The 10 Best Performing CEOs, 2020 November2020

1. www.thebusinessberg.com “ Never give up on your dreams, no matter what others may say T H E B E S T PERFORMING CEOs IN 2020 VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 01, 2020 Anaida Deti CEO, DentalX

4. EDITOR’s Vivisection: CEOs “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” - Ayn Rand stage takes crossing a lot of hurdles and making a lot of sacrifices. The ongoing pandemic threw a wrench amid the cycles of many of the well-established businesses forcing countless companies to shut down. Those who survived must outmaneuver this uncertainty by course-correcting, again and again as circumstances change. In the business world, the appropriate use of inspiration and experience often leads to success and wisdom. On the other hand, ill- informed decisions, miscommunication, and the inability to motivate your team to take the right steps are often attributed as the leading reasons why CEOs and business leaders fail. In such turbulent times, the CEOs must reassess assumptions, re- evaluate scenarios, and strengthen their ability to sense and respond. They must keep up with the current trends and technologies of their sector and have a keen sense of adopting new modules and ideas to their palate, to better serve the interests of the company. A world where a badly sated tweet from political leaders can incite panic and fears of military action is where we are living today. And there are many other leadership decisions that do not make the headlines but come at a huge cost, nonetheless. The importance of good leadership is more vital now than ever and something that cannot be overstated. In short, a CEO must have their finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist. They must adapt proactively; It is dealing with situations that are not in the playbook. As a CEO you are constantly faced with situations where a playbook simply cannot exist. You better be ready to adapt. What makes a good leader? The mark of success for any entrepreneur is when his/her innovation starts adding value to the lives of the users. But getting to that

5. EDITOR’sNOTE Although the title of CEO implies ‘everyone’s boss’, having too many stereotypical boss-like attributes can only be a detriment. But to ensure a healthy work environment, the CEO must take active participation in the tasks assigned to its subordinates and lead by example. to make decisions in favor of his company. Hence, it is very important for the leader to maintain a good public persona to ensure the best interests of the company as well as that of the team. As a CEO, the ability to reliably produce results is possibly the most essential of CEO behaviors. There are many other qualities that one can add to their arsenal but showing up short on any of the points mentioned above is sure to hamper the business model, if not disrupt it entirely. Leaders should expect a two-way flow of ideas, allowing their subordinates to contribute meaningfully, encouraging their ideas, and thus encouraging their best selves. In addition, leaders must also have a sense of the team’s shortcomings and requirements. Some other key qualities that are worth mentioning are: Deciding with speed and conviction - “good leaders know that a wrong decision may be better than no decision at all.” Responsible adults must abide by a personal moral code, otherwise they run the risk of compromising their key values, sacrificing their individuality, and falling for traps, which they often set for themselves. A CEO is no exception. Engaging with shareholders with impact – Strong business performers balance keen insight into their stakeholders’ priorities with an unrelenting focus on delivering business results. CEOs should keep a high level of integrity in their daily dealings, not make promises that they may not be able to uphold, and most importantly, establish an ethical code of conduct for their team to follow and inspire towards. This simple strategy promotes trust among teammates and blocks any situation where the integrity and determination of the company might be questioned. A CEO is someone, who is not only the executive authority to his team but also the person that represents the company in the business outlook. He/she is the one who interacts with business outsiders and with insiders In this edition of The BusinessBerg – ‘The 10 Best Performing CEOs in 2020’, we attempt at cracking the formula of what makes a great CEO, by dissecting the moves and decisions of some of the top players in their game called business. DarsHP Darshan Parmar

6. ARTICLES 22 Spearheading Remotely Things You Should Not Do While Leading a Remote Team 28 Influence of Pandemic Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Global Business Paradigm – Let’s see what the experts have to say! Anaida Deti 10 Keeping Dentophobia at Bay COVER STORY

7. CONT ENTS 20 Brady Nash Leading BNG Team Dynamically An Astounding Sap Expert 26 Christopher Carter 32 David Rosenberg Leveraging the Power of Disruptive Innovation in Farming Experience in the Fintech Space 34 Joseph Chan Leveraging with Versatile

8. EDITORS ART & DESIGN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sumita Sarkar SALES VISUALISER David King SENIOR EDITOR Anish Miller SEO & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Sharon Brooks ART & DESIGN HEAD Asha Bange DEVELOPERS TECHNICAL HEAD Jacob Smile MANAGING EDITOR Darshan Parmar ART & DESIGN ASSISTANT Priyanka Rajage ASSISTANT TECHNICAL HEAD Pratiksha Patil MARKETING MANAGER Mary D’souza CO-DESIGNER Paul Belin EXECUTIVE EDITORS Abhishaj, Aditya TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS Amar, David, Robert ART & PICTURE EDITOR Deepanjali Jena DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Alina Sege BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVES Daniel, Peter ASSISTANT DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Amol Wadekar SME-SMO EXECUTIVES Gemson, Nikita RESEARCH ANALYST Eric Smith CIRCULATION MANAGER Tanaji CORPORATE OFFICE The Business Berg Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@thebusinessberg.com For Subscription: www.thebusinessberg.com November, 2020 https://twitter.com/thebusinessberg Follow us on : www.facebook.com/thebusinessberg/ We are also available on : Copyright © 2020 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Printed and Published by Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd.

10. PERFORMING CEOs IN 2020 T H E B E S T Management Company Name Brief Anaida Deti is a dental expert who strives to deliver a stress- free dental hygeine experience to her clients through her company DentalX Anaida Deti CEO DentalX dentalx.ca BNG Team bngteam.com Leading the BNG Team, Brady Nash is providing cutting-edge services in the payment industry by keeping the customer on top of his mind. Brady Nash Co-founder and CEO Christopher Carter is leading Approyo to make a difference in the SAP industry. Having 25 years of experience in the field makes him a true SAP expert. Approyo approyo.com Christopher Carter CEO David Rosenberg is on a mission to solve the problem of broken food system by leading AeroFarms that enables indoor vertical farming for the benefit of all mankind. David Rosenberg Co-founder and CEO AeroFarms aerofarms.com Joseph Chan is disrupting the FinTech space with his company AsiaPay by providing comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions to its clients. AsiaPay asiapay.com Joseph Chan Founder and CEO Julie Bryant is leading Rancho BioSciences which is a fee for service life science data curation company that leverages open source tools and public domain information. Julie Bryant CEO Rancho BioSciences ranchobiosciences.com Kara Jorvig through her company Allegro Group, delivers high- energy workshops, keynotes and consulting sessions that help inspire other business leaders to reach new heights of success. Allegro Group allegro-group.com Kara Jorvig Founder and CEO LDK Logistics ldklogistics.com Richard Waryn is spearheading LDK Logistics which is a ‘velvet glove’ logistics solution provider situated in Colorado. Richard Waryn CEO Shannon J. Roberts helps entrepreneurs implement a series of simple, yet effective tools for levereaging what they want from their businesses through her company Ethos Advertising and Company. Ethos Advertising and Consulting ethosconsultinggroup.com Shannon J. Roberts CEO American Diabtetes Association diabetes.org Tracey D. Brown leads American Diabetes Association (ADA), the nation’s biggest voluntary health organization and a global authority on diabetes benevolently. Tracey D. Brown CEO

12. CEO, DentalX Det Keeping Dentophobia at Bay The best feeling in the world is to do what you love and get recognized for it

13. COVER STORY

14. D at the same time. A lot of people are afraid of dentists and it is a common fear that is the same as the fear of animals or heights. But unlike these fears, fear of a dentist can have grave health issues. According to an independent study, 60% of patients worldwide are scared of dentists, which in turn is seriously damaging their oral and complete health for that matter. entophobia like any other fear is very serious and can affect your dental and mental health Tackling this issue head on is one dental professional, Anaida Deti who is focused on creating a stress-free dental hygiene experience through her clinic DentalX. As a CEO of the company and an Independent Registered Dental Hygienist, she specializes in seeing nervous patients who do not like going to the dentist. Her encouraging nature and the clinic’s warm environment make them more comfortable. “It is an amazing feeling when patients come in and tell me they Nothing comes easy, if you work hard and put your mind to it, everything is possible

15. look forward to their appointments,” says Anaida. Ever since she was a young girl, Anaida wanted to be a dentist, an orthodontist to be specific. Dentistry was something that had always fascinated her. This does not mean that she was not terrified to go to the dentist. But she also found it very interesting. “I used to say that when I become a dentist, I will help all the people who were scared like me, to

16. The 10 Best Performing CEOs in 2020 actually look forward to their dental appointments,” expresses Anaida joyfully. seeing patients in the late afternoons or Sundays after I worked all day for other dental offices,” she informs. Now she has an award-winning dental office with 12 staff members. People around me called me a dreamer and said I was crazy, but guess what, they were wrong Genesis of DentalX Anaida immigrated to Canada from Albania 18 years ago with her husband. They only had a few hundred dollars with them and a big dream of building something they could call theirs completely. “I spoke no English and my school meant nothing here, so I had to start everything from scratch. I worked seven days a week while going to school full time,” shares Anaida. After a few years of finishing school and getting her license as a registered dental hygienist, she founded DentalX in 2013. DentalX is a full dental office, offering all dental services from dental cleanings and check -ups to complicated extractions and implants. Anaida wanted to do something different compared to traditional dental offices. That is why she opened DentalX, which enables the public to have an alternative, where she focuses more on the preventative side of dentistry by offering longer dental appointments. These appointments include deeper oral hygiene instructions and visuals. The office looks different as well, it “DentalX started with only me, booking appointments in my car and

18. feels more like a spa than a dental office. “We offer different relaxing techniques for the patients making the dental appointment more enjoyable and less scary,” Anaida explains. getting her and the kids ready for school. After dropping them to school, she goes into the full work mode at her office taking care of daily tasks. She manages the clinic as well as taking care of the payroll, hiring staff, dealing with patients, and various issues that she encounters daily. She handles the marketing for the office as well. “I overlook at all things that happen in the office. My working days are 12 plus hours long, Monday to Saturday,” says Anaida. daughter was a twin, but I lost one of them which made my pregnancy high risk and the doctor told me I had to be in bed for the seven remaining months,” shares Anaida. A Dental Professional’s Dilemma After opening the doors to her very own dental office, the honeymoon feeling was short-lived. She waited for the phone to ring and the door to open but alas, no one came through the door. There was the issue of finding the right staff as well. It was a huge risk especially when there is a dental office in every single corner of the city and the competition were other dentists who pay thousands of dollars in marketing and advertisement. She straight away denied her doctor’s advice for a seven-month leave and started taking more care of herself and her daughter personally. “I was very scared, knowing I would never forgive myself if something happened to my daughter. But she is a fighter just like me, we made it and this amazing little girl completed our family,” adds Anaida. After work, she tends to home chores and spend time with her husband and kids to the best extent. She never goes to sleep before midnight. Although she does not have any hobby as she gets very limited time but she often enjoys going out with her family. Anaida worked till the last day of her pregnancy and the delivery also went well. She returned to work three days after her daughter was born and became an instant inspiration for a lot of people in her clinic. “Luckily, patients and staff believed in my vision and saw something that did not exist in other dental offices - a relationship between me and them,” describes Anaida. Her passion for the dental field and taking care of patients was transferred in the best way possible that made them believe in her and the clinic. According to Anaida, the hardest thing is to maintain a balance between family and business all the while prioritizing the tasks at hand. Being a mother of two, with a teenager and a toddler, surely the life gets difficult. But her family encourages her to do better each day. Anaida thinks that being successful is subjective to everyone and she loves what she does. Every morning, she cannot wait to go to the office and start her day. She used to drive back home for lunch and breastfeed her newborn child and again drive to work for the first two months after her delivery. “When people say to me, they cannot do something because it is hard, I tell them what I had to do when I was pregnant with my daughter and after I had her,” describes Anaida. The most difficult thing as a female leader is to juggle with family and business at the same time. When Anaida opened her business in 2014, she also got pregnant with her daughter and had a complicated pregnancy. “My Filling the Gaps Anaida’s day starts at 7:30 am with

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22. BRADY NASH Leading BNG Team Dynamically eople want to matter, from their personal lives to P grander scale than just a pay-check. Take time and implement practices that show your employees they matter to your business’ success. well as continue to re-invest funds back into the business to increase their service and add value to customers. Brady’s initial desire for money and success changed over time to become type of business owner who could also take care of his employees and impact the community. their careers. CEOs need to ensure that people can see tangible proof that their work matters on a AN ASTOUNDING SAP EXPERT “Today as an entrepreneur, I realize how important it is for entrepreneurs to transition from being a one-person show to surrounding yourself with good people,” says Brady. Learning to become hands off is easier when you have built out a team of strong leaders that support your businesses’ success. As BNG Team has grown so rapidly over the last few years, Brady’s primary focus is building out the leadership team and inspiring them to step up. For Brady Nash, Co-Founder and CEO of the BNG Team, a CEO leads the vision and culture of the business, and that means caring about the people that make your business work. The heaviest burden for a CEO is to find a balance between making the business money while still caring for employees. “At the end of the day, your people are what drive your success, a CEO needs to demonstrate how they value their employees through action,” he shares. From when BNG first started serving the IT Channel, the importance of building software that integrates with a business’ preferred tools was crucial. Many CRM and accounting software companies want to force customers to use them for everything. “By developing an omni-channel solution that accommodates what preferred software our customers use; we have managed to challenge the status quo and provide a better experience for our customers,” says Brady Nash. Much like an entrepreneur, Brady also fell into the role of CEO by accident. When the BNG Team started building the business, his natural drive was to focus on the long-term vision and the people hired by the company. After being in the role for over ten years, he found that his core role as CEO of the BNG Team was to drive leadership, vision, and culture of the company. “I am a people person through and through,” adds Brady. Investing time in others and helping them find their passions gives him energy and is the thing that drives his passion over anything else. Solving Problems with BNG Team Working primarily in the payment industry is always a changing game. From new technology and regulations, BNG Team has been vigilant to provide cutting edge service in the industry that often does not have what is best for the customer in mind. Whenever a new technology is introduced, the company evaluates if it is valid or wait until something better comes along. Showcasing a True Entrepreneurial Spirit As described above, being an entrepreneur was largely an accident for Brady. The main reason he became one was due to the desire to make his own path in the world outside of going to college and pursuing a four-year degree. “I wanted to make money so I could build a life and take care of the people I loved,” he conveys. Another huge aspect of the payment industry is trust. The payment industry, which is one of the key markets the BNG Team operates in, is prone to overcharging merchants, Brady liked the idea of recurring revenue, to be able scale his business and ensure he could pay for his employees as 20 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

23. The 10 Best Performing CEOs ‘‘ I am grateful our business has left the start-up phase and can achieve more with our team and equity ‘‘ building trust with a merchant who have had multiple bad experiences is challenging. “Not only must we demonstrate early on that we are trustworthy but continue to maintain it throughout the relationship,” states Brady. Since BNG Team was in a more established point in its business, it was easier for the company to absorb some of the cost for its services to give businesses multiple discounts over the past year through this ongoing pandemic. These range from free online ordering solutions for restaurants and helping more businesses switch to online or contactless payments. Brady Nash, Co-founder and CEO Outside of it’s customers, the BNG Team also bought gift cards for its employees to spend at their favorite local businesses, as well as ran the NDSmart campaign to raise money for local businesses suffering during COVID 19. “Instead of struggling to pay everyone’s salaries or find talent, we can spend time focusing on growing people within our business and leave a greater impact on our customers and community at large,” informs Brady. makes them stand out from rest of the employers: • BNGive is a philanthropic group which partners with various non-profits in the area. • BNG Inspire is a division that works to inspire our employees to pursue their passions. • BNG Lean In works to inspire women to pursue their professional and personal growth goals. Talking about imbibing creative approach in its operability, Brady describes that in their hiring process, he always tries to find people who share the same core values that drive the BNG Team’s overall functionality. “We have several employee-led organizations within BNG, on-top of our company events and continued growth programs for employees,” shares Brady. Following are some of the efforts taken by Brady and the BNG Team, that November 2020 | 21 www.thebusinessberg.com

24. Things YOU SHOULD NOT DO WHILE REMOTE Team LeadingA 22 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

25. Spearheading Remotely R Now that we have found the supposed ‘perfect cover’, what next? Of course, work from home. For most folks who are used to an office with physical things, coming to terms with virtual offices and doing certain avoidable things have become mandatory. emote working today goes by a no-other-option name – Work from home! Why? Because the Corona virus has shown itself to be far resilient to everything we thought of and has succeeded in driving the entire humanity deep into cover. These ‘avoidable’ things include all or any of the following: 1.High expectations: a. Expecting everyone to be on the same page with respect to technology unless you are a technology company itself in which case, it could be an imperative. This should not be the case with manufacturing companies and FMCG companies. This could be a recipe for problems early on. b. Expecting everyone to understand the ‘obvious’. Distance does things to people and their ability to understand and interpret situations. In the absence of presence itself, one may not get ideas clearly. Patience is November 2020 | 23 www.thebusinessberg.com

26. 4. Not adequate face-to-face meetings the key and so is repetition of what is being said. Also, of great help would be one’s ability to be straight, clear, and simple in their communication always. There is nothing like a one-to-one meeting to sort things out, be it personal or corporate. In any case, most of what goes in the name of corporate boils down to a lot of personal agendas. That being the situation, it is very important to go online and speak to the others at remote location while looking at them in the eyes. This gives everyone the feeling of being wanted. Cameras have a great way of taking away focus given that most are placed at the top of the gadget’s screen giving the feeling of an impersonal talk. A bit of adjustment of both equipment and habits can manage this. 2. Introduce newer systems (of communication, connectivity, and work in general) without a degree of orientation,thinking the team would know it: No one’s a born genius and everyone needs time to adjust and learn. Expecting everyone to know everything, howsoever obvious could be obviously erroneous. Time is the key. Give everyone involved the time to learn, understand and grasp whatever is important, be it technology, systems, office processes or the product itself 5. Concentrating too much on the form of the meeting instead of its actual content 3. Become personal and manage expectations While getting close can greatly help in understanding the needs of one placed far away from the centre of action, coming close also has its perils with the one placed afar likely to interpret it differently than intended. In these circumstances, knowing when to get close, how and to what extent helps greatly. Communicating too much or too less or both have their perils. Also, what is being communicated and the manner of communication matters. Precisely, sometimes the form of communicating becomes as important as its content itself. Being pompous is an unnecessary human trait that unfortunately can be found in organizations where people shirk from taking independent decisions. Here things like prayers, anthems, songs, and dances which ‘engender’ team spirit are sometimes given more space than the actual meeting or its worth. To people sitting far away, such things could seem unnecessary, a waste of time and sometimes downright silly. It thus makes sense to curb such tendencies and see if it is necessary to do so. If they do not serve any purpose, it should at the earliest be done away with. 6. Remaining inflexible There are things that a team can do effectively when they are available in person and quite some other things when they are not. By remaining inflexible and wanting things exactly like those in in-person meetings, team leaders and team members can drive down the worth of the meeting and reduce it to a costly farce which just wastes people’s time, money, and patience. There are different complex scenarios and situations to consider while leading a remote team. But to spearhead effectively is the goal. This is a new challenge that every industry is facing, and it would not be wrong to say that leadership will be tested in these testing times. 24 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

28. CHRISTOPHER If you have an idea or a dream, you’re passionate about, go out and pursue it or those who do not know SAP, it stands for F (ERP) software built to incorporate and organize the key business functions of an organization. SAP is one of the leading global ERP solutions providers in the technology industry and its provided solutions are available and useful to companies of any industry or size. Compared to its competitors’ solutions, SAP systems require less customization, but have the ability to be scalable and agile as well. With the benefits SAP systems provide, customers easily accelerate to a faster Return on Investment (ROI), which is the end goal for any business. Christopher Carter, CEO of Approyo, is one of the many entrepreneurs making a name for himself within the SAP industry, having over 25 years of experience in the SAP industry, he is a true SAP expert. CARTER AN ASTOUNDING SAP EXPERT Systems Applications and Products in data processing, and is an enterprise resource planning Chris’s professional journey began when he studied SAP technology at the University of Georgia Tech, later joining the SAP space after graduating. Today, he has been recognized by SAP Users Group, Hadoop World, Cloud Expo, Forbes Technology Council, and more. Throughout his career, he has made it his goal to learn as much as possible, which led him to become an expert in all things technology-related, such as SAP, ERP, cyber security, AI, etc. Chris went on to own more than one company in his career and was actually in retirement when SAP released its in-memory database platform, SAP HANA. Chris saw an opportunity and jumped back into the business world, opening Approyo in 2013. A SAP-lingon a Growth Spurt The biggest challenge Chris faced at the beginning of Approyo’s journey, was getting the company on its feet. At the time, trying to explain the cloud to potential customers when it was a brand-new concept was no easy task. It was the simple issue of lack of knowledge of what Cloud 26 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

29. The 10 Best Performing CEOs Something that many entrepreneurs have in common is - wanting to be their own boss. After graduating from college and getting into his first real job, Carter slowly realized that he did not enjoy being told what to do, especially when he did not agree with the company’s plan of action. This is what pushed Carter to start his own business. He wanted the vision, to create the goals, the purpose, and the success. He wanted to create his own team of visionaries and grow together, and so he took the risk of starting Approyo. Approyo’s Dynamics Approyo is a cloud-centric Managed Services Provider (MSP), specializing in SAP technology. The company provides implementations, migrations, and upgrades of any SAP core competency. “With experience ranging from R/3 to the newest, SAP S/4HANA, we digitally transform our customer's business for the better,” shares the team of Approyo, “‘SAP Made Simple’ is our motto, and we stand by that”. The company uses SAP platforms to enhance clients’ everyday business processes, with advanced predictive analytics, quick implementations, secure environments, and tailored solutions, to enable better business decision- making. Its services include free consultation services, hosting, monitoring, and 24/7 SAP Basis support, as well as large instance projects such as deployments, migrations, and upgrades onto SAP. “Our global team of experts is here to support our customers, no matter what time of day, no matter what industry or size,” says Carter. Carter and his team have been tirelessly working toward continuous growth at Approyo. Under the guidance of Carter, Approyo is in the process of adding multiple new clients to its customer base, and the team is planning on adding even more throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond. To Approyo, its customers' success is always a priority. “We need a team to assist our growing customer base as well and we plan on adding new professionals to our company who can help us with our continuous growth, success, and innovation,” informs Carter. Christopher Carter CEO Computing truly is. Closing deals took a hard amount of work and plenty of sales calls. Another difficult task was finding the right talent to hire, as SAP industry experience was not as common back then. There are plenty of people with IT experience, but not everyone has experience in SAP. Taking the time to shuffle through resumes to find the perfect fit can be difficult for any organization, especially for Approyo that requires a specific skill set to hire SAP Basis Administrators. It takes a lot of patience and passion to build your business from the ground up in today’s business world. “I would say that I am a Shepherd to help guide customers, staff, and partners, all in one nice, neat person,” says Carter. “There are times when some folks are upset, there are times when people do not get what they want, there are times when we are extremely successful, and there are times when we are all successful together.” Chris concludes that to be a great CEO is to continue to try and be better. Whether it is your own professional attitude or skillset, or your company’s practices, you can always try harder to be better and improve yourself. Carter is always trying to learn new things, and he encourages his team to do so as well. He is always in search for new tools, new partners, customers that can add to Approyo’s potential as a whole. A business does not succeed without the team behind it. Carter wants to be that person to help guide everyone, driving success no matter what position they hold within his mind or his company. “I'm here to offer advice, to be a shoulder to lean on, to offer guidance until I can really be that conduit to help drive success. No matter if you are in my support staff, part of my executive team, or a partner, I really want to make sure that everyone is happy and successful,” he adds. November 2020 | 27 www.thebusinessberg.com

30. Influence of Pandemic EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE GLOBAL BUSINESS PARADIGM LET’S SEE WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY! T response have serious economic consequences across the globe, and it seems like no country is left unaffected by it. he covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns implemented in its This not only has consequences for the economy; all of society is affected, which have led to dramatic changes in how businesses perform, and consumers behave. For businesses across the globe, now more than ever, it is of utmost importance to take effective steps to aid their employees whilst catering to their clients’ needs. Let us examine how some of the top performing CEOs adjusted the dynamics of their business environment, in some cases re-imagined the status-quo of their industry in response to the covid-19 pandemic. 28 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

31. Brady Nash – CEO of BNG Team: The BNG team provides small to medium sized business valuable services and business solutions to strengthen and grow each business. As BNG team is a more established business, it was easier for them to absorb some of the cost for their services to give businesses multiple discounts over the past year. Brady states, “We provided our businesses free online ordering solutions for restaurants, whilst helping more businesses to transition to online or contact-less payments. For my employees, we also bought gift cards for them to spend at their favourite local businesses.” In addition to that, Brady and his team also started the ‘NDSmart campaign’ to help raise money for local businesses suffering during covid-19. Christopher Carter – CEO of Approyo: Approyo provides full SAP service technology with extensive capabilities in hosting and managed services, upgrades, and migrations for our customers, running any SAP supported core functionality. Christopher explains how the SAP and ERP (enterprise resource planning) services space continues to grow despite the pandemic. He and his team have continued to run the business as usual throughout these hard times as there is an ongoing need for managed services and large projects for customers around the globe. One way the Approyo team have helped current and prospective customers is by giving them free SAP services until the end of 2020, to free up their cash flow. “We understand how difficult covid-19 has been for businesses of all sizes, but it doesn’t mean the innovation has to be paused. We have stepped in to offer this in hopes that customers will be able to continue transforming their business, bouncing back even harder after this is all over,” he concludes. November 2020 | 29 www.thebusinessberg.com

32. David Rosenberg – CEO and Co-founder of AeroFarms: Aerofarms is a sustainable indoor agriculture company based in Newark, New Jersey and uses a patented ‘aeroponic’ growing system to grow produce. AeroFarms is on a mission to transform agriculture by building and operating environmentally responsible farms throughout the world to enable local production at scale and nourish communities with safe, nutritious, and delicious food. In response to the covid-19 pandemic, Aerofarms closed its facilities to essential personnel only, reminding team members to stay home if they felt sick or have been exposed to the virus. Before accessing the farm, all team members and visitors are now required to log their temperature with a thermometer, once inside employees are met with heightened safety measures, including hand sanitization stations, protocols to clean surfaces throughout the day and signs to remind people of social distancing. David further mentioned, that Aerofarms has also reinforced its existing training on effective handwashing and the use of personal protective equipment including masks, gowns, gloves. Drivers for the company have also been equipped with more sanitization supplies, to complement their existing practice of replacing food safety gloves after each delivery. “As a producer of essential food and farming inputs, AeroFarms has worked throughout the pandemic to ensure the supply chain is able to operate without any interruptions and people everywhere are able to access the food they need during these difficult times,” David states. The covid-19 outbreak is sharp reminder that pandemics, like other rarely occurring catastrophes, have happened in the past and will continue to happen in the future. Even if we cannot prevent dangerous viruses from emerging, we should prepare to dampen their effects on the society. Ultimately, the greatest lesson that covid-19 can teach humanity is that we are all in this together. 30 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

34. T arable land is decreasing due to climate change, soil erosion, and pollution. In recent years, the indoor vertical farming space has made significant progress to address these issues. The industry is enabled by advancements in technology, including the decreasing cost of light emitting diodes (LEDs), which is a key input for the plants to grow. here has never been a greater need for innovative solutions in agriculture. As our population grows, David Rosenberg Leveraging the Power of Disruptive Innovation in Farming Ultimately, the work that is being done to build and operate indoor vertical farms is complex. While there can be more than one successful company, there will be many failed companies that do not master the complexity inherent in the industry. AeroFarms, under the leadership of David Rosenberg,CEO and Co-founder, is excited to play a leading role in solving the broken food system today and looks forward to continuing to take indoor vertical farming to a new level of precision and productivity in the years to come. AeroFarms is a mission-driven company that builds and operates advanced vertical farms in urban environments. AeroFarms is widely considered a leader in the vertical farming industry, having been listed on Fast Company’s 2019 Most Innovative Companies, been featured on Inc. Magazine’s 25 Most Disruptive Companies, and received the inaugural Global SDG Award for Zero Hunger. David Rosenberg CEO and Co-founder Since its founding, AeroFarms has built ten farms and raised over $200 million. With its innovative growing technology, the company produces fresh, flavorful, and pesticide-free leafy greens, which are available locally at retailers like Whole Foods and Shoprite and through FreshDirect and Amazon Fresh. “In starting AeroFarms, one of the biggest challenges was working with biology,” says David. Unlike widgets, producing plants can 32 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

35. The 10 Best Performing CEOs “ be tricky; sometimes doing the same thing can yield different results. Today, AeroFarms overcomes these limitations through data. By collecting and analyzing inputs across multiple facilities, David and the AeroFarms team are able to be better farmers, all the while understanding plant science and why plants work the way they do. One of the keys to our success at AeroFarms is our positive learning environment - we empower our people and encourage them to challenge the status quo “ Harvesting Success Over the course of his career, David has been involved in four change-the-world start-ups, two of which he co-founded and leads in industries including fintech, internet infrastructure, nanotechnology, and ag-tech. Planting Excellence For an ideal CEO, listening is an important characteristic. This means incorporating what one hears while oscillating between evaluating situations at a ground level and at a level thirty thousand feet up. In doing so, the CEO can communicate a common vision that brings people together at all levels of the organization. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, David began his career working as a financial analyst for a Wall Street bank where he gained an understanding of reading financial statements and microeconomics. After two years, he joined a fintech company, which disrupted the electronic trading space and gave David an appreciation for the power of disruptive technology. David continually moves between the details and the broader strategic discussions to help drive AeroFarms. Having been involved in four change-the-world companies, David is a serial entrepreneur who actively brings people together to solve problems, appreciating that business is an ideal tool to drive massive positive impact in the world. As CEO, David guides the culture at AeroFarms by reinforcing company principles and keeping energy high. David can frequently be found walking the production floor or huddling with teams at the corporate office to problem solve and understand what each department is working on. In this way, David helps instill a collaborative environment and create a culture that is vibrant and engaged. Following this, David went on to work for an incubator focused on internet infrastructure companies. Through these early experiences, David learned to be comfortable with the key start-up quality of making decisions with limited information. He also appreciated the cultural quality of challenging colleagues’ assumptions rather than their intent. After completing his MBA at Columbia Business School, David took these lessons and founded a nanotech company that among other things, commercialized the first Cradle-to- Cradle certified product in the world. Collaborating with Bill McDonough, co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, David was then inspired to start AeroFarms. In the last several months, AeroFarms announced two major projects to expand its local and global footprint. First, in conjunction with Jersey City and the World Economic Forum, AeroFarms is partnering to launch the first in the nation municipal vertical farming program. The program will include 10 vertical farms located in senior centers, schools, public housing complexes and municipal buildings. AeroFarms has also announced a project to build the world’s largest R&D indoor vertical farm in the UAE as part of an investment by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. Outside of AeroFarms, David is a member of the Economic Forum, where he co-founded and co-chaired the Young Global Leaders Circular Economy Taskforce and is a member of the Global Internet of Things Council. David was also a member of the United States delegation to the B20 Sustainable Resource Taskforce, which advises the G20. “Together with these initiatives, AeroFarms has seen critical advancements in its growing process and technology, which indicate a strong future of further developments for the company,” shares David. He serves as a Managing Trustee of the Liberty Science Center, a prominent U.S. interactive science museum, and is on the Board of Directors of Aspire, the leader in insect proteins, and Clara Foods, the leader in non-animal-based egg proteins. In 2019, David was named one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at Goldman Sachs’ Annual Builders and Innovators Summit. David’s advice to new CEOs and leaders is, “Surround yourself with great people in and around the organization and enable and lean on them.” November 2020 | 33 www.thebusinessberg.com

36. The 10 Best Performing CEOs in 2020 “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” Joseph Chan T enables an ability to distinguish between problems even before their emergence along with the capacity to respond to it actively and productively. he above-mentioned thought is what moves a leader to bring out his/her true potential and consolidated his expertise and experience in strategic planning, product and project management. He was also involved in implementation of various cutting-edge financial, electronic banking, internet and mobile product services and systems in Asia to well serve the needs of the customers. • Launch Smart Retail Payment Solution PayDollar -AppPay • Value-added Payment Solutions like buy-now-pay-later • More wallet acceptance like GrabPay, SamsungPay, ApplePay for digital purchases • Mobile Payment: Mobile in-app SDK • Comprehensive data analytical tools for digital merchants – Payment Dashboard Value and authority start at the top. Individuals are not born pioneers/leaders, they acquire or build up the characteristics that cause others to be influenced by them. A genuine leader has the capacity to see the opportunities and perceive ability in individuals where others do not. They will in general have a decent radar; realizing how to pass judgment on individuals, occasions, and circumstances. Perseverance and Dynamics In Covid-19, people are using digital payments actively. AsiaPay is utilizing this opportunity to facilitate: • Expand and focus more on other ‘distribution channels’ • Retailers with more aggressive online sales, home delivery/consumables • More heavier sales and promotional activities on social media and webinars “Keeping one eye on the road ahead could allow us to exit the crisis with a more customer-focused, efficient, and resilient payments industry,” Joseph describes while enabling the above services. CEOs are the face of any organization. People often follow the organization because of the personality that the CEO of that organization has. The leadership characteristics or traits are not limited when a CEO is representing his respective business. According to Joseph, one is a true business leader who: • Demonstrates perseverance in the face of adversity and overcoming obstacles. • Demonstrates strong leadership skills and an unflinching desire and determination to be successful • Balances the concept of effectiveness and efficiency in business plans. • Leverage on the ever-changing technological trends to keep innovating new products and services Before achieving anything, everyone faces the possibility of failure, however when failures happen, leaders dissect it appropriately and gain insights from them to carry on with their endeavors. It provides self-confidence and the whole experience becomes an integral factor in a business leader’s journey. DIGITAL COMMERCE AND PAYMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE TREND One such business leader that we are showcasing in this latest edition of Insights Success is none other than Joseph Chan, Founder and CEO of AsiaPay. Prior to founding AsiaPay, he took various management positions at Barings, Citibank N.A., Bank of America and Dah Sing Bank. Through successive positions in banking and finance industries, Joseph 34 | November 2020 www.thebusinessberg.com

37. The 10 Best Performing CEOs • Keeps an open mind to learn from others and gain experience. • Show capacity to be an independent thinker and to take on and manage risks in the face of uncertainty. • Always has a mindset that adjusts to the constant changing demands of this modern generation, along digital innovation and transformation. according to their approach and pre-assumed thoughts about a particular task. Here are some of the suggested attributes by Joseph which a leader must possess to accomplish their milestone and touch the skyline in their businesses: • Entrepreneur attributes (Investor) • Belief • Decisive • Risk tolerance (resilience) • Life-time learning • Dream goal • Integrity • Salesmanship These insights will play a vital role in changing the new-age leaders’ thought process in a dynamic way. Providing meaningful advice to the young generation of entrepreneurs he says, “All dreamers encounter constant challenges and dilemmas, be it betting money, capital investment, human resources and even your destiny to flight. At this highly uncertain business environment during pandemic and ever-changing technological world, perhaps, entrepreneurs could stay calm and be at P.E.A.C.E. always. (‘P’assionate; ‘E’mbrace changes; ‘A’gile; ‘C’ollaborative; and ‘E’volutionary).” With a motivational notion, Joseph is going to pursue his vision and dream to be one of the prominent and leading digital payment service and technology solutions provider in Asia. Joseph Chan Founder and CEO • Values the people behind its workforce by allowing them to give their inputs and exercise their roles in the company. Current Status and Future Endeavors AsiaPay operates in over 13 countries, with 15 functional offices in Asia and over 165 talents. Currently, the company: • Provides a positive and comfortable working atmosphere. • Works smart -Leveraging time to create more value by technology • Cultivate an environment that encourages and recognizes innovation and creativity • Develops training, promotional practices and implementing employee ownership on a sustainable basis. • Maintains its work environment healthy by having a work-life balance for its employees. • Holds workshop gatherings that let it meet the AsiaPay employees from different countries and share knowledge to build teamwork. Troubles and Struggles Primarily, the challenges in the FinTech space is to effectively validate the viability of the business and its assessment of all related technological and security risks. Secondly, how to effectively build the right team/acquire the right talents with the right know how and passion is a huge problem. Lastly, being a fintech player, some of the major challenges is gaining trust and support from banks and partners in new markets, and how to fend off risks due to compliance and regulatory changes. This is where true leadership is required. Joesph along with the team of AsiaPay is looking to embrace change and digital innovation. The company under the guidance of Joseph will continue to expand its footprint in the market and enhance its product new payment solution and service coverage. He is also looking forward to adding value and empowering other businesses and financial institutions to keep up with the technological advancements taking place in the industry. Joseph is focused on helping companies that are going through market disruption by offering comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions cross channels, devices, and technologies in the future. There are a plethora of books and write-ups about characteristics of an ideal leader, but there is nothing in existence like the perfect leader or pioneer. People often gain or lose November 2020 | 35 www.thebusinessberg.com