The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs Making a Difference in 2023

VOL-05 | ISSUE-11 | 2023 The Most Inspiring Inspiring Inspiring s s s Making a Difference Difference Difference in 2023 in 2023 in 2023 Essen?al Skills Comprehending The Art of Effec?ve Communica?on Leadership Aspects Strategies for Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the C-Suite as a CEO Kyle Kyle Kyle Wallgren CEO Wallgren Wallgren Edsoma Benchmark of Profound Excellence Benchmark of Profound Excellence www.iosightssuccess.com

Exhibiting Brilliance, Benchmarking Excellence Note he business world is constantly changing; business They listen to their employees and are able to address their Editor’s Editor’s Editor’s leaders are adapting to new challenges and concerns in a thoughtful and compassionate way. Building a T opportunities. They are flexible and open to new successful company is not without its challenges, and an ideas and are willing to pivot their strategy when necessary. inspiring CEO is able to bounce back from setbacks and In the dynamic business arena, an inspiring CEO is true to keep moving forward. They are tenacious and persistent in themselves and their values. They are honest and the face of adversity. A CEO possesses a combination of transparent with their team and are able to build trust vision, passion, decisiveness, adaptability, authenticity, through their authenticity. A CEO who is empathetic and empathy, and resilience. These traits enable them to lead understands the needs of their team can create a positive their team to success and create a positive impact on the and supportive work environment. world. A successful business leader is often the driving force Spotlighting these charismas and their odyssey of behind a company's growth and success. A CEO possesses excellence, the latest edition of Insights Success, "The 10 various traits that create a difference from the rest and can Most Inspiring CEOs Making a Difference in 2023," motivate and inspire their team to reach new heights. An features the CEOs who are making a positive difference in inspiring CEO has a clear and compelling vision for their their respective industries in 2023. company's future. They are able to articulate this vision in a way that motivates their team and creates a sense of These CEOs are not only successful in their businesses but purpose. also lead with purpose and have a significant impact on their communities and the world. Flip through the pages A leader who is passionate about their work can inspire and indulge in this saga of brilliance. others to share that passion. They are enthusiastic about their company's mission and are willing to go above and Have a delightful read! beyond to achieve their goals. An excellent CEO is able to make tough decisions quickly and confidently. They weigh the pros and cons of each option and make a choice based on what is best for the company. Abhishek Joshi

CXO Elizabeth K. Miller CFP® CFA, Founder and President, Summit Place 20 Financial Advisors, LLC Natasha Makhijani Embodiment of Resolute 22 Leadership CXO 30 Peter Stranak 08 Kyle Kyle A r t i c l e s Essential Skills Comprehending The Art 16 of Effec?ve Communica?on Wallgren Wallgren Benchmark of Profound Excellence Benchmark of Profound Excellence Leadership Aspects Strategies for Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in 26 the C-Suite as a CEO

Editor-in-Chief Merry D'Souza Deputy Editor Executive Editor Assistant Editors Abhishek Joshi Jenny Fernandes Anish Miller Art & Design Director Associate Designer Visualizer Company Name Featured Person Brief David King Revati Badkas Ankita Pandharpure Adeshina Adewumi is a social entrepreneur committed to using Trade Lenda Adeshina Adewumi technology to support small retail businesses. Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager tradelenda.com CEO Sihanee M., Rouniyar A. Peter Collins, Niwrutti Sawant Mr. Magown is the Chief Executive Officer, President, Board Member and Investor in Integration Technologies, Inc., (dba) Integration Technologies Bruce Magown Marketing Manager Sales Executives InterWeave Smart Solutions, which provides a SaaS, IaaS interweave.biz CEO Integration Service. John Matthew David, Martin Dupe Olusola serves as the CEO Transcorp Hotels Plc., Africa's Transcorp Hotels PLC Dupe Olusola leading hospitality brand. transcorphotelsplc.com Technical Head Business Development Executives CEO Jacob Smile Steve, Joe Having an enriching experience of 30+ years in the finance Summit Place Financial Elizabeth Miller industry, Liz Miller, CFP®, CFA, is the epitome of visionary Advisor President leadership. summitplacefinancial.com Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager Dominique T. Prachi Mokashi Kyle designed Edsoma to get children back into the reading Kyle Wallgren Edsoma culture and help them bond better with the authority figures in CEO edsoma.com their lives. Research Analyst SME-SMO Executive Frank Adams Sagar Lahigade Natasha Makhijani is an ambitious leader dedicated to retaining Oliver Sanderson Group Natasha Makhijani talents. oliversanderson.com CEO Database Management Technology Consultant Circulation Manager Stella Andrew David Stokes Robert Brown Peter manages La Donuteria, a company that aims to identify Peter Stranak La Donuteria superior business model companies that will outperform the Founder & CEO ladonuteria.eu market in long-term. sales@insightssuccess.com May, 2023 Sia is an accomplished CEO with a track record of success in business development and Project Management whilst working Hafan Cymru Sian Morgan for a variety of Government Bodies and private sector hafancymru.co.uk CEO organisations. Thierry manages Paytweak, that turns the payment into a smart Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess Paytweak Thierry M. and a new customer experience by providing highly innovative We are also available on : paytweak.com CEO payment services. Copyright © 2023 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. Veronica is a creative mind with a clear focus on innovation in MO Technologies Veronica Crisafulli the digital space and financial inclusion. wearemo.com CEO

Kyle Kyle Wallgren Wallgren Benchmark of Profound Excellence Benchmark of Profound Excellence Kyle Wallgren CEO Edsoma One remarkable thing about Edsoma is that parents and guardians do not need to be physically present with their children to read with them. Cov ory

ommencing his first company at age 21—during the Edsoma is a patent-pending Artificial Intelligence (AI) financial crisis, not out of choice but out of necessity, software that assists readers with the proper pronunciation C C Kyle Wallgren's odyssey of excellence includes of words when they get stuck while reading a book inside establishing 13 companies. the app. He sold 9 of them in two different countries. Kyle came to Simultaneously, for Kyle, understanding cultural differences America 6 years ago from Canada on an E-2 Investment has been one of the steepest learning curves he has ever Visa, where he built two of those companies and sold them faced. Edsoma believes that reading is for everyone, before the outbreak of COVID-19. everywhere. Its mission is to help eliminate illiteracy around the world. During the pandemic, Kyle built a manufacturing facility to make both covid-related and non-covid items while Gaining Momentum learning the ins and outs of the international import/export business and scaled that from 0-$14M in revenue in the first Edsoma is a reading application designed to imbibe the year. During the 18-month border shutdown, while Kyle culture of reading in children while helping them learn could not reach his children in Canada, he focused on word pronunciation correctly and effectively bond with building a platform as an educational tool to help children their parents or guardians. learn to read and keep families connected. Kyle Wallgren's biggest inspiration for creating Edsoma The world has experienced a shift since the pandemic broke came from his personal desire to connect with his children out. Now, self-education has taken a stronger stand than and read with them regardless of the distance between ever, with remote learning and parents taking a more active them. Edsoma has many impressive features, the most role. This has, however, enabled poor-quality learning and notable of them being the correction feature which teaches reading. the reader how to pronounce words correctly during a read- aloud. To repair the situation, Kyle created a new communication and reading application called Edsoma. Having built The app is poised to become every family's favorite various other businesses, he said this is the first business he application as it allows parents to read with their children can do out of joy. Having suffered from literacy issues his from any location in the world. It automatically keeps track entire life, Kyle understands literacy is an issue that needs of reading activities so that parents, teachers, and schools to be addressed in the US and he wants to play an active can monitor the books children read and the progress they role in combating it. have made. Edsoma is designed to get children become better and more Edsoma's vision is to promote reading for all. Its education confident readers while helping them bond with the platform is inclusive and accessible to everyone. "We authority figures in their lives. The app has been on the believe that literacy is the pathway to opportunity, and we trajectory to become every family's favorite reading are working to build confident and independent readers application with its numerous features and functionalities because everyone deserves a reading chance," shares Edsoma's that encourage bonding while learning. Kyle. vision is to One remarkable thing about Edsoma is that parents and Creating Significant Impact promote guardians do not need to be physically present with their children to read with them. Instead, through the video Kyle is not an expert in this space. And with reading for all. capabilities, they can do the reading from any part of the that, he has been able to grow with blinders Its education world. on. He feels like if he would have been an expert in the category, he would have platform is The Journey of Commencement found things to hold him back. inclusive and Kyle admits he knew nothing about tech space when he But without the knowledge, Kyle accessible to established Edsoma. But his research and development has been able to look at things everyone.” resulted in the app being downloaded in 11 countries. from a much simpler

perspective. Sometimes understanding the entire space or entire vertical, you're trying to achieve allows you to set boundaries based on the industry standards. Kyle expresses, "We understand that children are our future, and without the right tools to move forward, we limit Edsoma believes that the success our children will have. Because we are a mission-driven company, everyone shows up with their best reading is for everyone, foot forward without question because they know the impact we bring will be on a global scale.” everywhere. Its mission Kyle created software that can be utilized from the simplest is to help eliminate devices. He wanted to be cost-aware to make sure that illiteracy around the people in any demographic can have access. Under his guidance, Edsoma prides itself in working with strategic world. partners to help soften the cost for user success. Plethora of Transformations The change that Kyle aims to bring to the table is ensuring that every child can become a leader. He shares, "We're not waiting for the opportunity; we ARE the opportunity." AI is trending in the tech space. Kyle uses AI to to help children develop their reading skills while comprehend the needs of the users while providing fresh strengthening the bond with their parents, teachers and and interesting resources to improve the skills they lack. guardians. Edsoma is the leader in digital solutions in the literacy space. The Words of Wisdom Edsoma has many impressive features, the most notable of Advice for the budding entrepreneurs and aspirants willing them being the correction feature which teaches the reader to venture into the EdTech niche, Kyle shares, "Close your how to pronounce words correctly during a read-aloud. The eyes and jump. The information is readily available. How app is poised to become every family's favorite application bad do you want it?" "If we can identify the difference as it allows parents to read with their children from any between fear and fact, we can remove the boundaries to location in the world. almost anything," concluded Kyle. The app also automatically keeps track of reading activities so that parents, teachers, and schools can monitor the books the children read and the progress they have made. Embracing the Future Roadmap Kyle envisions Edsoma to be the top provider of education resources worldwide. Its goal is to improve literacy skills with 100+ million users over the next ten years. Kyle Wallgren's goal for Edsoma is to break into the mainstream educational system. As the world continues to move towards full digital acceptance, He believes Edsoma is in a good position to become widely accepted by parents and tutors for their children. Also, the long-term goal of the app is to continue

Essential Skills ffective communication is a cornerstone of success attentiveness, and asking relevant questions to clarify in all aspects of life. Whether in personal understanding. By practicing active listening, we can foster E relationships, professional settings, or even better understanding and build stronger connections with everyday interactions, the ability to convey thoughts, ideas, others. and emotions clearly and concisely is vital. However, effective communication is more than just speaking or Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Effective writing words—it requires a deep understanding of the art communication goes beyond conveying information—it behind it. In this article, we will explore the key elements of involves understanding and connecting with others on an Comprehending effective communication and provide insights on how to emotional level. Empathy and emotional intelligence play a master this essential skill. crucial role in this process. Empathy allows us to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, understand their Clear and Concise Messages: Effective communication emotions, and respond with sensitivity. Emotional The Art of Effective starts with clarity. It is important to articulate thoughts and intelligence helps us recognize and manage our own ideas in a clear and concise manner. This involves emotions, as well as understand how emotions impact organizing thoughts before communicating, avoiding jargon communication dynamics. By incorporating empathy and or complex language, and structuring messages in a logical emotional intelligence, we can establish trust and build Communication and coherent way. Clear and concise communication helps meaningful relationships. eliminate misunderstandings and ensures that the intended message is accurately received. Non-Verbal Communication: Communication is not limited to words alone. Non-verbal cues such as facial Active Listening: Communication is a two-way process, expressions, body language, and tone of voice convey and listening is as important as speaking. Active listening additional information and can greatly impact the involves fully engaging with the speaker, paying attention effectiveness of communication. Being aware of our non- to both verbal and non-verbal cues, and seeking to verbal signals and interpreting those of others helps us align understand their perspective. It includes maintaining eye our message with our intentions. Maintaining good eye contact, nodding or providing appropriate gestures to show contact, using appropriate gestures, and being mindful of May 2023 | 16 | www.insightssuccess.com May 2023 | 17 | www.insightssuccess.com

our tone and posture can enhance the clarity and impact of Use of Visual Aids: Visual aids can significantly enhance our communication. communication by providing visual representations of information. They can simplify complex ideas, aid in Adaptability and Flexibility: Effective communication retention, and make presentations or discussions more requires adaptability and flexibility to cater to different engaging. Utilizing visual aids such as charts, graphs, audiences and situations. People have different diagrams, or multimedia elements can help convey communication styles, preferences, and cultural information more effectively and leave a lasting impression backgrounds. Adapting our communication approach to suit on the audience. the needs of others promotes better understanding and rapport. It involves tailoring our language, tone, and style to Respectful and Constructive Dialogue: Effective match the context, actively listening to feedback, and being communication fosters an environment of respect and open to adjusting our message as needed. encourages constructive dialogue. It involves being mindful of our language, tone, and mannerisms when engaging in Feedback and Clarity Checks: Feedback is crucial for conversations or discussions. Respectful communication effective communication. Seeking and providing feedback allows for open-mindedness, encourages diverse perspectives, and promotes collaboration, leading to better allows for clarification, ensures understanding, and helps in outcomes and stronger relationships. course correction if necessary. Asking questions to confirm comprehension, summarizing key points, and encouraging Awareness of Cultural Differences: In a globalized world, others to share their thoughts can improve communication effective communication requires an understanding of effectiveness and prevent misunderstandings. cultural differences and the impact they have on communication styles. Cultural norms, values, and Practice and Continuous Improvement: Effective communication preferences can vary across different communication is a skill that can be developed and honed over time. It requires practice and a commitment to regions and communities. Being aware of these differences continuous improvement. Actively seeking opportunities to and adapting our communication approach accordingly communicate, reflecting on past experiences, and seeking demonstrates cultural sensitivity and promotes effective feedback from others can help us identify areas for growth cross-cultural communication. and refine our communication abilities. Effective communication is an art that requires a Clarity of Purpose: Effective communication involves combination of clear expression, active listening, empathy, having a clear understanding of the purpose or objective adaptability, and continuous improvement. By mastering behind the message. Before communicating, it is essential this art, we can enhance our personal and professional to identify the desired outcome and tailor the message relationships, foster collaboration, and achieve success in accordingly. Whether it's persuading, informing, various spheres of life. Embracing the principles and motivating, or collaborating, being clear about the purpose strategies outlined in this article can pave the way for more helps shape the content and delivery of the communication, meaningful and impactful communication experiences. increasing its effectiveness. May 2023 | 18 | www.insightssuccess.com

CXO Elßabe·h K. Mle« Elßabe·h K. Mle« Elßabe·h K. Mle« CFP® CFA, Founder and President, Summit Place Financial Advisors, LLC hen I started in this industry, I was a portfolio goals. We then create a personalized strategy to help them manager for an investment management firm. reach their goals and we define performance targets that are We managed portfolios for institutions as well most likely to help them reach their goals. We revisit this W as individuals who came to us. We met with those clients strategy and the goals at every meeting, never letting it regularly and reported on their investments; often we shared collect dust or simply paper a file. We find that this simple our market or economic outlook. Sometimes the clients review often uncovers an important update and assures came to us through a recommendation from a broker at a clients that we are partnering to stay focused on their most large institution. No one called themselves a financial important goals. advisor and none of us gave our clients advice beyond their investments. Thank goodness our industry has evolved to We also share an analysis showing clients how they’re one in which many different kinds of “financial advisors” tracking that performance goal on every quarterly report, offer more financial direction and solutions to our clients. confirming their progress to our agreed financial goals. In the market turmoil of 2022, many clients shared how Today many financial advisors offer holistic approaches and valuable this review was in giving them long-term a range of wealth management services including confidence in their wealth, especially when the market was retirement and education planning, tax management, dropping. insurance assessments, estate planning and perhaps ongoing family education and philanthropic planning. Clients now Checking in at Opportune Moments and Sharing expect these expert services from their advisor. After the Updates: While some clients may not appreciate overly observations. Sometimes, we don’t yet have enough experience to clients. We use several integrated systems market turmoil of 2022, it is clearer than ever that clients frequent touches, we make a point of reaching out when we information to have a solid outlook, but our clients share and processes that help assure us we can DWYSYWD! want even more from us and the advising industry needs to haven’t heard from a client in too long. Clients today that they appreciate our timeliness in acknowledging continue to evolve to offer the expertise and experience that expect the monthly and quarterly newsletters, but they unsettling developments. In this profession we are in the extraordinarily satisfying clients seek. appreciate genuine communication that reflects our position of genuinely helping people. Each day we know knowledge of their situation and their interests. “We saw DWYSYWD! Do What You Say You Will Do: As clients we have touched someone and helped them with a At Summit Place Financial Advisors, we were very early to something that made us think of you,“ we might say, and desire and seek all the wealth management services the challenge or made their financial life easier. At Summit deliver fully integrated wealth management to our clients in we ask how things are going. We value knowing our clients industry offers, we keep hearing how clients’ past Place Financial Advisors, we continually evolve our 2008. As a boutique firm, we continually review and personally; they value our interest and concern because experiences have fallen short. It is wonderful that we capabilities, processes, and communications with one evolve our client service plans. Here are three areas we financial journeys are not separate from the rest of life for benefit from others promising more than they deliver, but guiding focus- how can we continue to delight clients? embrace today, and we believe the industry will follow: anyone. our industry needs to catch up. We are all clients, ourselves, to any number of service industries. Is there Over the past 15 years, the industry has followed our Regularly Reviewing Strategy and Tracking Progress When the market or economy does get worrisome, we don’t anything more frustrating than a service that under- priorities and we hope they continue to do that to the benefit Against Goals: Like many advisors, as we get to know our wait for the next planned email campaign to share our delivers? Today, there are so many developments in of all financial service clients. new clients, we together identify short- and long-term outlook. We proactively share our thoughts and technology that can help advisors offer a seamless and full May 2023 | 20 | www.insightssuccess.com May 2023 | 21 | www.insightssuccess.com

The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs Making a Difference in 2023 Natasha is passionate about Natasha tackling DE&I challenges with Makhijani clients and ensures Embodiment of Resolute Leadership it is far more than a box-ticking atashaMakhijani is the Founder and CEO of Oliver Sanderson has built up a strong track record of exercise. Oliver Sanderson Group PLC. After graduating senior and C-suite appointments at FTSE 100, FTSE 250, N with a bachelor's degree from the City, University and Fortune 500 companies. They offer end-to-end of London and a master's from DePaul University in recruitment and consultancy solutions, and their team of Chicago, she began her recruitment career on the Graduate highly experienced consultants offer a bespoke service Scheme at Hays. Fast-tracked into management roles, she designed to satisfy all recruitment and consultancy achieved four promotions in four years and took a team requirements. Unlike other recruiters, they offer a genuinely from billing £10,000 to £80,000 a month. consultative service that ensures they listen to the client's needs and tailor the search process accordingly. This She then moved to Michael Page, where she worked on a ensures that they can comprehensively search for hybrid desk across permanent and interim senior leadership candidates that are the best possible fit for the company and roles. She was given responsibility for growing Michael role. Page's Public Sector division from its offices in London. She soon became the company's number one biller in HR Snapp CV across the UK, but she always wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial path. Oliver Sanderson is a pioneer of digital innovation in executive search and recruitment. Natasha is also the co- Having already set up executive desks at both Hays and founder of Snapp CV, the world's first voice-technology- Michael Page, Natasha switched her focus to establishing a enabled mobile jobs platform with exclusive Amazon Alexa business of her own, and in 2011, Oliver Sanderson was integration. If you ask your Alexa device to "find me a job", born. What started as one woman on a laptop in her dining the search will be powered by Snapp. room has grown into an international business at the cutting edge of executive search, working with big clients, winning The platform recently featured on the Mayor of London's awards, and making a difference internationally! TechInvest programme; an initiative delivered in alliance with the UK Business Angels Association to showcase Oliver Sanderson Group PLC London's most ground-breaking tech start-up businesses. It also won Recruitment Technology Innovation of the Year at Oliver Sanderson is an executive search firm with a the 2022 Recruiter Awards. Natasha Makhijani difference, combining experience and expertise with Founder and CEO innovation and fresh thinking. Their Values of Honesty, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Oliver Sanderson Group PLC Integrity and Passion are at the heart of everything they do. As an Asian woman in the recruitment industry, Natasha Their aim is to help clients achieve greatness by attracting, has had to be extremely assertive to get to where she is developing and retaining professionals of the highest today, and it has been far from an easy ride. Building an calibre. They ensure clients strengthen their organisations inclusive culture has been pivotal to Oliver Sanderson's by identifying and recruiting the best individuals and success, not just for themselves but also for their clients and supporting their progression into accomplished leaders. candidates. May 2023 | 22 | www.insightssuccess.com May 2023 | 23 | www.insightssuccess.com

ensure that candidates are selected based on their qualifications, experience, and skills rather than their gender, race, or ethnicity. Ÿ Conducting structured interviews with all candidates to ensure fairness and minimise any unconscious bias. They use a standardized set of questions and assess all candidates on the same criteria, which helps to objectively evaluate their qualifications, experience, and skills. Ÿ Providing diversity training to their team to raise their awareness of unconscious bias and encourage a more inclusive workplace culture. Their recruiters are trained to recognise and mitigate any potential bias that may affect the selection process. Ÿ Tracking and monitoring diversity metrics throughout the recruitment process to ensure that they are meeting diversity goals. They measure success by tracking the percentage of diverse candidates in their pipeline and the number of diverse candidates hired. Going ahead in the Future Natasha would like to accomplish growth to an exceptional level in the interim side of her business over the next 5 years. She would also like to open offices internationally and has already started exploring New York, India, and The Natasha is passionate about tackling DE&I challenges with Netherlands. She believes it is essential to diversify her clients and ensures it is far more than a box-ticking working practices and reach out - there is still so much exercise. Having built a strong track record of high-profile more room to learn and expand. appointments of candidates from minority backgrounds across a wide range of industries, more and more companies are approaching Oliver Sanderson for help finding top level candidates who can help them improve representation in their organisations. During briefing meetings, Natasha and her team are often asked: "how do you ensure a diverse shortlist?" There are a number of steps that Oliver Sanderson take to provide an industry-leading diversity shortlisting process for their clients, including: Ÿ Collaboration with diverse organisations and networks, such as BWHR (Black Women in HR) and HR Girlfriends. These networks and communities, often anchored and organised on LinkedIn, provide vital forums and support networks for minority candidates. Ÿ The use of gender-neutral language in all job postings to avoid any gender bias in the selection process. They also remove any identifying information from CVs to May 2023 | 24 | www.insightssuccess.com May 2023 | 25 | www.insightssuccess.com

Leadership Aspects n today's rapidly evolving business landscape, all levels of the organization. Implement inclusive diversity and inclusion have emerged as critical factors recruitment practices that actively seek diverse candidates I for organizational success. As a CEO, fostering for executive roles. Partner with professional organizations, diversity and inclusion in the C-Suite is not only a moral diverse communities, and educational institutions to expand imperative but also a strategic business decision. A diverse the talent pool and provide opportunities for and inclusive leadership team brings a wealth of underrepresented groups. Strategies for Fostering Strategies for Fostering perspectives, experiences, and ideas that can drive innovation, improve decision-making, and fuel business Eliminate Bias in the Selection Process: Unconscious growth. In this article, we will explore strategies that CEOs biases can hinder diversity in executive positions. Diversity and Inclusion in the Diversity and Inclusion in the can employ to foster diversity and inclusion in the C-Suite Implement objective and standardized selection processes and create a thriving organizational culture. that focus on skills, qualifications, and potential rather than personal biases. Train hiring managers and decision-makers C-Suite as a CEO C-Suite as a CEO Set the Tone from the Top: As a CEO, it is essential to on unconscious bias awareness to ensure fair and unbiased champion diversity and inclusion from the highest level of evaluations. leadership. Communicate the organization's commitment to diversity and inclusion, both internally and externally, and Foster an Inclusive Organizational Culture: Build an lead by example. Demonstrate inclusive behaviors and inclusive culture where all employees feel valued, actively promote diversity initiatives to set the tone for the respected, and empowered to contribute their unique entire organization. perspectives. Encourage open dialogue, active listening, and collaboration across diverse teams. Establish Employee Create a Diverse Talent Pipeline: To foster diversity in the Resource Groups (ERGs) or affinity groups that provide C-Suite, it is crucial to establish a diverse talent pipeline at support, networking, and mentorship opportunities for underrepresented employees. May 2023 | 26 | www.insightssuccess.com May 2023 | 27 | www.insightssuccess.com

Provide Diversity and Inclusion Training: Offer training and drive initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion. programs to raise awareness about diversity, inclusion, and C-Suite sponsorship of ERGs demonstrates leadership's unconscious biases. These programs can help employees commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. understand the value of diversity, challenge their own biases, and develop inclusive leadership skills. Leadership Diverse Board Representation: Recognize the importance development programs that incorporate diversity and of diversity at the board level and actively seek diverse inclusion training can prepare executives to foster an candidates for board positions. A diverse board can provide inclusive culture in the C-Suite. valuable perspectives, enhance decision-making, and influence the organization's overall diversity and inclusion Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs: Establish efforts. mentorship and sponsorship programs that pair high- potential diverse talent with experienced executives. Inclusive Leadership Development Programs: Develop Mentors can provide guidance, support, and opportunities leadership development programs that focus on diversity, for skill development, while sponsors can actively advocate inclusion, and cultural competence. These programs can for their protégés' career advancement. These programs help current and future executives build the skills and help break down barriers and create a more inclusive mindset necessary to lead diverse teams, navigate cross- pathway to executive leadership. cultural dynamics, and foster an inclusive culture within the C-Suite. Track and Measure Progress: Implement metrics and regular reporting to track progress in diversity and inclusion External Partnerships and Collaborations: Forge initiatives. Measure diversity at all levels of the partnerships with external organizations and thought leaders organization, including the C-Suite, and set targets for who specialize in diversity and inclusion. Collaborate on improvement. Regularly assess the impact of diversity and research, initiatives, and events that promote diversity in inclusion efforts and adjust strategies as needed. executive leadership. These partnerships can provide valuable insights, resources, and networking opportunities Engage External Networks and Partnerships: Engage for both the organization and the C-Suite leaders. with external networks, industry organizations, and partnerships that focus on diversity and inclusion. Publicly Share Diversity and Inclusion Commitments: Collaborate with like-minded CEOs and organizations to Make public commitments and statements about the share best practices, learn from each other's experiences, organization's dedication to diversity and inclusion. Share and collectively drive change in the industry. these commitments through public platforms, such as the company website, social media, and industry conferences. Transparent Succession Planning: Incorporate diversity Publicly demonstrating the organization's commitment to and inclusion considerations into succession planning diversity and inclusion can attract diverse talent, build trust processes. Develop and groom a diverse pool of internal with stakeholders, and inspire other leaders to follow suit. candidates for C-Suite roles, ensuring that they have the necessary exposure, development opportunities, and support to be successful in leadership positions. Foster a Culture of Accountability: Hold leaders accountable for diversity and inclusion goals and progress. Incorporate diversity and inclusion metrics into performance evaluations and reward leaders who actively champion diversity and inclusion in their areas of responsibility. Recognize and celebrate diversity success stories and milestones to reinforce a culture of inclusion. Employee Resource Group Sponsorship: Encourage C- Suite executives to actively sponsor and support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). ERGs provide a platform for underrepresented employees to connect, share experiences, May 2023 | 28 | www.insightssuccess.com

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The 10 Most Inspiring CEOs Making a Difference in 2023