Direct Relief’s lean IT organization. Today Managecore provides Direct Relief with full SAP Basis, and Cloud managed services support. The Managecore team has developed a solid track record of dependability and professionalism by delivering their ongoing managed services to Direct Relief.

With Kristin’s leadership and with the continued effort to offer SAP clients the most innovative services available in 2021 Managecore debuted their ManagecoreiQ+ solution, a companion service for RISE with SAP to help accelerate customers on their digital transformation journey. IEWL

Managecore

Management

Kristin Taner
CMO of Managecore

Description

Managecore is a certified SAP Partner and the leading provider of SAP Technical Managed Services. Utilizing highly skilled engineers and industry leading technology, Managecore is providing intelligent solutions for the enterprise customer. Managecore is also a recognized leader in SAP HANA transformations, Cloud solutions and Basis managed services.

Monica Dudley-Weldon, President, CEO & Founder of SYNGAP1 Foundation, is a true professional in a challenging and competitive business, standing on the same podium as world-renowned corporate and key opinion leaders. As an advocate, she is considered the barometer for what an individual should strive to become. Monica is one of the most dedicated and compassionate leaders to work with! She has quickly accomplished many significant milestones by developing and leveraging essential partnerships and relationships and investing in initiatives with a high impact. She has become a powerhouse and tireless in rare disease advocacy and research. Her work has been the catalyst for substantial advances in neuroscience. Her willingness to share her knowledge and expertise with others creates a ripple effect of excitement within the patient advocacy community. Her constant work ethic to get her SYNGAP1 families “research-ready” by starting and maintaining a patient data registry, attending and speaking at many rare disease conferences, raising funds through grants and events, and even finding time to participate an author on published, indexed research papers.

In the rare disease space leading a not-for-profit is incredibly difficult. Many consists of women executive directors and CEOs. The vast majority are primarily mothers who have spearheaded efforts, like Monica, to find treatments and cures for their children. The need to support and encourage one another is critical. “As the genomic era is rising in innovation, my journey to educate myself comes from those in front of me. Paying forward and teaching strategy and new innovative ways to navigate a changing and fluid space to others make you a successful leader,” says Monica. “Being considered a pioneer, it is a duty to model for those to learn from your mistakes and successes, as we are all essentially tied together in some form or fashion. As a leader, you must teach and be teachable.”

The perseverance and tenacity mixed with a positive outlook to motivate others are compelling traits she naturally has. The passion in how she carries herself, giving hope and inspiration, shows those she meets encouragement to help those who are the most vulnerable at any cost. Her personal touch, being approachable and transparent, allows others to express themselves and explore new ideas that help change the landscape. She is a listener and a lifelong learner, inspired by her first career in 23 years of being an educator. Her experience of motivating young minds has carried over into a more extensive classroom, teaching others how to think as if there is “no box.”

The most important leadership lesson Monica has learned as a female leader is not to make decisions based on emotion throughout her career. Depending on the role, the ability to take one hat on and off takes pausing to determine how one reacts to a situation. According to Monica, communication is key to being a great leader. “The ability to listen carefully to how you relay messages to others takes practice and thinking about your tone and specific words. A woman leader must also have the savvy to know how to be confident and not come across as arrogant. Being the creatures we are, I think women leaders have a unique charm that can show a hint of empathy without appearing to be weak.”

SYNGAP1’s most significant achievements as an organization were based on a gene mutation and not a named disease. Their concept centers around how the SYNGAP1 gene manifests itself in the brain based on the symptoms present in our patient community and how they overlap with other neurological disorders. Creating a business model based on how a gene works brought us to coining the process of “Reverse Engineering of Drug Development.”

The same concept applies to teaching a classroom lesson and administering a test. “The question then becomes; how will we pass the test? First, you must understand your objectives and apply them to real situations to make a connection. The same concept can be accomplished by following a path to drug development, just in a different order. The goal is to get treatment. Taking a step back, you must know how to get a drug approved,” explains Monica. “Taking these steps from the beginning will ultimately cut the time by learning how to be more strategic in the steps you must take to get there. We discovered the SYNGAP1 (MRD5) Natural History Study and Registry data by following this model in the first four years of operation. We found the mechanism in the SynGAP1 protein that controls Sensory Processing Disorder linked to Autism.” This discovery has opened new doors to how the brain develops and how other neurological disorders are related to the most abundant protein in the brain. WL

Melina Davis, the CEO and Executive Vice President of the Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) understands that listening to the MSV members and staff is the most important thing a leader can do. Knowing what the MSV members care about and understanding their current needs is critical to MSV’s focus and work. She and her staff work hard to ensure they have a deep understanding of healthcare to provide their members with what they need. By actively listening to the MSV membership and dedicating time to grasping the complex world of healthcare, Melina has created an environment that always works to align everything MSV does with its mission and purpose.

Melina also knows that a true leader cannot work on an island. So, when she became the CEO and EVP of MSV, she made it a point to understand the staff and the culture. She met with each member of her staff and sat with them to understand their key duties. Through this, she was able to drive effective change to support them and the MSV membership. The staff at MSV have built strong relationships internally and with members and are always willing to go out of their way to support MSV’s physicians, PAs, residents, and medical students.

“I am a firm believer that the answer always needs to be “yes” to women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs in general. Can you do this? Will you help me? Can you look at my idea? The answer is always yes,” she says. “It can be so hard to get in through the window or the door, so as leaders we must support these women and their efforts. As successful leaders, we need to support others and their growth. And finally, just remember to listen.” Brilliant people have things that they want to talk about and share, and explore. “I still learn so much in interacting with new entrepreneurs. This might seem simple but it’s true and can really help young women grow in their ideas, their confidence and career paths,” says Melina, who has been taking MSV to new heights. MSV was established over 200 years ago to guide medicine’s development and continuity of care and protect the doctor-patient relationship. From the MSV came many important healthcare bodies, including hospitals, medical schools, the public health department, the board of medicine, and more.

Sharing an instance where she and her staff were able to make a true difference for a member, Melina says, as a pediatrician, Dr. Chung realized she and her colleagues could not get psychiatric help for pediatric patients in a timely manner. As Dr. Chung began working on a program to help educate and provide resources for her colleagues, she realized she needed help to launch the program and ensure it had stability and sustainability. “Dr. Chung came to MSV for support and in the last 18 months, we have helped her grow the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) funding over 500% and have established a basic infrastructure to educate over 600 pediatricians and family physicians,” explains Melina. “Also, VMAP has provided over 1,000 no cost consultations with child and adolescent psychiatrists and assistance for families with licensed mental health providers and care navigators.” This program is critical for children and adolescents in the commonwealth of Virginia, especially in the time of the global pandemic.

The MSV has four subsidiaries, the MSV, LLC, MSV Foundation, MSV Political Action Committee, and the MSV Insurance Agency. All four of these subsidiaries work towards the MSV mission and are expected to expand. The MSV has recently launched a clinician well being program, SafeHaven™. As this program continues to grow its national presence, that could become another subsidiary in the next few years. “But most importantly we will continue to focus on our mission to make Virginia the best place to practice medicine and receive care. We are likely to go deeper into innovation with AI, healthcare, and new technologies and solutions,” says Melina. “We will continue to work on expanding telehealth, more affordable access to high quality care, and lowering cost and increasing low-cost access to medical and diagnostic technologies.” IE

MSV

Management

Melina Davis
CEO & EVP

Description

The Medical Society of Virginia (MSV) serves as the voice for more than 30,000 physicians, residents, medical students, physician assistants and physician assistant students, representing all medical specialties in all regions of the Commonwealth. The association was founded in 1820 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. MSV strives to advance high-quality health care and make Virginia the best place to receive care and practice medicine.

For Elisabeth Brandt, Director of Healing Earth, passion, authenticity, and transparency are the key qualities towards becoming a successful leader. “Only when you are consistent and honest on the journey, will people trust the brand. The authenticity of a brand doesn’t rest solely on the shoulders of its director or CEO; nurturing a passionate team of dedicated individuals to carry the message is imperative,” she explains. “I am conscious of the fact that without cultivating an empowered and inspired team, nothing can be achieved.”

Elisabeth believes that women need to show each other honour and respect. To believe that they compete with each other is to have a scarcity mindset. “This is the belief that there is ‘not enough’, when the truth is that there is more than enough room for us all to flourish without stepping on each other to do so,” she says. “I try to do this by sharing the knowledge I have gained from 30 years in the industry and providing opportunities in management for women.”

Elisabeth founded the concept and identified a niche in the high-end hospitality wellness market after extensive research and investigation nationally and internationally, realising that not much had changed in the last decade concerning hospitality offerings in this field. Service providers were tapping into superficial services that were not a true representation of the profession and leisure wellness industries. “In order to create unique, REAL and lasting experiences, a pure and original model combined with health and holistic approaches with the necessary expertise, knowhow, experience and flexibility had to be designed,” she says.

The pioneering leader is passionate about spreading proudly South African wellness throughout Africa and the globe. “Africa is rich in natural resources that have the power to heal and nourish us, but it is our responsibility to steward that gift responsibly,” she explains. “That’s why we are committed to only using ingredients that are sustainably sourced, cruelty-free, and environmentally-friendly.” What’s currently closest to Elisabeth’s heart is her Healing Earth Foundation, through which they offer weekly yoga, meditation, and life skills classes at a children’s home in Cape Town as part of their community upliftment initatives.

“While our products are high performance and results driven, we are also deeply rooted in holistic wellbeing, offering results that are safe, natural, and more sustainable in the long term. We remain strongly aligned to our vision and values. This means that, if a contract or opportunity does not resonate with our ethos or what we think is best for our people and planet, we won’t pursue it,” emphasises Elisabeth.

In one of their many prestigious global partnerships, Healing Earth is the spa operator for Leeu Collection at their flagship property Leeu Estates in Franschhoek. In the words of Group Advisor Nicolette Waterford, “The Healing Earth team is a turnkey operator, responsible for every aspect of Leeu Spa, from product supply to curating spa menus, as well as the management and sourcing of staff and all other daily operations. We operated our own spa on the Estate before and we were nervous to outsource such an important part of our guest experience, but I can joyfully report that the Healing Earth team has taken our spa experience to the next level.”

Passionate about spreading proudly African wellness throughout Africa and the globe, Elisabeth continues to grow Healing Earth’s presence across borders in places like Zanzibar, Kenya, and the Maldives, to name just a few. “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation within the industry, and we have our sights set on achieving global expansion.” IEWL

Healing Earth

Management

Elisabeth Brandt
Founder & CEO of Healing Earth

Description

The brainchild of spa veteran Elisabeth Brandt, Healing Earth’s products harness the restorative powers of Africa’s rich natural resources, and is made from only the purest natural active ingredients sourced from the continent’s powerful minerals, oceans, flowers, herbs, fruit, seeds and natural oils.

Janet Jack, CEO of, International Association of Bookkeepers, has a genuine worldview grounded by practical experience in a cross-section of relevant and diverse industries. Having run her bookkeeping practice, she is uniquely positioned to relate to the International Association of Bookkeepers members and has focused on developing targeted solutions to problems she has experienced first-hand. It’s not often a CEO has walked in the shoes of the people they serve, and it is this depth of understanding and empathy that is feeding the vision and direction of the organization.

Janet is a leader who can channel her ambition into the organization and share success rather than use the organization’s success to serve her own needs. This can only really be achieved by embracing change which she does whole heartily. In turn, this permits the team to adopt a creative and problem-solving culture with all voices being heard. An innate understanding that an organization with a diverse and well-rounded team will positively impact all external stakeholders enables further success.

Having spent a large proportion of her life working worldwide, Janet has a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of individual cultures. This knowledge has been beneficial in identifying products and services that are genuinely needed at a local level and creating marketing campaigns that are relevant to the audience they support. Further, developing strategic relationships and finding solutions that both parties can gain from insures a long-term collaboration.

The IAB is fast approaching its 50th anniversary and has weathered the effects of time well. The original concept of the organization was born out of a need in the marketplace for accountants and bookkeepers to be supported in their everyday tasks. Over time the global needs versed the UK needs became increasingly difficult to address under one umbrella, so the International Association of Accounting Professionals (IAAP) was born. Today the IAB predominately addresses the needs of the UK market and has become one of the leading Anti-Money Laundering Supervisory bodies and is also OfQual regulated, thereby exerting its influence in the key role of education.

The IAB has a two-pronged approach to raising the bar of bookkeeping. Firstly, it is working at a government level to ensure that the industry receives the recognition it deserves by lobbying for industry regulation. Secondly, the IAB is tackling the mindset of the individual bookkeeper and helping them understand they too are business owners and entrepreneurs in their own right, in alignment, not subservient, to the businesses they serve.

The strategic plan for the company in short to medium term is to expand further into Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as these are high growth markets due to the demand for their qualifications and the ability to accredit valuable local qualifications enabling individuals to enhance their career options due to our global recognition. “Back home our membership base is growing significantly, primarily due to the conscious decision we made in lockdown to support our members,” says Janet. “Investment in initiatives such as the Ambassador program, open Coffee Mornings with free technical help and the development of new CPD courses have proved popular.” A new suite of tiered qualifications will see the IAB penetrate lower-level training in the UK while the IAAP will support higher-level qualifications in developing countries.

The IAB and IAAP are also committed to reducing its carbon footprint, for example, no longer issuing plastic membership cards; certificates are now digital with an environmental win and offer much more efficient service. “Giving back is also a important core value so each year we support a different charity, this year our charity of the year is the Normandy Memorial Trust and we are planning a sponsored bike ride from our offices in Kent to Gold Beach in Normandy. Our President Fabian Hamilton MP will be our lead rider!” adds Janet.IE

IAB

Management

Janet Jack
CEO

Description

The International Association of Bookkeepers is a membership organisation and awarding body providing qualifications in bookkeeping, payroll and finance to over 10,000 members worldwide.

Darcy Simonis joined Hanna USA in January 2020 and brought a wealth of sales leadership skills and proven processes. By right-sizing the business, putting people in the right roles, and creating a regional team structure, Hanna USA has over-drove its budget for 11 consecutive months. Since Angela Iacuele joined the corporate Hanna team as Vice President of Global Human Resources in October of 2020, both have been instrumental in promoting the “One Hanna” initiative which is made up of three pillars – Transparency, Empowerment, and Tools & Resources. Darcy and Angela use diverse recruitment processes to encourage mentor and career development programs that promote personal and professional growth. Both also participate in various network events with like-minded leaders locally and internationally to share best practices and bring new ideas to the business.

Working with many different cultures has taught both of these pioneering leaders how to communicate best in different regions, and leverage local and corporate strengths to ensure that best practices are shared across the globe. As each culture has its unique style, their extensive global experience has ensured their messages are being heard and understood, helping to enhance the company’s productivity and drive towards Hanna’s aggressive growth targets.

Established in 1978, Hanna has a history of developing innovative products that make analytical measurements easier to perform at an affordable price. Many innovations, starting with the pH meter introduced by Hanna, are now the norm for the instrumentation industry. Hanna has grown to be a worldwide leader in the development of electro-analytical instrumentation. The development of novel instrumentation for customers that would not have normally used instrumentation has led to the company’s success. Although Hanna plays in many industries including Aquarium, Education, Environmental, and Industrial, the two segments of focus are Food & Beverage and Agriculture.

As the population grows to 9B+ people, we strive to create solutions that help our customers feed the world,” says Darcy. “Our newest innovation to be launched in Q3 is our GroLine AGS (Automated Grow System) Fertigator that will aid in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) sector by providing fully automated nutrient injection and pH adjustment. As many farmers pivot to indoor, vertical, and CEA to increase yields, this system is a perfect marriage between cultivation, automation, and precision.

As members of the newly formed executive team, Darcy and Angela have been instrumental in driving the global transformation of “One Hanna,” which signifies a transparent culture that empowers all employees to play an active role in promoting high performance cross-collaboration. While always striving to promote a “Growth Culture,” it is important to learn from past mistakes and to continously improve. With the right people in the right roles, focusing on the right things, we will continue to drive the business forward, adds Angela. IE

Life experiences are unique and powerful. Julie Koester, Founder, Managing Partner & President of Dragon Horse Ad Agency, likes to think she has used her personal experiences to shape some positive results. She narrates, “I never intended to own an ad agency. I am an academic, a researcher by training. I had planned to become a private practice psychologist. Serendipitously, a few key realignments in the universe placed me in situations that created major shifts in my thinking about what I had to offer, what problems I could solve, and simultaneously, why solving those problems would matter.”

One of those moments occurred after Julie already had her master’s degree from Columbia University in psychology focusing on pediatric neurodevelopment and opened and ran a children’s toy store. The store, named Mr. Toad’s Toy Co. after her obsession with classic children’s literature, provided only thought-provoking experiential offerings and nothing plastic or that required batteries—nothing that might diminish children’s thinking or creative process. “I gravitated toward filigree carved alphabet blocks, award-winning children’s literature, puppets, magnets, etc. I had just given birth to my second child; the store was successful and had become a simple management job,” she says. “I discovered that routine management was not something that would ever ignite me. My inclination lies more toward front-end start-up, and creative challenges. I thrive on the thrill of finding answers to questions and solving problems. So, I sold the store to my, then general manager, who adored the store and our clients.”

The pioneering leader found something lacking in becoming a stay-at-home mom, and two weeks later, she received a phone call from a friend who’d been thinking of building a children’s museum in Naples and wanted to pick her brain. “Less than a month later, I was the founding board chair of what would become the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples,” Julie said. “Ten years and 25 million dollars later, we opened the doors, and I turned over the board chair to someone better suited to the day-to-to operational maintenance leadership headspace.”

She returned for two more weeks as a stay-at-home mom and took her oldest (Sloan) to her first school day. “I went back to meet her and her new classmates for lunch in the cafeteria,” Julie recalls. “A bell rings for lunch, and BOOM, it was like Lord of the Flies with excruciating volume. I sat at the end of the table. Sloan sat next to me, whipping out her lunchbox containing baked tofu bites, avocado slices, orange slices, a container of beans and rice, and water. The other children started pulling out their own lunches from a full-size bag of Cheetos, coke, bags of single-serve cookies, Gatorade, cold naked hotdogs, potato chips, and so on. I was gob smacked. Since they were only allowed 7.39 minutes to eat, it was over almost as soon as it started. I was in the twilight zone. I walked out to my car in the parking lot and cried for 20 minutes.

What were we doing to our children? I drove straight home and applied for a Ph.D. program in Public Health, knowing I had to do something about the overall wellness of our children.”

The focus of Julie’s Ph.D. and her thesis had turned to big food companies advertising to children. It all came back to the power of marketing. “My reasoning was, if it could be used successfully to bring this much harm, it could be used just as successfully for something good.”

As Julie concentrated on her goal, she was introduced to someone at a film festival, who was also a serial entrepreneur. “We began to talk about new businesses we wanted to start. I had a food-related business, he had a skincare business, and we talked through the challenges of our prior companies,” she adds. “The common denominator among them was not having access to a marketing agency that understood the fundamentals of our businesses to promote them effectively, so the next business became Dragon Horse. That person I met is my current business partner and co-Founder, Patrick Blake Renda. We now own a holding company; Veedor Holdings, and three Companies inside that holding company; Dragon Horse Agency, Dragon Horse Publishing, and Moxie Creed, a retail lifestyle company.”

This level of understanding and experience regarding how people process information and the ability to influence thinking based on how words are used creates a powerful approach to most any business. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, where they have two offices, and recently opened their first office in Los Angeles, California, Julie and her passion are moving towards unprecedented growth. WL

The phenomenal sales growth that Nulo has achieved in the last few years can be directly connected to Jennifer Gibbs’ arrival at Nulo and her exceptional leadership skills as Senior Vice President of Sales. She has the intelligence and vision to see what a successful future looks like and what it may take to get the company there; she anticipates & mitigates risks. She uses powerful strategic skills to deliver results.

“Nulo is pet nutrition inspired by world class athletes. We believe in living “Healthier Together”​ and our mission is to inspire people to live active, healthy lifestyles with their pets.”

Jen believes that a sales force can only achieve great results when they have trust in their leadership. Through her sheer dedication and leading by example, Jen inspires her team to work hard every day and win. She has created an environment where all feel valued, respected, and are part of a family, not just a company. Jen truly values her team’s time; her leadership meetings are productive, always open for questions/answers, and led with a can-do and will-do mindset. When challenging moments arise, Jen leads the Directors and Sales Team to spearhead new ideas and thinking to resolve the issues at hand. She has that rare combination of skills, experience, and brains to encourage creative problem solving and support entrepreneurial spirit to deliver sales growth for the long term.

“I am truly blessed to not have felt personal limits or barriers in my career. I live by the motto “where there’s a will, there’s a way” and encourage all women to reach for the stars in their own professional endeavors,” says Jen. “The Pet Industry is filled with many amazing women, all of whom are willing to help each other achieve their goals. I believe in leading by example; acknowledging and celebrating victories for all team members; respecting colleagues and encouraging creativity and always acting with integrity. My mantra in life – do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Jen doesn’t have one role model but rather many individuals whom she aspires to emulate. All have the same leadership qualities – integrity, passion, tremendous work ethic, and deep respect for others. Those who devote deep love and intensity to their professional and personal careers are inspirational to me. “There are many lessons I’ve learned but there are two that I value most in my career: Never underestimate the power of words and small acts of kindness. Embrace the courage of your convictions and the confidence to do what you believe is right, even though other people may not agree or approve,” she adds. Armed with this ideology, she has been taking the company to new heights.

The story of Nulo Pet Food is the story of Michael and Max. Michael Landa, Nulo’s founder, and CEO was running one of the nation’s largest pet care businesses in California when he witnessed first-hand the growing increase of diabetic dogs and cats. He discovered the root of the problem was poor quality pet food and was worried about feeding his own best friend, Max. This “fast food nation” that pets were living in inspired Landa to partner with some of the country’s leading animal nutrition experts to create a better-for-them food. Today, Nulo continues to deliver the best nutritional platform for dogs and cats by always putting pets first and never sacrificing their health. “We’ve expanded our line to include dozens of recipes, continuing to challenge ourselves — and our tribe of pet parents — to nourish the healthiest and happiest pets around.”

Nulo Pet Food has been one of the fastest-growing brands in the premium pet food space. How? “We refuse to sacrifice pet health with every business decision we make. By putting pets first, we give dogs and cats a real shot and leading happy and healthy lives – the guiding spirit that gave us our name; NUtrition meets Love,” explains Jen. “At Nulo, our recipes are expertly and uniquely crafted to meet the needs of dogs and cats of all shapes, sizes, ages, and activity levels while ensuring our food is just as delicious as it is nutritious. We work hard to develop a dedicated network of suppliers who share our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of authenticity, nutritional integrity, and food safety, and we have one of the most talented, passionate, and driven sales teams.” IEWL

Mandy Idol is the Head of Marketing at XUP Payments, a startup offering an end-to-end, digital payment processing experience. She is responsible for the strategic direction, vision, growth, and performance of the XUP brand. In just 12 months, she has pioneered best-in-class marketing and communication initiatives that have propelled revenue growth, brand exposure, and market expansion for the company. She leads marketing, advertising, corporate communications, social and traditional media partnerships, go-to-market programs, and community involvement activities. She is known for her creative marketing campaigns and initiatives to drive revenue, engagement, leads, and participation from clients, partners, and employees. In the early days of XUP, Mandy took the lead in developing the company’s mission, vision, and seven core values used today to influence culture, employee recognition, recruitment, and retention. Mandy is also a member of XUP’s Leadership Team, participating in the firm’s strategic planning efforts and leading the firm’s corporate philanthropy endeavors.

“Nearly all merchants, across all industries are looking for efficient and seamless payment processing solutions, which is why XUP focuses on providing a fully integrated suite of payment products.”

Throughout her career, Mandy has committed to mentoring and inspiring others to reach their full potential. She has served on the Board of Directors for Families Forward Charlotte and the Alumni Council for The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she remains an emeritus member today. Her experience serving the community has influenced how she leads and communicates with others, and her unparalleled passion and relatability make her stand out among her peers.

She was previously honored as a Top 30 under 30 – Future Leader of Charlotte, an award based on professional achievement, innovation, leadership, and community involvement. Mandy is a steadfast leader known for her effective communication skills, compassion, and confidence. She is determined to make a difference in the lives of others by always striving to leave a lasting impression and positive impact on those around her.

Since the beginning of her tenure with XUP, she has consistently ensured that these qualities remain the foundation for all her endeavors in elevating the XUP brand and especially when collaborating with the larger team. By placing such emphasis on these values, not only has she been a light in the (virtual) office, but she has also empowered the XUP team to produce top quality products and more importantly, a top-quality culture.

XUP Payments is a spinoff of Midtown Consulting Group that launched in 2020 to align with the rapidly changing payments industry. Their cross-industry expertise includes partnering with those in financial services, insurance, hospitality, healthcare, and retail. XUP has built a platform that makes it easy to identify, consider, buy and service payment relationships. “Nearly all merchants, across all industries are looking for efficient and seamless payment processing solutions, which is why we focus on providing a fully integrated suite of payment products.” explains Mandy. “We have two key differentiating factors being our vertical expertise and strong consulting roots. We excel in solving complex business challenges and implementing our API-based software platform.” XUP’s platform and advisory services combined allows clients the opportunity to respond to customer preferences, remain competitive and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

In the months to come, the XUP team will be continuously enhancing its marketing efforts and expanding their existing suite of products. “XUP is extremely close to a commercial launch of our XUP Servicing module which will allow for a true end-to-end merchant experience.” Mandy explains. “We are hard at work expanding our platform to support new and more complex merchant personas as well as continuing our cross-channel marketing efforts to grow brand visibility, credibility and desirability in the market. We’re all very excited for what’s ahead.” IEWL

XUP Payments

Management

Mandy Idol
Head of Marketing at XUP Payments

Description

XUP, short for transactions “up”, is a vertically focused payment platform that provides a seamless connection between financial services, processors, merchants, and ultimately customers. A division of Midtown Consulting Group, XUP combines years of industry experience with deep payments and technology expertise to bring transaction driving payment processing solutions to Healthcare, Banking, and Logistics markets.