World’s Inspiring CEOs Redefining the Business, 2023

1. Vol. 12 | Issue 08 | December 2023 World’s Inspiring Redefining the Business, 2023 Chairman & CEO KCi Group Ben Ben Crafting a Multifaceted Business Model and Leadership for KCi Group's Success

4. World’s Inspiring CEOs Redening the Business, 2023 Executives with the Vision Along with focusing just on talking about their own accomplishments, the CEO needs to spend time learning, connecting, and listening. CEOs who have already achieved success aside, learning is a never-ending process that needs to be improved upon constantly. In addition to maintaining conversations and relationships with stakeholders like as clients and consumers, staff, investors, analysts, board members, and others, the dynamic leader must actively pursue new collaborations and information sources. Since competition is by its very nature dynamic, tactics for gathering resources and tools to outmanoeuvre the opposition must likewise be dynamic. simpler for the group of companies to enter new markets. His work is highlighted by accuracy in analysis, the creation of specific plans, and the carrying out of a customized strategy to tailor to each situation. Ben has continually demonstrated via his broad experience a profound awareness of other cultures, remarkable social skills, powerful leadership talents, and an amazing can-do attitude. These characteristics have helped him carry out multiple projects successfully on a worldwide scale. His passion and efficiency in thriving and growing the KCi brand is testified to by his international reputation as a business leader and expert in his field. Business leaders who are exceptionally successful also look to outsiders for feedback on how to improve their leadership style. To do this, they need to perform a clinical evaluation and get input from a far wider group of stakeholders than they may have in the past. World's Leaders latest edition “World's Inspiring CEOs Redefining the Business, 2023” has featured success stories of renowned CEOs whose expertise in leadership is echoing globally. The cover has Ben Knoefler, Chairman at Kci. He has main goals for the company which are to continually improve its concurrent operations, make it Also, while you flip through the pages, don't forget to read the articles created by our in-house editorial staff and industry experts. Have a lovely read!

5. CREDIT PAGE Editor-in-Chief Steve Sanchez Managing Editor Jagdish Chincholikar Executive Editor Nicole Williams Assistant Editor Gayatri Bhujbal Art & Design Director Jack Anderson Business Development Manager Beth Watson Business Development Executive Natalie, Jerrey Associate Designer Kevin Rust Digital Marketing Manager Victor Clarke Sales Manager Casey Simpson, Irfan Shekh Marketing Manager Tom Swann Technical Specialist Barry Jones Circulation Manager Danny Parker December 2023 3296 Westerville Rd #250, Columbus, OH 43224, USA Copyright 2023 WORLD’S LEADERS Media Tech LLC, 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 WORLD’S LEADERS Reprint rights remain solely with WORLD’S LEADERS. Follow us on :

6. 08 y Ben Knoefler Crafting a Multifaceted Business Model and Leadership for KCi Group's Success

7. Ajmal Saleem 18 22 Alex circei Anthony Howcroft 26 32 Axel Kloth 36 Dean Erhardt 40 Edwin Lui Maqbool Al Wahaibi 46 50 Noor Al Muhaideb 54 Renata Liuzzi

8. y 08 | December 2023

9. Ben Ben Knoefler Crafting a Multifaceted Business Model and Leadership for KCi Group's Success worldsleaders.com | 09

10. The foundation of KCi Group was built upon the belief that they could achieve what others couldn't. This ambition didn't stem solely from their exceptional business acumen, but rather from a shared vision for the future of their companies and clients that has been 10 years in the making since its inauguration. Their journey commenced as a modest family holding and has since blossomed into a multinational conglomerate with diverse expertise in international trade and trade consulting. As a global entity, they acknowledge the unique challenges stemming from their diversification and approach every interaction with this awareness. With over two decades of expertise in the industry, Ben Knoefler, Chairman at KCi, has main goals for the company which are to continually improve its concurrent operations, make it simpler for the group of companies to enter new markets. His work is highlighted by accuracy in analysis, the creation of specific plans, and the carrying out of a customized strategy to tailor to each situation. Ben has continually demonstrated via his broad experience a profound awareness of other cultures, remarkable social skills, powerful leadership talents, and an amazing can-do attitude. These characteristics have helped him carry out multiple projects successfully on a worldwide scale. His passion and efficiency in thriving and growing the KCi brand is testified to by his international reputation as a business leader and expert in his field. 10 | December 2023

11. The foundation of KCi Group was built upon the belief that they could achieve what others couldn't. This ambition didn't stem solely from their exceptional business acumen, but rather from a shared vision for the future of their companies and clients that has been 10 years in the making since its inauguration. Their journey commenced as a modest family holding and has since blossomed into a multinational conglomerate with diverse expertise in international trade and trade consulting. As a global entity, they acknowledge the unique challenges stemming from their diversification and approach every interaction with this awareness. His work is highlighted by accuracy in analysis, the creation of specific plans, and the carrying out of a customized strategy to tailor to each situation. Ben has continually demonstrated via his broad experience a profound awareness of other cultures, remarkable social skills, powerful leadership talents, and an amazing can- do attitude. These characteristics have helped him carry out multiple projects successfully on a worldwide scale. His passion and efficiency in thriving and growing the KCi brand is testified to by his international reputation as a business leader and expert in his field. With over two decades of expertise in the industry, Ben Knoefler, Chairman at KCi, has main goals for the company which are to continually improve its concurrent operations, make it simpler for the group of companies to enter new markets. worldsleaders.com | 11

12. 12 | December 2023

13. Ben Knoefler meeting with KCi mining operations management team in Namibia Real Estate & Investments KCi Group Ÿ Logging & Agriculture The KCi Group is a multinational conglomerate specializing in a variety of fields that we happily continue to serve our customers to the best of our abilities. Our corporate umbrella includes many subsidiaries that operate in the following industries: Ÿ Recycling & Recovery Ÿ The company's primary focus has always been on ensuring that each of its businesses possesses a strong presence and brand value, regardless of its location worldwide. It has adopted a multifaceted business mindset, excelling in various fields, which has enabled the company to chart new paths in a multitude of operations. Its portfolio includes businesses engaged in precious metals mining and refining, sustainable energy solutions and implementations, as well as general commodities trading, among others. Machinery & Equipment Ÿ Mining & Metals Ÿ Oil & Energy Ÿ Healthcare & Life Sciences Ÿ Food & Beverages Ÿ worldsleaders.com | 13

14. The KCi Group's extensive global network, encompassing interconnected businesses, clients, and team members, is the driving force behind its reputation for swift deal- making and the company's ability to seize novel opportunities long before the competition. Their dedication to diversification and excellence has set them apart in the business world. have played a pivotal role in their journey. While they have achieved significant profitability, their approach to every business endeavor remains rooted in humility and clear intentions to foster growth, a philosophy that has guided them since the inception of their brand. One of the key factors contributing to the company's success is its management style. At the KCi Group, the company maintains a flat hierarchy where seniority is more of a title than a barrier. Open communication is a hallmark of the company's team, fostering an environment where team members can openly address mistakes and leverage their unique strengths. This approach ensures the team functions cohesively, efficiently addressing challenges with solutions rather than resorting to complaints or blame. Prior Experiences At the core, Ben has always been an entrepreneur and a champion of entrepreneurs. He initially leveraged being a sales and public relations expert for high- profile clientele who trusted his expertise in sales boosting, crisis communication, and market entry into building the foundation for KCi. Concurrently, he took an active role in organizations such as the European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs, the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance, and other NGOs advocating for entrepreneurship. Ben's involvement includes roles across many board memberships and presidencies of organizations representing young entrepreneurs in interactions with the international business and political establishment. Notably he acted as the advisor to the EU Commission and as General Secretary of various national and international organizations. These experiences provided him with valuable insights and the essential skill set for negotiating and closing deals at the highest levels. This sense of community within the team is cultivated because the company recognizes that the continuous and dedicated efforts of its team members are the driving force behind KCi Group's success. By harnessing everyone's distinct abilities and a wealth of ideas, the company ensures a bright future, cementing KCi Group as a formidable presence in the corporate world and a contemporary exemplar of corporate success. Sharing the Power of Teamwork Ben believes that empathy and reliability should be the main focus of anyone leading a larger organization. Ben sees his success comes from a simple realization: no matter how much experience he gains, he's not infallible. Every day, his team teaches him new things and sharpens his skills. His key choice has been to always surround himself with bright minds, a choice evident in their team. He's concerned about something missing in many leaders today: humility, a Team-Driven Success The team takes immense pride in the reputation that precedes the company(s), emphasizing that the name "KCi" is synonymous with qualities like trust, transparency, and honesty. These attributes are the cornerstone of their success and 14 | December 2023

15. Zeeshan Shakeel Zilli, Ben Knoefler and Maaz Aftab - top management at KCi Group in Dubai strong mindset, and a sense of personal connection. Ben thinks you can't expect people to follow you if you see them as disposable or beneath you, or if you blame them for your decisions. Instead, he believes in encouraging, taking responsibility for mistakes, and investing in earning your team's respect. This, in his view, pays off in the long run. educational qualifications. While these attributes are important, what truly makes an excellent hire is someone who is eager to learn, grow, and contribute to their role. Dependability, trustworthiness, and a problem-solving mindset are also essential qualities. A skilled interviewer can identify these traits and recognize that sometimes, candidates just need a chance to demonstrate their potential. Ben has seen some of the most valuable colleagues in the company emerge from unconventional hiring choices, proving that taking a chance on promising individuals can be a winning decision in many cases. Hiring Philosophy Ben thinks that a successful hiring strategy goes beyond measurable statistics like years of experience or worldsleaders.com | 15

16. Transformative Shifts in the Metals Industry goals are increased demands of certain metals in recent times which is changing the demand-supply situation internationally and making investments into mining highly attractive again. According to Ben, the precious metals mining and recycling industry is at the time being definitely one of the most significantly changing industries under our corporate umbrella. The emerging technologies being utilized to improve safety, production yield, data analysis and sustainability improvements are genuinely quite remarkable and has increased our confidence in our mining operations to secure important assets and mining sites for the foreseeable future. At the same time the industrial changes needed to fulfil the global climate Building Resilience, and Shaping KCi Group's Future Ben acknowledges that taking risks is an inherent part of being a leader and entrepreneur. The most significant risk in his career was placing his trust in his abilities, especially after experiencing a dramatic failure. This 16 | December 2023

17. decision was both smart and ignorant. It was smart because it led him to his current position, but also ignorant because when all statistical odds were against him, he persisted. This experience taught him that with enough determination, any challenge can be overcome, a principle now ingrained in KCi Group's core values. Looking ahead, the company's focus for the next five years is on expanding existing operations and investments while remaining open to new business opportunities, even beyond their comfort zone, solidifying their position as a central hub for commodity trading between the West and East. worldsleaders.com | 17

18. Ajmal Saleem Co-Founder & CEO Treat at Home App Ajmal Saleem Saleem Saleem Aiming to Bring Quality and Cost-Effec?ve Medical Services to Pa?ents' Doorstep 18 | December 2023

19. Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World's Leaders and Ajmal Saleem: Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company? I co-founded Treat at Home in 2018, right after high school. At that time, I had great experiences, like part-time jobs at a hospital and pharmacies. Jokes apart, there was no hands-on experience working at or running a company. But fortunately, I had closely observed healthcare practices from a very young age. Since my father is a consulting doctor, I used to see patients walk in, take a slip, and wait for their turns. They'd sit worried about their complaints, but right after the consultation, everyone walks away with a happy smile. Same goes with seeing trauma cases brought in, dressings, and fluid administration. Healthcare just gave me the sense of solving a huge hurdle and making people get back to normal. A jmal Saleem co-founded Treat at Home, a digital healthtech platform with the mission of bringing high-quality, reasonably priced healthcare to patients' homes.He looks after innovation, product development, and various team cohesion activities. Aspects of work would include enhancing ideas for the app, he also responsible for internal portals based on customer feedback, assessing key statistical data, identifying new growth opportunities, partnerships, etc. This prompted me to pursue Treat at Home and enroll in medical school the following year. It gave me this wonderful opportunity to develop a solution for the health sector while learning how healthcare works in and around the patient experience. Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start? Once I finished high school, the excitement of pursuing this idea kept me awake. When my co-founder asked, "When everything is delivered at home, why not healthcare?" we started looking for reasons. There were home healthcare pioneers at that time, but they were not making a huge impact like other sectors. Our brainstorming session kept us going till we reached that point, where "the traditional employment model" of companies was a barrier. Outside, Ajmal loves to attend startup events, network and connect with people, read articles about market trends, learn how our product could create more impact, and go for a swim when time permits. We started Treat at Home in 2018, and from inception until mid-2019, we completely studied the market for possible pitfalls. Simultaneously, we worldsleaders.com | 19

20. launched the beta version of our app and started enrolling healthcare providers. Until January 2020, when the pandemic began, our entire focus was on the supply side. specialist teleconsultations, in-home nursing, and caretaking. We also render value-added services like physical therapy, lab tests at home, medicine delivery, medical equipment, ambulance service, and hospital appointments. From the idea stage, we focused on key differentiators to stand out in the home health sector. closure of services, quality checklists for patients and providers to validate during a service, and much more. Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes? The spotlight is on 'the person' but the ship sails on a backstage of team members and processes working continuously to keep afloat. We witnessed a huge demand for medical services due to the ongoing situation, and when everyone was closing their doors, we started operations in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The initial idea was to develop an exclusive app based platform for higher scalability, but we realized that people needed to interact, particularly in the health sector. So, we pivot toward a call-based booking system with executives speaking the regional language. Treat at Home is the first healthcare app in India powered by live tracking that enables patients to receive real- time location updates from providers they receive services from. With our peer-to-peer app and hyperlocal network of providers like doctors, nurses, and therapists, we render services faster and at an affordable cost than our competitors. Through our aggregator model, we don't employ anyone but connect existing professionals to patients in need of medical care. This makes us highly scalable and less dependent on infrastructure. What are your responsibilities as the Chief Executive Officer of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine? As the CEO, I look at key decisions, team coordination, statistics, innovation, product development, and enhancements. Scaling Treat at Home has been my dream, and I am happy to be a part of it every day. "I took over as CEO in May 2020 and scaled Treat at Home to an active network of 850 healthcare professionals and 3000+ medical services at home in 2 years.” What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? As I'm young myself, I believe there's more to learn, but I'll share my thoughts and insights so far. First of all, when I started, I had two options. Either to attend college or to pursue Treatment at Home. We come across all these stories where entrepreneurs quit their universities and pursued their startup ideas. It's cool, but not everyone can do that. In India, we have our own culture; our parents want us to finish a degree, and so on. But it doesn't mean, we have to set the spark aside. We can keep on reading stuff, study the market, and try to, if possible, develop a prototype. So, wherever we are in life, the first step is to pursue our passion. The second is building the right team; only they can take our vision and product to new heights. The third is to keep pivoting; the problem we are solving is the most important, not the solution itself. So, be open to change and keep hustling. What has made you successful? What do you value? As an executive, I feel success is still at a distance, but we have made marked achievements with Treat at Home. Customer feedback is the most important value we measure, among others.How users feel about our product matters more than how we feel about it. This only comes if we launch our solution soon, and yes, the first version of our platform used to be a complete mess. As people started using it, we gathered a ton of feedback and improvised based on that. It's also important to keep hustling and pivoting. What are the most important aspects of a company's culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture? A strong company culture reflects in customer success, and aspects like inclusivity, fairness, and constructive criticism play a major role. We believe that everyone's opinion matters, and team members ranging in rank from an executive to the chief can contribute to our customer-first approach. Building this culture starts with our core team adapting these values and passing them on to the expanding team. Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide? Treat at Home is a digital health technology platform that brings quality and cost-effective medical care to patients' doorsteps. Our portfolio of services includes home doctor visits, What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company? Innovation drives our company. As a healthtech platform, we have developed and implemented various technological solutions like app-to-app voice calling to enhance the privacy of doctors, virtual prescriptions that patients can print on-demand, completion codes to ensure the proper 20 | December 2023

21. Ajmal Saleem co-founder Treat at Home worldsleaders.com | 21

22. Alex Alex Alex Circei Circei Circei Helping engineering leaders improve engineering efficiency 22 | December 2023

23. A lex Circei, CEO & Co-Founder at Waydev, is determined to identify problems, is passionate about discovering solutions, is a risk taker and aims to provide something people need. Way towards Waydev Alex Circei is a highly accomplished entrepreneur with a diverse academic background in economics, marketing, organizational leadership, and entrepreneurship. He has launched and successfully managed numerous companies over the past decade. Alex's entrepreneurial journey began in 2007 when he founded the IT & C online store LiveMag. The following year, he established Copimaj, which focuses on creating online services and businesses that specialize in internet marketing. Through Copimaj, he has worked with leading fashion, child safety, beauty, and healthcare companies, including UNICEF, Gucci, Paul & Shark, Burberry, and Prada, among others. In addition to his previous ventures, Alex founded StoreBeez, a marketplace platform that earned him a three-month internship at Birmingham Oxygen, an intensive business accelerator for tech entrepreneurs. Throughout his career, Alex Circei has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation, establishing himself as a highly respected figure in the world of entrepreneurship. In 2013, Alex Circei traveled to Silicon Valley to present Lupsale, an innovative email marketing platform, at TechCrunch Disrupt. Following this, in 2014, he founded Billme, a powerful invoicing tool for freelancers. However, in 2017, he recognized a significant problem that he believed he could tackle and solve. A company that was struggling to understand engineering needed a tool to gain insight into software delivery, pinpoint process bottlenecks, and align engineering activity with business objectives. The primary challenge was the lack of visibility and insight into engineering efforts, which made it difficult to validate assumptions with data and improve performance. To address this problem, Alex created Waydev, which provides the necessary metrics, KPIs, and dashboards to improve software engineering performance and help companies achieve their goals. worldsleaders.com | 23

24. Redefining the industry by its own approach Waydev is a pioneer in the software development analytics market, being one of the first tools in this category. believes that one must be sincerely passionate about what one does. Every day Alex looks forward to going to work, and his enthusiasm for expanding Waydev and getting everyone to pursue their passions can be seen in the final product. He sees himself as a dedicated individual who constantly seeks solutions to issues, which is one of the reasons Waydev was created. As the CEO and co- founder of Waydev, Alex manages the company's overall operations. "My greatest achievement as a leader is happily coming to work each day alongside an amazing team. That's the happiest part of everyday as a leader at Waydev," Alex says. Waydev is a software development analytics platform for engineering leaders. Waydev connects to Git Repositories (like GitHub, GitLab, BitBucket), Issue Tracking Systems (Jira, Azure Boards), CI/CD tools (CircleCI, Jenkins, GitHub Actions etc) and generates metrics, KPIs, and dashboards that give engineering leaders insight into the software development processes. Waydev offers leaders visibility into the DORA Metrics, the Cycle Time, Sprint Progess, and Progress Costs and the ability for leaders to customize their own custom dashboards. Power of Data Alex has a strong conviction in the transformative power of data. Waydev leverages data-driven insights to help businesses ship products more quickly and align engineering efforts with business goals. Alex believes that Silicon Valley is not just a physical location but also a mindset, and he has infused this mindset into Waydev's company culture. Waydev is backed by Y Combinator, one of the most prominent startup accelerators globally, known for supporting successful companies such as Stripe, Airbnb, Dropbox, and others. Outside of the office, Alex is a huge sports fan. He competes in long- distance triathlons frequently. He competed in his first triathlon back in 2013, and recently completed Ironman 70.3 in Bahrain. Most of the software development reports are related to manual input from engineers, Waydev generates useful reports for engineering leaders and high level executives, without any manual input. Waydev provides value with real-time reports and dashboards for DORA Metrics, Lead Time for Changes, Deployment Frequency, Change Failure Rate, Issue Cycle Time and more. With the help of Waydev, Fortune 500 companies accomplished - a 28% faster Cycle Time, 21% less Unplanned Work and a decrease of 28% in Code Churn. Optimize team processes Alex highlights that Waydev is a valuable tool for engineering leaders, enabling them to assist their teams in identifying bottlenecks, recognizing achievements, and reducing time spent on meetings and reporting. By leveraging data-driven insights, leaders can optimize team efficiency and enhance team operations. The platform's thorough measurements enable leaders to integrate business objectives with technical work, streamlining team operations and maximizing team efficiency. In today's competitive landscape, it is more crucial than ever for leaders to integrate business objectives with technical work, and Waydev can assist them in achieving this. “Running triathlons teaches you a lot of lessons that you can utilize in business because the mental challenges you confront in an endurance event are similar to those you face every day in the workplace.” Recommendations for newbies Alex is passionate about achieving his dreams and advises everyone to have the patience to reach their destination. He recommends trying YC Startup School - an online free program similar to the Y Combinator program, to every aspiring business leader. "Finally, love what you do because when you love your work, you're not really working," says Alex. By understanding work patterns and spotting blockages or irregularities using factual data, engineering leaders can isolate what's not working and replicate successful models. The only way to improve something is by measuring it. In this day and age, when data is everywhere and can be easily accessed, a platform that aggregates only the most valuable pieces of data is a must-have for any organization that aims for greater efficiency. Passionate Individual Alex is a highly motivated and passionate individual who firmly 24 | December 2023

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26. Anthony Howcroft Advancing AI to solve challenges in food and supply chain Advancing AI to solve challenges in food and supply chain 26 | December 2023

27. Anthony Howcro? CEO & Co-Founder SWARM Engineering worldsleaders.com | 27

28. D D Demand and supply forecasting, production, inbound and outgoing logistics, warehouse management, network optimization, and many other operations are actually all part of the supply chain. Even if each of these can be optimized individually, there are much more difficult problems that arise when trying to optimize the entire supply chain or, even worse, the entire value network. The majority of businesses struggle with fundamentals like visibility and traceability throughout the supply chain. It will never be simple to coordinate the efforts of various departments that may be geographically and culturally apart. Some businesses work hard to improve each component separately in the hopes that the overall process will be improved. Others try to create large-scale supply chain platforms, but they frequently encounter technical or political challenges. Anthony Howcroft, CEO and Co- Founder of SWARM Engineering, enables businesses to optimize individual sub-processes one at a time but then connect them so the end-to-end process benefits. SWARM Engineering Anthony spent several years developing software before moving into roles in technology sales and marketing. He worked for both startups and large corporations. He co-founded DATAllegro, a provider of data warehouse appliances that Microsoft purchased in 2008, and spent five years overseeing Microsoft's big data team in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He studied creative writing at the University of Oxford and has published both fiction and non-fiction SWARM Executive Team 28 | December 2023

29. “As a fully virtual team we use the daily call to share the good and bad from our days, both work and personal, and to inform others of our plans for the day. We can resolve some issues on the call, and other times dive into a follow-up if there is an immediate action required. It's one of my favorite times of the day.” works, including the Amazon best seller Questions-A User’s Guide, which served as the inspiration for some of the methods used in the SWARM product. specify problems and quickly match them to sophisticated solutions. SWARM is democratizing AI for the agri-food supply chain. price a round, when to seek debt financing, and more venture-related topics. As a startup expands, the CEO inevitably relinquishes some of their responsibilities and assigns them to others. Wearing Several Hats SWARM is a Software-as-a-Service solution that employs next- generation cognitive computing to address problems in the agri-food supply chain in order to save money, cut waste, and benefit the environment. The SWARM platform is designed around a multi-agent strategy that makes use of a carefully selected array of algorithms to optimize crucial procedures, including load planning, inbound and outbound logistics, demand and supply planning, maximizing yield, and pricing optimization. Without the need for software development or in- depth knowledge of deep AI or machine learning, SWARM offers business users a simple approach to Anthony's main duties are leadership, fundraising, and assisting with the product vision. As the co-founder and CEO of a small business, you typically handle everything. You must step outside of your comfort zone to handle things you are unfamiliar with, which will differ for each person but might be creating a P&L and cashflow model or knowing how your technical team uses Jira and GitHub. Anthony was fortunate in that he had held numerous positions prior to becoming CEO and was knowledgeable about the business and technological aspects. Therefore, the new material for him to learn involved fundraising, how to Anthony proclaims, "Sometimes that can be a relief, and other times—especially if it is an area of your expertise—it can feel like handing over your baby to another person.” Diverse Cultures Although it changes and evolves as the team expands, most cultures naturally reflect the personality of the founder CEO. At SWARM, there aren't many layers of management in the culture, which Anthony would characterizes as being diverse and open. SWARM works hard but also has an enjoyable environment. worldsleaders.com | 29

32. President & CEO Abacus Semiconductor Corporation “We unfortunately have to prepare for people to be skeptical of science and for the fact that they embrace anti-scientific sentiments. As an industry, we have to counter this sentiment and must work towards a more general understanding and acceptance of scientific principles." 32 | December 2023

33. Aiming to Become a Real Force to be Reckoned with in HPC H analyze very large data sets data quickly, including weather forecast, climate modeling, crash test simulations for cars and in general entire classes of applications called computational fluid dynamics. In fact, these computational challenges are so large that they cannot be solved on a single computer even with many processor cores. Those problems require thousands to hundreds of thousands of processor cores to solve in a reasonable time frame. As a result, it is not possible to simple let a single computer run for a very long time to solve a problem – after all, what good does the forecast for tomorrows' weather do if it is ready next week or month? HPC makes these societal, industrial, and technological advancements possible. Axel Kloth, President and CEO of Abacus Semiconductor Corporation, long ago recognized this tendency and is striving to address it with improved performance scaling, which would improve HPC. igh-performance computing (HPC) is the ability to carry out large-scale and complex calculations quickly. Many computational problems require the ability to Axel Kloth has a background in both physics and computer science. Additionally, he is a successful serial entrepreneur who is at the same time knowledgeable about technology and its business applications. He established SSRLabs (Scalable Systems Research Labs), an HPC-focused business, and Parimics, a manufacturer of vision processors and systems. These businesses paved the way for real-time object detection, motion analysis, and object tracking in hardware. With Parimics, the number of trackable objects was limited only by the number of objects in the frame set. SSRLabs was focused on accelerators for HPC. At SSRLabs Axel also developed security processor technology that was spun off into another startup named Axiado. While Axel was a founder and CTO of Axiado, he returned to HPC with Abacus Semiconductor Corporation. worldsleaders.com | 33

34. Idea Behind Abacus Semiconductor Corporation charge capabilities. Large Memory Models such as GPT-3 and ChatGPT also benefit from processors with many cores and large-scale coherent memories. be avoided that certain groups of people are excluded from business advancements. He argues that no approach should be unfamiliar or difficult for the average person to understand. If the cutting-edge implications of computers, the Internet, AI, and ML remain inaccessible to the average person, it is defined as a failure to communicate the benefits to a high degree. Axel suggests, "We unfortunately have to prepare for people to be skeptical of science and for the fact that they embrace anti- scientific sentiments. As an industry, we have to counter this sentiment and must work towards a more general understanding and acceptance of scientific principles.” It was sheer frustration over the lack of linear scaling, and all of the waste associated with it. As a physicist, Axel uses supercomputers. In his opinion that is now mirrored by experts in the field, a supercomputer does not scale as expected. The performance of a supercomputer with 100,000 servers does not always equal 100,000 times that of one server; in some cases, it is only 5000 times as fast. That leads to a waste of resources, including time, effort, space, management costs, and acquisition costs. Being a computer scientist, Axel tried to come up with ways to reduce this waste. Abacus Semiconductor Corporation was created as a result. As the world is moving on the phase of digitalization, artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine Learning (ML) becomes frontline of the game. "This has stepped out of being a niche product and is now being deployed on a broad scale. Both AI and ML are these days referred to as HPC (High Performance Compute) applications in the same way that traditional supercomputing was and still is" says Axel. As a President & CEO Constructive Criticism is Necessary Axel is responsible to build a world- class team, to ensure the satisfaction of end users, and that the company thrives. "We are different from other companies in that we look at the potential of any new hire over just pedigree." specifies by Axel. Revolutionizing the Market Axel is of the strong opinion that good managers and supervisors hire to solve a specific problem within their company. In order for that to happen, every supervisor and manager must hire those that are best suited for the task. It is also entirely necessary to build a company culture that honors, institutes and lives constructive criticism. After all, supervisors and managers are there to provide guidance, and not solutions. As such, it is necessary that every employee feels like their input and feedback is valued. That feedback includes constructive criticism. That means that anyone can be wrong, and everyone has the chance and the right to prove his supervisor or manager or even team mates wrong. A good leader will always value constructive criticism even if they are proven wrong. He didn't realize this for a while in the beginning of his career. With a novel system partitioning, Abacus Semiconductor Corporation has a processor, a smart memory, and two accelerators for special-purpose applications. Axel and his team succeeded in achieving two objectives: more linear performance scaling across thousands of cores across processors, and including all accelerator cores, while maintaining the advantages of common memory and an open Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) with an established and expanding ecosystem. This processor is made to operate with well-known programming languages and standard compilers so that users can quickly deploy it in their operations. Employees at Abacus Semiconductor Corporation are trained, and Axel is committed to expanding institutional knowledge. While in the short run it may be cheaper to outsource and buy IP, Axel believes that in the long run, internal IP designed by internal resources is vastly more useful and valuable. He says, "We only deviate from that if there simply is no internal talent available and if we cannot find talent from the outside that we can bring in.” Skeptical of the Industry These applications range from weather forecast to climate modeling, from crash test simulations of cars to aerodynamic research on aircraft and turbines to improve fuel efficiency, and they include research on how to make anodes, cathodes, and entire batteries last longer and provide better quick- The semiconductor industry has been the most important driving force behind the accumulation of knowledge in human history. Axel seeks to ensure that everyone benefits from this technology. According to him, it must As a CEO today, he encourages his staff to speak up for the greater good, insisting that even if a suggestion contradicts his own, if it proves to be a better solution than his, credit should 34 | December 2023

35. go to the one who made it. As a CEO, his biggest risk is having excellent employees who don't think they can question and disagree with him, leading to frustration and turnover. Corporate Responsibility Strategy Resources are a problem for any startup in the semiconductor industry. Some businesses are very well-funded, and as a result, they have more accountability. Simply put, Axel and the company have an obligation to their shareholders when and if they raise funds. This obligation is to ensure that the business continues to exist and grow to the point when an exit (sale or merger and acquisition) provides the founder, shareholders, and employees with enough funds to make them want to collaborate once more. Towards the Customer Axel mentioned that HPC is a very conservative industry that requires long-term building of trust. Developing trust in the customer's views is crucial. "We show every customer what we have, where we stand, and what we can do," confirms Axel. When and if his company is unable to optimize a customer's application runtime, it notifies them. If his teams believe and have data to back up the assumption that they can improve runtime by a factor of 10, customers must be able to trust them, as supercomputers are pretty expensive. He works immensely hard to gain customer loyalty and plans for future development. Axel hopes that by then they will see the first supercomputers with their processors, accelerators, and smart memories. worldsleaders.com | 35

36. Dean Erhardt President & CEO D2 Solutions 36 | December 2023

37. Dean Erhardt Erhardt Erhardt Combining Consulting and Technology to Drive Innovation Dean Dean Dean “Our solutions are non-disruptive to our existing client's workflow. It enables them to be able to address the functions, budgetary constraints, labor shortage and other issues and to better drive outcomes in their business." worldsleaders.com | 37

38. Work Experiences the Walkman – outdated and insufficient in today's environment. This undoubtedly is affecting patients, which in turn affects manufacturers and pharmacies. Many specialty prescriptions, up to 50%, are never filled, and in addition, many people only make it to the second refill. To improve product availability and improve patient care, D2 Solutions created UltraTouch Engage to bring manufacturers, clinicians, pharmacies, and patients closer together. With UltraTouch Engage, quantifiable outcomes and actionable data are delivered at every stage of the patient's pharmaceutical journey, starting with the generation of the specialty prescription through the first fill and continuing through ongoing compliance and clinical interaction. still 'using' the Walkman -- failing to keep pace in an environment of ever accelerating change. D2 is working with entities to move them forward, driving their point of progress, focused on bringing together pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers with innovative services providers and technology that can accelerates patients access to medications and keep them compliant.” states Erhardt. Mr. Erhardt was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Express Scripts Specialty Pharmacy Benefits Management business prior to his position at D2. In this position, Mr. Erhardt collaborated on formularies, reimbursement models, and product support programs for specialty and biotech therapeutic categories with several Managed Care and Payer organizations. Prior to holding that position, Mr. Erhardt was the Sales and Marketing Director for Express Scripts Specialty Distribution Services, where he worked with over 30 pharmaceutical manufacturers on limited distribution programs, patient assistance programs, sampling, reimbursement support, and other product-specific support programs. TM D2 Solutions is consistently acknowledged as a leader in healthcare technology-driven solutions. D2's SaaS solutions are focused on a) capturing additional revenue, b) enhancing margin (lowering operational costs), and c) reducing exposure to business risk by focusing on assisting its clients in removing friction points. In order to reduce the time it takes from patient diagnosis to treatment, D2 is collaborating with stakeholders in the health care industry to create and employ technology. D2's experience enables clients to assess, comprehend, and handle the difficulties that arise, whether for a standalone pharmacy or a pharmacy/clinic connected to a hospital. There are no easy, all- encompassing answers to the problems of decreased patient participation, payer contracting difficulties, and financial, licensing, regulatory, and accreditation challenges. Mr. Erhardt holds an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Oklahoma. He has also participated in numerous executive management training programs. Mr. Erhardt's board affiliations have included VirMedica, Inc. and StagesSTL. More than 14 years of consulting in the industry has allowed D2 to recognize the processes that cause stress and friction. Over the years, D2 has worked with many clients and regulatory organizations and has identified how to simplify processes to save time, labor and money. ComplySuite is a web- based, automated compliance system that the firm created by listening to the need of the clients. By ensuring that standards and laws are understood and followed, this continuously updated, comprehensive documentation platform helps to facilitate ongoing accreditation, maintenance of licensure, and regulatory compliance. Consistent, ongoing updates are a cornerstone of the company's operations to guarantee that its client partners are always informed. Company's SaaS solutions D2's main goals are to increase profitability, lower risk, and boost sales. Because of this, its pharmacy professionals have created an integrated strategy to assist customers in identifying gaps and opportunities throughout their business or network. TM Since 2008, D2 Solutions has been enabling health care executives to look past the present and take steps toward the future. D2 is dedicated to enabling its customers by offering solutions that deal with actual real-world issues faced by manufacturers, pharmacies, payers, PBMs, and hospital systems. Responsibilities as CEO It is Mr. Erhardt's responsibility is to make sure that his employees have the necessary resources, such as personnel, technology, or both, to successfully solve problems for additional clients. His primary focus, however, is to listen to clients, customers and the industry. D2's 'point of progress' represents a mindset of change and innovation. “Today we don't think about the Sony Walkman as innovative, yet at the time it was revolutionary. Unfortunately, many entities with whom D2 works are Traditional HUB services and outreach initiatives centered on phone calls are 38 | December 2023

39. Find the Solution that is Required Widely Mr. Erhardt claims that listening to customers is the one thing that really drives D2's business and technology forward. He states, "Our solutions are non-disruptive to our existing client's workflow. It enables them to be able to address the functions, budgetary constraints, labor shortage and other issues and to better drive outcomes in their business." while still enabling the feel of that personal touch. Client Satisfaction is True Motivation The first step on the path to being a successful leader is to challenge yourself to continually seek out and stay abreast of the next question that needs to be answered. Dean's drive as a company leader comes from the fulfillment of being able to look at a customer and know that you are making a difference in their business and in their life. In certain circumstances, D2 Solutions has assisted customers in evolving their business -- from not profitable to profitable, assisting them in running their businesses more effectively, taking better care of their patients, and setting them up to find fulfillment in the process. He states, "The value we're bringing to our customers is really what motivates me." Dean believes that the best strategy is to simply keep challenging yourself and asking questions. He thinks that there is always a solution if one asks enough questions to get to the essential factors, the who, what when, where and how. And that's often how they begin the dialogue when businesses are dealing with new clients or new problems. What precisely are they seeking to solve? He states, "Once we understand what we're trying to solve, then we can work our way into what is a solution that works.” Establishing a Culture of Innovation A culture of creativity has been created by D2 Solutions. Mr. Erhardt states, "You know, our senior staff is really tasked with working with their teams to be able to come back and be able to solve market problems through technological advances." He continues by saying that Facebook and Twitter aren't constrained by legacy systems if one takes a second look at them. According to Mr. Erhardt, many of the company's clients are hospitals and pharmacies, and they are heavily burdened by legacy systems. D2 technology is structured to enable these entities to bet more efficient without the need to disrupt these legacy systems Dean believes that constant communication is the key to inspiring workers. As a result, D2's team members are fully incorporated into the discussions at the company's daily and weekly meetings. He states, "Trying to solve client problems while moving our business forward requires the need to over communicate. Whether it be clients or your employees, you have to take a look at your employees as if they are internal customers as well.” Visioning to Solve Real World Challenges Dean's goal for the business is to establish itself as a leading innovator combining consulting and technology solutions. Today's real-world issues include wage inflation, efficiencies, and margin. D2's ability to smoothly integrate technology-based solutions into client workflows and legacy systems is an innovation-driven approach that will continue to fuel their value and growth. D2 Solutions is really focused on API and connectivity and becoming a solution provider for its clients that effectively allows them to work in the cloud and then push information in and out of their system. Mr. Erhardt shares, "What we're really hearing today is about the change in the environment regarding the availability of workers -- not enough personnel to be available, about inflationary wages and how it's becoming more and more costly to be able to provide or hire people that can provide support. The situation is accelerating the need for technology- based solutions that can drive efficiency." D2 Solutions helps clients augment real people with technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness As a result, as an organization, it's a constant struggle for management to find ways to not just hear what employees have to say but also to help them know that their input is of the highest value. He asserts, "Engaged employees are at the center of being able to push the organization forward.” worldsleaders.com | 39

40. Edwin Lui A Global Leader of Ink and Toner Printer Cartridges and One of the World's Most Resilient Franchises 40 | December 2023

41. Edwin Lui CEO Cartridge World worldsleaders.com | 41

42. T The function of teams in generating a variety of business outcomes is becoming clearer. According to the findings, the more widely cooperation is used in firms, the higher the level of organisational innovation. Furthermore, this influence is contingent, especially in the case of production teams. One of the reasons why cooperation can help with creativity is that it brings together people with a variety of talents, knowledge, and educational backgrounds. This high level of information diversity, as well as the various viewpoints that come with it, has the potential to lead to more inventive approaches. Successful innovation allows you to enhance profits by adding value to your firm. Staying ahead of the competition requires innovation. There are more competitive enterprises as a result of globalisation and a fast-changing market. With a tick to its innovative advance approaches and effective teamwork, Cartridge World has become one of the world's largest dedicated specialty retailers of ink and toner printer cartridges and one of the world's fastest growing franchises. The company is global leader when it comes to cartridges, printing and office supplies. Cartridge World Cartridge World is a global brand and one of the largest specialty sellers of ink and toner printer cartridges as well as bespoke B2B solutions and services in the world. It was founded in 1988 and has evolved to become the world's leading specialised retailer of printers, print consumables, and services and solutions for clients. It is conveniently positioned for hundreds of thousands of individual and business consumers around the world, with over 600 locations in 35 countries. It works hard to ensure that every individual and business customer understands their specific printing needs, as well as the cost savings and reduced environmental impact they may achieve. 42 | December 2023

43. Employees are important to Cartridge World. It values every employee, franchisee, and partner, and it constantly keeps their best interests in mind, as well as the brand's and franchise system's long-term viability. Employees are working hard to build Cartridge World into a great franchise system that every one of the partners can be proud of and that provides significant value to them. Value-added services Whether shopping in store or online, the customer base is split between B2C and B2B customers, with sales ranging from transactional to contractual. Cartridge World provides bespoke B2B services and solutions, such as why buy a Printer Program and the variety of MPS models, to complement this mix. It creates these business models to help franchisees expand their customer base while staying relevant to their existing customers, while also lowering printing costs and reducing avoidable waste. To stay current and position itself to be able to give more services to consumers, it has recently added digitalization services to its portfolio. It sells the Premium brand inkjet and toner cartridges in all the retail locations, as well as a variety of other products and services like office supplies, 3D printing and copying, binding, and laminating. Retail outlets also function as a display for potential commercial clients. It uses the internet to keep track of clients' printers and offer advice on how to keep them running at peak performance. Over the years, it has saved customers millions of dollars in printing expenses while also protecting the environment by reducing printing waste. Cartridge World is constantly developing new ideas, new business models, new solutions. The imaging industry evolves at a rapid speed, and it is critical to be able to innovate in order to stay current with the industry while also remaining relevant to current and prospective clients. Over the past few years, it has been established that those who do not innovate will perish. worldsleaders.com | 43

46. Eng. Maqbool Al Wahaibi CEO Oman Data Park 46 | December 2023

47. Maqbool Al Wahaibi Leading by diversified Experience in ICT Engineering, So?ware Development, Business Startups and Leadership Eng. worldsleaders.com | 47

48. L Life prior to Starting Professional Work Maqbool attended the Royal Guard School of Technology, an Oman- based military technology boarding school, for his secondary and primary education. Later, he received a government Maqbool Al Wahaibi is the Chief Executive Officer of Oman Data Park (ODP), the first managed and cloud service provider in Oman. He was a key contributor to the creation of solutions specifically suited to the needs of banks, financial institutions, the oil and gas industry, the healthcare industry, the government, the educational system, and the professional services sector. He is a member of the executive management team and a founding team member of ODP. His diverse experience spans more than 20 years in ICT engineering, software development, business startup, and leadership. scholarship to pursue his further education, including a bachelor's degree in engineering in information technology from Staffordshire University in the UK, a master's degree in software engineering from York University in the UK, and an MBA from Strathclyde University in Scotland. He began working for the government as a software developer and advanced through the ranks to general manager of an IT division. Oman Data Park Maqbool was a member of the founding team (shareholders) of Oman Data Park SAOC (ODP), which was established in 2012. Maqbool helped ODP develop and become a success story. The stockholders approached him about starting the first cloud service provider in Oman. He jumped out of the government sector to bring up ODP because he thought the idea was good. Maqbool has an MBA from Strathclyde University in the UK and a Master of Science in Computer Software Engineering from the University of York. At the 2018 Annual AIWA Awards, he was named Technology Person of the Year. In 2019, Oman Data Park received the Excellence for Global Cloud-Based Services award. ODP currently provides services to 600 corporate clients, including big, medium-sized, and small businesses. It was difficult to start a business from scratch in a tiny, conservative market like Oman with a brand-new set of services like cloud services and data center services. It calls for intense concentration driven by enthusiasm, a thorough awareness of the risk variables, and a great deal of attention. Maqbool was fortunate to possess all of those qualities, which were undoubtedly helpful. He shares, "Our first client was a bank. In Oman, the first Islamic bank (Nizwa Bank) was established. We sold the idea to the bank to collocate all of their infrastructure in ODP, rather than building a data center of their own, it was an opportunity we didn't want to miss." However, having to deal with all the legislative and security components was not an easy thing to do. Before 48 | December 2023

49. A Leader with Values and Ideals discussing the financial benefits and the total cost of ownership that the bank would have by getting their IT core banking infrastructure into ODP—something that hadn't been done in the region before—the company had to make the case to the legislative bodies and challenge the risk and security departments of the bank. Oman Data Park has managed to accumulate a tremendous amount of experience in offering cloud managed services over the past ten years while serving more than 600 organizations. Maqbool takes care of his team and gives them the most respect and self- confidence possible in his role as a leader. When it comes to his consumers, he makes sure they receive the greatest possible service. The next group of people are his partners; ODP could not succeed without them. His board of directors, who must be supportive and in agreement, comes last. Maqbool is a guy of action, and he frequently exemplifies this for his colleagues. He makes the most of every chance to ensure that the business has a culture of discipline toward execution with excellence and the highest level of customer service. With quality service, Maqbool and his team win new clients and maintain them forever. He makes certain that the team sees that on him personally so that they can follow. He asserts, "To me, discipline comes first, and that really helps the execution part of the vision. A leader should also be passionate about what he or she does. worldsleaders.com | 49

50. Noor Al Muhaideb Striving To Craft the Ingredients of Absolute Luxury, Creating Spaces That are not Only Beautiful, but Breath-taking N Noor Al Muhaideb Noor Al Muhaideb is the CEO & Founding Partner of Opaal Interiors and Detay Living. She earned a Bachelor of Interior Design degree from the American University of Sharjah in 2002. She gained her remarkable portfolio over her fifteen years of professional expertise by implementing and completing several residential, hotel, and commercial developments for Emaar Properties. Clients and coworkers alike hold Noor in high regard for her extraordinary inventiveness, design sensibility, organizational prowess, and capacity to lead diverse teams. With an eye for elegance, craftsmanship, and quality, she is renowned for her world-class visionary style and designs that set trends whilst remaining fresh and timeless year after year. 50 | December 2023