Author: CIO Times

Brett Beveridge is an embodiment of entrepreneurial tenacity. As a visionary serial entrepreneur, he thrives on shaping businesses from humble beginnings into industry giants. Brett’s brainchild, The Revenue Optimization Companies (T-ROC), stands as the driving force behind six influential brands in wireless, electronics, software, and retail.

His secret sauce? A fusion of people and cutting-edge tech. Brett’s mission: slashing costs, boosting sales, and consistently exceeding customer expectations. Whether it’s Apple, Sprint, AT&T, or Comcast, T-ROC’s impact reverberates across big-box retailers and Fortune 500 companies alike.

Brett learned the value of hard work from a young age, performing various jobs from waiting tables to even working in a papaya field. At just 23 years old, the University of Miami graduate started selling cell phones out of a van with a college friend, and impressively turned that bootstrap company into Let’s Talk Cellular & Wireless, which became the largest independent mobile wireless retailer in the country at the time with close to 300 stores nationwide.  He would eventually take that company public and sell it to Nextel.

Brett would continue to harness his entrepreneurial spirit, raising millions from national venture capital firms like Goldman Sachs, to co-found LetsTalk.com, which became one of the largest online e-tailers of wireless products and services.  In 2012, LetsTalk.com was acquired by Brightstar Corporation, the largest wireless handset distributor in the world.  Over the last 20 years, Brett has successfully founded more than 20 companies and used his experience to help national wireless and technology companies with reorganization, profit turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions, and initial public offerings.

The Retail Genie

T-ROC is a retail branding and consulting partner that supports companies in navigating through today’s retail shopping experience, redefining the power of people and technology. T-ROC offers a unique combination of people-based services, applications, technology management, mystery shopping programs, actionable market research, and competitive insights that support the complex needs of assisted selling. T-ROC’s expertise and next-generation technology are delivered by a team that’s all in to drive sales, optimize performance, and deliver measurable ROI for businesses every single day.

T-ROC is known as a cool, cutting-edge, and disruptive company that continues to win bids & business while also attracting & securing the world’s most well-respected brands. We’ve become a force to be reckoned with and it’s something our competitors know. We’re a force in the retail industry and in the local community with a healthy reputation for creativity, productivity, innovation, and aggressiveness. We work very hard for our clients and ensure they receive the absolute best results – which is why the big brands turn to T-ROC.

“Another thing we do that makes us excel as a business is we spend detailed time and effort strategizing and identifying legacy problems in our industry. We look at how things have always been done vs. how they should be done. We look at what some of the long-term problems and questions have been and then internalize why they exist and how they can be corrected. Then we aggressively approach them and use disruptive technology to solve those problems for our clients. We do that using solutions and tools like our patented and proprietary technologies,” shares Brett.

The Leader and His Knack for Opportunity

Brett has always felt like he had a natural tendency to lead and, most importantly, he had a burning desire to build companies. As soon as he graduated from college, he started a cell phone company out of the back of a van. That company turned out to be the largest wireless specialty retailer of wireless products and services in the country, and it became a public company in 7 years. Start-ups felt natural to him, and he knew the sky was the limit if he was willing to work hard. Brett thrives on building businesses from the ground up while leading the forefront of retail technology globally.

During the start of his career, Brett recognized many challenges in the retail industry, particularly in consultative sales. While most “big box” retailers excel at selling commodities, they fall behind when it comes to helping customers decipher and choose the latest in technology, such as cell phones and rate plans. “Although it’s difficult starting a business from scratch, being an entrepreneur is also rewarding. At the start of my career, I was always focused on working hard and achieving my goals. Now, I recognize and truly appreciate the feeling of those ups and downs that come with being an entrepreneur,” reminisces Brett.

Brett has a deep understanding of the retail industry and realizes the need to constantly be creative in an ever-changing market, especially when it comes to digital technology that can benefit his company and, ultimately, his clients. The Revenue Optimization Companies (T-ROC) have launched multiple new technology and software products that have revolutionized the retail industry. Beveridge recognizes that retail businesses are struggling to cope with initiatives such as mobility, connectivity, big data, and omnichannel customer experience. Since no retailer wants reactive IT service on a hit-or-miss basis, SYMBITS (a sub-company of T-ROC) designed, packaged and provided an “In-Store IT platform,” a small box that ensures 100% performance from IT and internet services. It’s the ultimate answer in retail connectivity, compliance, and customer outreach.

Apart from his entrepreneurial ventures, Brett is finalizing his first book, taking readers on a journey into his past, with the lessons he learned about business over the years and what it took to succeed as a young entrepreneur. While sharing his own experiences, he also gives readers an in-depth look at the evolving world of retail and beyond.

Innovative Experiences

T-ROC created VIBA, the first-of-its-kind in-store customer engagement solution and the future of retail. VIBA stands for “Virtual Interactive Brand Ambassador” – akin to a Facetime-like experience for customers when they’re at a store. Customers approach a standing digital display that connects them with a live person who can answer questions, offer advice, show them videos, and even point them to the products they need that are for sale in the store.

VIBA is a zero-touch, contactless sales and customer service solution. It respects social distancing while solving the problem of customers seeking a store associate for help. VIBA is on hand to connect shoppers with a real person right away.

The innovative VIBA technology integrates bots such as artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) with live people for a shopping experience that minimizes wait times and maximizes sales. “VIBA’s one virtual brand ambassador can handle 10 different stores at one time. If there is an overflow of customers, it will direct the shopper to another available brand ambassador so there is never a delay,” explains Brett.

Keeping the Creative Spark Alive

One of T-ROC’s core values is “Have fun and never take ourselves too seriously” and this value is modeled every day within T-ROC, starting with the CEO. “Recently, we had a director start with us and he shared that in his early weeks, he was struck by the laughter and smiles throughout the office. He said he had never worked in an environment where people genuinely wanted to be here and have fun with each other,” shares Brett.

The company recently conducted an employee survey and one of the most common comments was that T-ROC is like family. 94% of employees responded positively that they take pride in working for T-ROC. The employees rely on each other for not only professional support but emotional support as well. That culture is a result of the trust that is built through making the work environment fun. 

For example, T-ROC’s corporate suite number is 450; so quarterly the team holds “Club 450” events, where they put their pencils down early and enjoy happy hour in the office. “Our T-ROC rum punch has become quite popular! Annually, T-ROC hosts a Thanksgiving lunch (about 100 participants) where T-ROC supplies the turkey and ham, while employees bring the sides and other items. It is an afternoon of people sharing their “special” recipes, swapping stories, and being thankful that we are together,” shares Brett.

Every year T-ROC hosts a holiday party, where employees and a guest are invited and flown to Miami to attend. It is a special event, held at a beautiful hotel and allows all T-ROCers to feel special. In addition to thanking its employees who work hard all year, it is important to Brett that he thank the people who support the employees also.

Adapting Trends to Stay Ahead

Brett concurs that AI and ChatGPT are all the buzz. Every industry – especially retail – has to have a stance when it comes to incorporating these technologies into their business. It could be customer-facing or it could be related to farming and harvesting data to run and enhance your business for the future. When it comes to retail, he believes that there will be more emphasis on applying AI and ChatGPT to the entire ecosystem. At T-ROC, the VIBA solution already utilizes these new technologies to empower the future.  There’s a fear of this kind of technology taking over, but at T-ROC, the emphasis is on technology and people working together for the greater good.

Brett keeps a close tab on everything happening in the retail industry by reading the news daily, reading the latest books, and maintaining the various relationships he has with fellow leaders – ensuring he hears all they are doing and they stay in communication.

He has been involved with various industry committees and boards, which have enabled Brett to stay at the forefront of the retail and technology space, collaborating with peers and leading the future of our industry. He has been on the board and was honored to serve as the Chair of the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA) Wireless Division. The board meets throughout the year to discuss critical issues facing the industry and devise new strategies and solutions for the future. He remains active with the association and truly believes that it has enabled T-ROC to earn a reputation of being innovative and a pioneer creating new ways to provide value to the customers.

Challenges and problems are a part of one’s life. While most of the time challenges seek us, there are a few skilled problem solvers who seek challenges to grow and thrive. When Atin Agarwal started his career as a trainee with a reputed firm, most of his batchmates were happy to have secured a job. Atin, on the other hand, realized that there’s got to be more than the current job profile in him. He wanted to work with machines and explore more tools and instruments. That’s when his journey of working across several industries, spreading knowledge, and creating the next line of leaders began.

From Trainee to a Global Consultant

Atin quickly switched his job profile from a software trainee to a career in systems programming at SEDL, a manufacturing firm. This gave him an opportunity to learn about automation related to SCADA and instrumentation, as well as mechanical and electrical engineering. He was part of a very small team of 10 which grew to 300 when he left in 2004. “To say the least, 2004 was a very crucial year for me, both professionally and personally. On October 28, 2004, I received the ‘IT Power User Award’ from Intel and CIOL, and on the personal front, I became a father. However, the pain was that I wasn’t there when my son came into the world,” shares Atin.

His next stint began with DSM, a European conglomerate, where he was entrusted with helping the team to connect their Chile and Egypt businesses to India, roll out SAP, and fix their technology protection issues. The project got Atin recognition from the chairman and the top management. It was also the time when he got an offer from Airtel and took over the responsibilities as Global Head—IT Governance, EUS, and SMO. He experienced tremendous growth as he handled the responsibility for all their business lines across India, Africa, and South East Asia. He also managed their $800M IT budget, including their contracts with IBM, Avaya, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Amdocs, Oracle, KPMG, and other small partners, and their deliveries as well. 

“As a tech leader, I was able to thrust my drive into my team. I received the ‘Chairman’s Award’ and sponsored education at ISB Hyderabad,” says Atin.

In 2018, Atin took up the role of an entrepreneur moving to Delhi and establishing his own consulting firm, where he was associated with well-known consulting firms for technology and parallel to them working with some manufacturing, telecom, and FMCG companies to consult for their technology roadmaps and current bottlenecks. In the meantime, just at the start of the first phase of Covid, he joined PN International (KARAM), a PPE manufacturing company as Global CIO. This was a new challenge for him. He observed various bottlenecks in terms of network, ERP, digital transformation, and others which required immediate attention for better productivity and efficiency. In less than 18 months, he achieved the goals and in the next 6 months the whole organization and processes were fixed, all major bottlenecks were addressed which were then appraised by ‘Manufacturing Today’ and ‘Business World CIO’ in their editions in May 2021. 

At the start of 2022, Atin was awarded ‘Strategist of the Year 2022′, by Alden Group, and in Apr 2022, he joined Hitachi where his responsibilities included Strategizing HSIL’s traditional SI Box business towards cloud and making the right alliances with Cloud and related SaaS, PaaS providers also transform the existing traditional customers to the cloud technology by convincing them with his own varied industrial experience and challenges faced and cost optimization.

In April 2023, Atin took up his current role as VP and Head – IT Governance, at Vodafone Idea Limited.

Traits of a Leader

The three key personal qualities that have made Atin a successful leader – are his ability to simplify problems, collaborate, and innovate. He believes that finding simple solutions can save time and money, as they do not require major changes or huge costs. He points out that people often complicate problems more than they need to, resulting in unnecessary expenses and delays. By simplifying problems, he has been able to solve them efficiently and cost-effectively.

Talking about collaboration, Atin says that working with the right people or organizations can save time and boost efficiency. He stresses the need to trust people with the right skill set and outsource when needed. He advises people to have confidence in themselves and their skills but to ask for help when needed to get the best results.

Atin emphasizes the need to think outside the box and try new things. He believes that to cope-up with the evolving technology, one needs to generate fresh ideas to solve problems. He encourages people to think beyond what they have learned from books or past implementations and to try something new.

Staying Updated with Latest Technology

Keeping up-to-date with the latest technology is an absolute must for Atin and he advises the same for other leaders in the making. He concurs that there are many resources online to learn and get certified, but he likes to learn from his team.

Atin opines that technology can be a blessing, but it can also bring challenges during implementation and deployment. He says that change management is the main problem that arises with technology selection and ownership from business stakeholders, workflow customization, end-user expectations in terms of UI/UX, and proper UAT before going live. Atin has found that proper planning and communication are key to solving these problems and ensuring a successful implementation. 

Extending his Services and Expertise                

Besides his role as the VP, Atin is also working on his own venture, Narayan Teknologies. The company offers consulting, technology, and services to small and medium enterprises worldwide. The company was incepted during the pandemic and Atin’s initial idea was to bring the expertise of 3 generations -his dad, him, and his son – together. Narayan Teknologies aims to reduce the manpower cost at the IT leadership level/ other operating costs and provide all IT services as a one-stop shop. The company’s main offering is vCIO, which gives a 3-year roadmap to organizations and helps them implement all the technologies that are part of the roadmap to increase efficiency at the lowest price with better choices available in the market. The company’s mission is to share the learnings from bigger enterprises and implementations and to do the same for small and medium organizations at a very low price. In fact, at the price of an IT Manager with 8-10 years of work experience.

While formulating strategy Atin’s fundamental idea is that it should be simple and easy to handle. He divides it into three parts: what my business wants, what cost we can shell out for it, and how user-friendly it should be. Businesses should operate smoothly and at the optimal operational cost within their budget. Also, technology should be introduced to make people’s jobs easier. It should be designed in a way that makes users feel like it’s their own, and they should be the owners of that technology. Finally, every product that is created should be user-friendly and have auto-learning. “People have started using terms like AI / ML /Geo-Fencing/ Block Chain, but they are just part of the above 3 points I mentioned in strategy, what technology will be used depends only on business requirement and budget,” he says.

Sharing his Mantra

Atin Agarwal has learned a valuable lesson from his professional experience, which he considers his mantra. He believes in working for the organization rather than just a person. He thinks that delivering quality work and meeting the company’s expectations should be the main goal, and there should be no disputes or blame later.

He urges individuals to concentrate on their work and let their results show their worth, which is a great way to build a successful career. His success mantra is to focus on delivering with a clean mindset, even if your competency does not allow you to take on a task. He encourages aspiring leaders to be open to new challenges and opportunities and to let their results speak for themselves.

Aiming for the Future

Atin’s work ethics and values reflect his dedication to his profession and his commitment to achieving success in a fair and transparent manner. Known for his innovative and pragmatic approach toward new technologies, he believes in taking calculated risks, keeping in mind the business requirements and the trust of his customers. As an innovation leader, he supports new entrants and gives them a chance to show their value, but not at the expense of risking the business. For him finding a balance between applying well-known and industry-tested systems and pioneering products is the key. Looking ahead, Atin has his eyes on a technology leadership position in any of the FMCG/ Manufacturing/ Conglomerate Industries. 

“In the next five to seven years, I wish to contribute to people where I can use all my experience (again I am not using heavy technical terms.. ERPs/ IoT /BI / AI /VPS, etc…that all depends on business requirement) and learning to the Enterprise and SMB of any industrial sectors and pass them on to the next line of leaders and organizations to flourish. I foresee leveraging my experience to further grow the MSMEs that need such expertise. I want to contribute the right set of technologies at the right time and at the right price to help them grow faster and more quickly. The technology sector is not a constraint to me as you must have seen in the last 25 years I had worked with all major industrial sectors be it Manufacturing, Pharma, Telecom, FMCG, BFSI, Conglomerate, and ITES, and the smallest one had been with ITES,” concludes Atin.

Quote1: “With the right mindset and approach, anything is possible.”

Quote2: “When you remain committed to your goals, things will eventually work out, and appreciation will follow.”

Most people have seen Security Guards and understand their contributions to protecting people and property but far fewer are ever exposed to or fully understand the role that Private Investigators play in our daily lives. For most people they think that when a crime occurs, they simply call the Police and the Police will deal with it but until faced with a situation where there’s no immediate proof of a crime, or there’s not enough evidence to place a charge, or you need to find a birth parent, or you simply need answers about something that the Police consider a private matter, most people only get a hint of what a PI is or does through movies or television.

Having worked in the security and private investigations industry for most of his life, Axis understands where the gaps lie between Security Guards, Police, and their client’s wants and needs. Having worked in all sectors of the industry, first as a behind-the-scenes contractor, and eventually as the Founder and President of a successful Private Investigation Firm, Axis and his team have provided countless local and international investigations for clients including, but not limited to: Law Firms, Private Businesses and Corporations; Paralegals; Various Governments and Government Agencies, Law Enforcement Agencies; and Private Clients, including competing Private Security and Investigation Agencies from around the world.

The Luxury of Experience and Training

Axis started his career in the Security industry as a teenager assisting his mother, Security Site Supervisor in developing Post Orders, various documentation, and reports for her employer’s clients. When he became eighteen, his mother’s employer welcomed him into their company as a Security Officer and he quickly adapted and became a resource for others because of his years of knowledge gained behind the scenes. Axis took a brief absence from the industry during his schooling years and returned to the industry as a Private Investigator. Axis was quickly promoted based on his solid documentation skills, credibility, and reputation for legally obtaining accurate results. He operated primarily as a Sub-Contractor to larger Security and Private Investigation Agencies and based on his unique skill sets, his employer began to hire him out to work for multiple agencies at the same time. At one point, it was a safe bet that regardless which Greater Toronto Area Security provider was hired to perform certain investigations, Axis would be the Investigator that would show up to do the work, write the report and submit it to be rebranded for the end client.

In 2015, Axis incorporated his firm, Axis Vero Incorporated, and continued to service these larger Security and Investigation agencies directly. As more law firms, end clients and professional groups began to realize that Axis had always been their provider, his reputation was boosted, and his client list grew exponentially throughout Canada and the USA. Expanding his offerings to global law firms and private clients directly, he soon began conducting various investigations for local and foreign governments and was introduced to multiple Politicians. Axis is the best-known little-known secret of the Security and Investigations Industry. Those “in the know” recognize him and his work immediately, while those that either lack the necessary clearance or experience in the industry are often blindsided when their clients return from court defeated because Axis and his team have found evidence that was missed by other investigators that thought they had produced a complete result without being sure of it. It is common for opposing counsel to later become a faithful client of Axis Vero Incorporated for these reasons.

Axis is known for offering comprehensive training to Private Investigators and Security Professionals throughout Canada and the United States of America. However, with the continued growth of his firm from one (1) to currently four (4) Canadian Provinces, and beyond, with a satellite office in Europe, he has concentrated that training regimen to his own team of exceptional investigators rather than the general public. Axis advises he will reopen his training to externally employed professionals again but not until there is time to ensure that training is done correctly.

Service with a Difference

Most people that think of Private Investigators think of Cheating Spouses or Cloak and Dagger operations, and while Axis Vero certainly does those, there is so much more to what a full-scale International Investigation Firm can offer…and they offer it all! Background investigations, general research and vetting of people and businesses are a large focus, but not the full scope of the firm’s offerings. They also offer surveillance by land, sea, and air, TSCM (electronic bug-sweeping), intellectual property (IP) investigations, digital forensic imaging, analysis, and data recovery, harassment and employment investigations, criminal and civil investigations, undercover investigations, fraud and integrity investigations, process service, and much more.

The firm’s structure is completely different than its competition, which may be a factor in why so many of its natural competition become long-term clients. Axis Vero has never been structured for high profit. A traditional PI Firm focuses primarily on the sale of surveillance services – the reason being that surveillance focuses on hour after hour of billable time regardless of the result. If surveillance is successful, the agency makes its money. If surveillance fails, the agency might either recommend more surveillance or they might offer a combination of surveillance and some internet-based research, or site attendances (field work), or a garbage pull, etc. Most agencies following this structure bill on an hourly basis and after the fact. That means a client rarely truly knows where they sit in a budget until they’re over budget but by then they’re on the hook to pay.

Axis Vero was structured for high productivity and results for the clients. While they may incorporate surveillance into an investigation, it is one of many tools that generally follows a period of research. By doing so, the firm knows a large amount of information about the subject and/or the subject’s habits before PIs are deployed. This means that many hours can usually be saved, and the client pays much less for the overall file. Often a file executed in this manner can cost 4-10 times less to the end client to complete successfully. Also, the firm doesn’t have the traditional “us versus them” attitude with their competitors, Axis Vero embraces its competition as their clients.

Says Axis “The marketplace is vast and when any PI Agency provides exceptional service, reputations grow. I want investigators to excel in their jobs! We are invited by new clients to assist them; we don’t need to hunt or pressure clients to give us work. When a competitor asks for help, I make sure we do our best for them and their client. That will encourage them to become our return customers and ensure that they continue to thrive as well. It doesn’t matter what logo is on the report, in the end “those-in-the-know” recognize our work and otherwise we would not have that file to work on and our competitor would have an inferior product.”

An Open-Minded Leader

As a business leader, Axis Geffen is open-minded and flexible, and his working style is based on mutual respect. Whether he is dealing with a new or seasoned investigator or a new or seasoned client, he likes to remain open-minded and able to adapt to circumstances that arise or differences of opinion in getting to the finish line. His clients come to him respectfully because they’ve usually either been referred by another client that has had a successful outcome, or they were once the opposing counsel to an investigation that he performed, and they were impressed by the information gathered despite the loss they suffered to his client(s). “It’s a good feeling to know that when I’m called to speak about an investigation, both sides of the table are respectful of my findings and the manner in which they were found. In a few cases, we were advised that opposing counsel went straight into settlement mode once they saw our logo on the investigation report. That feels good,” says Axis.

As for his communication style, Axis is the only person in his position in his field that he is aware of that offers direct links to all of his social media, internet, or business-related review boards in their marketing materials. He encourages everyone to research him and his firm thoroughly and more than that, to contact those that have provided a review and talk to them directly. Axis is very flexible with everyone, and he does his best to accommodate the needs of others. As for his employees, Axis respects them and trusts them to do an exceptional job every time. He doesn’t need to breathe down their necks but with that said, regardless of where in the world he is, he always maintains an open and direct channel of communication with every employee on every file. “If they have any questions, they are provided a real-time connection to me directly. I will drop everything and assist them in any way I can because their work is a direct reflection of my firm and our results are a direct reflection of our mutual respect and teamwork,” asserts Axis.

Finding Balance

We asked Axis what he does when stuck or confused. Axis said that it depends on which location he’s working from. When he’s in British Columbia, Alberta or Europe, he tends to head into nature and clear his head. A walk in the mountains can be extremely rewarding and allows him to process a decision fully. When he’s in Saskatchewan or Ontario, he will occasionally call upon trusted resources and weigh his options in confidence. “For the most part, decisions aren’t hard to make once I’ve considered the benefits and/or drawbacks to those around me. I’m known to make decisions that will offer the best outcome for my staff. They trust and support me, and that makes it much easier. Occasionally, tough decisions need to be made but I accept that it is my duty and I act accordingly,” shares Axis.

Facing Challenges

There are always challenges coming at Axis owing to his work profile. Everything from Legislation and Privacy issues to obtaining and maintaining evidence can be a daunting task, and at times Axis has spoken out via Social Media concerning Bills, Legislation, and changes to Various Acts, because often Politicians don’t consider all of the aspects of something they put forward or the implications of a change they make. Still, he believes that the biggest challenge that he faced was “Sales”, or at least the concept of sales. “Having been a field agent for so many years, I know my work well. I can speak to almost any type of investigation from a real-world perspective and have a few real examples in my head from my personal experiences but schmoozing clients and “selling them” has never been a large focus for me. When I opened my firm to the public, it was terrifying thinking of how I would convince total strangers to buy my product,” recalls Axis.

Luckily, it was really easy to get new customers and build his customer base because he’s not “selling” his product; his experiences make prospective clients want his results. As a result, Axis is not often out golfing or skiing with clients or schmoozing them at dinners, to persuade them to give him business. Instead, they’ll golf or go to dinner to discuss and celebrate the landslide win they just earned through Axis and his team’s efforts and they’re ready to discuss the next few matters coming down the pike. “In this way, I’m not “chasing” business. My clients aren’t pressured, and neither am I. Sales is easy when you truly understand what you can offer and you don’t pretend to be capable of more than you can actually provide,” shares Axis.

Other challenges came with growth. Opening in multiple markets at the same time comes with its headaches and unfortunately, there are differences in employment laws from province to province. The benefits that Axis can offer in one place are not permitted in another place. Access to information differs and so do the wage level and cost of information access. Add to this that a province like New Brunswick has 200 licensed PIs with less than 30% regularly working, while Ontario has roughly 100,000 PIs working with only a small percentage of that trained in anything other than surveillance. It’s tough to find and vet the right caliber of investigators and then invest in them and their training to maintain the standards that our clients have come to expect. However, it’s a learning curve and Axis’ dedication to the team has been paying off. While in some cases it has meant that investigators are not engaged immediately, it has ensured that when they are deployed, they are far more successful than their competitors in the same regions.

Spreading Awareness and Training the Young Guns

For the safety of his investigators, Axis rarely posts any images of them online or in advertising of any kind. For the privacy of his clients, they rarely show any images, video, or other documentation of investigations conducted. To spread awareness about his work, other than his extensive client list who always recommend them, Axis turns to articles like this to share a glimpse of what they do without putting the team at risk. Additionally, he tries to engage in light posting across social media.

Axis has also written over 100 commissioned articles for the Shulman & Partners LLP Free Online Knowledge Base, which is regularly visited by various lawyers, mediators, and the general public going through or considering a legal separation, divorce, or other domestic matters. Family Law support has become a large part of his business over the years and these articles have helped countless numbers of people to navigate some of the most difficult and stressful times of their lives.

In the Years to Come

Axis was born in Ontario, Canada and although he has lived in different provinces and countries over the years, he has always maintained his roots here. For that reason, he opened his head office location here. As his client base expanded, Axis began to service multiple governments, law enforcement agencies, law firms and their clients as well.

“One of our Canadian Government clients advised that they could not find other service providers with the same consistency or quality of service in the other provinces. I thought about it and decided that if I dedicated enough time to finding and training the right PIs, we could not only service our government clients but also many law firms and private clients as well. We started systematically opening from the West Coast across Canada because we were seeing trends in the need for our services in these areas. Ultimately, we will continue to open across the country. We are also pursuing further avenues in Europe but those take longer to cultivate,” concludes Axis.

Ultimately, with the continued support of their clients and competition, Axis Vero Incorporated will eventually have offices across Canada servicing its clients and competition internationally. As Axis tends to sign off his commissioned articles, “Thank you for reading and please share with your networks!”

The earth is 71% water of which 96% is in the oceans. These frothy, blue, serene yet mysterious water bodies are a universe in themselves, hiding precious gems and life in their heart.  Deep down under the surface is a whole world to explore by enthusiasts and professionals.

PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) serves as the world’s largest ocean exploration and diver organization, operating in 186 countries and territories, with a global network of more than 6,600 dive centres and resorts and over 128,000 professional members worldwide. Issuing more than 1 million certifications each year, and with over 29 million certifications to date, PADI enables people around the world to seek adventure and save the ocean through underwater education, life-changing experiences and travel.

After working in various industries, with few being linked Andy Watson decided to become a PADI professional diver as this was where his passion lay. He started to work at a local dive centre and worked his way up the ranks to become the centre manager and safety diver.

Diving into Entrepreneurship

Andy was always interested in starting his own business and working for himself but never thought it would be possible and it happened by mistake. When the dive centre, he was working at, closed he was employed as an off-shore survival instructor and HUET (helicopter underwater escape training) safety diver trainer and assessor.

While in this role, he always knew his passion was in the diving industry. Five weeks before the UK went into Lockdown with Covid-19 Andy decided he needed to follow his passion and finished his notice period one week before the UK went into lockdown and started Aberdeen Diving Services (ADS) as a sole trader.

While fighting through Lockdowns as a HUET diver and survival instructor as well as diving equipment service technician ADS soon started to snowball. Within a year, ADS had become a limited company and it was all ‘go’ from there. The word was spreading Andy had got back into the industry and customers were sending equipment from across the country to be repaired and serviced. As lockdowns started to lift, he was able to start teaching PADI courses as an independent instructor. He was also able to secure the contracts to supply all three oil and gas training centres with their safety divers and instructor cover.

A Fantastic Run

ADS is unique in the way it acts and treats everyone as equal. The team is fantastic at what they do and the work environment is a relaxed and fun place to be. “We always say to everyone that comes to us there is no such thing as a stupid question. We strive on making training fun and enjoyable for everyone.

I feel I have the best staff on the planet and wouldn’t be where I am without them there to support me as much as I support them,” shares Andy.

ADS has now been running as a limited company since October 2020 and is now the go-to for all things diving related both recreational and commercial diving. In 2021, ADS was granted PADI Dive Centre approval and since then it has become the numero uno PADI dive centre in Scotland and collected 7 awards. In 2023, ADS was granted approval for a huge array of first aid training to be able to expand its already vast services.

In the 3 short years since he started the company, it has grown from Andy working in a cupboard to a 7-time award-winning business.

2021 / 2022 – Diving Retailer of the Year.

2022 / 2023 – Diving Specialist of the Year.

2022 – Best Training and Education Aberdeen

2022 – Best Training and Education Scotland

2022 – Scottish Enterprise Best Diver Equipment & Training Specialist

2023 – Business Awards UK – Best Small Local Business

2023 – M&A Today Global Award – Best Diver Equipment & Training Specialist – UK

2023 – Business Champion Awards – Bronze – SME Of The Year

Andy is also very strict about the safety measures they adopt at ADS. Due to one of their main sectors being oil and gas training, safety and security is always a thought in the back of his head. He has been lucky enough to be able to take what they are based on and expand into safety training for renewables and expand other areas of the company to be able to keep job security and client contracts.

They are always adapting to changes in the industry, from the oil and gas sector to the PADI diver training.

Making Work Fun

Andy’s work style is relaxed but holds the highest standard. He has seen businesses run in such a way that staff don’t enjoy the workplace and it becomes a “job”. He runs ADS in the complete opposite way and wants all his staff to enjoy their work. He has always followed the process that he would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t do himself and this brings the staff into a close-knit group.

For his staff, Andy hand-picks the roles they would play knowing their fit in the business. He has 100% trust in each staff member and lets them perform their role with full independence, authority and responsibility. They do each job how they feel best suits. “I show them how I would do a job but leave it as a suggestion.  They are all very professional and know I trust them to do their job to the high standard ADS holds and don’t need me to tell them what to do, they also know they can always ask me for help if they aren’t sure,” says Andy.

Dealing with Challenges

Andy’s biggest personal challenge was, he never really knew what he wanted to do for the rest of his working life. Finally taking the leap from a secure full-time job to starting up on his own and not knowing where the next paycheck was coming from, especially in the middle of a pandemic was a daunting thought. But if he didn’t try, he would have never known. He overcame this with pure determination setting a goal and pushing for it, and when it was achieved, he would then set another goal, each goal bigger and better than the last. If he was to change one thing in his career, it would be to do it sooner. “I have had the dream for a long time and never thought I could make it a reality. If you want it, make it happen.  I wish I had taken the leap to have my own business sooner,” he says.

Another challenge at a greater level was that of the industry itself. The biggest challenge to the dive industry in the NE for recreational divers was that there was no PADI dive centre for a number of years.

With ADS, Andy was able to fill this void and now divers are getting back into the sport all over again and he has been able to introduce the underwater world to many people.  Luckily there will always be divers either recreational or commercial. The biggest challenge Andy’s team faces is that generally, divers think there isn’t anything to see in cold Scottish water compared to warmer holiday destinations. “We are lucky to be able to prove this wrong with dive sites on our doorstep that can be as good if not better than some in far warmer climates,” he shares.

Standing with the Oceans

Andy never lets his company goals outdo the world’s sustainability goals. Being a PADI dive centre, ADS is drawn towards the sea and they do their part by being part of the Project Awareness Programs. They ensure each time they are diving, they collect any rubbish they find in the dive. They are also big supporters of the ‘Our Seas’ coalition to bring back an inshore limit for fishing that will help recover habitats and productive, resilient fisheries in the UK. They also support and sell Outline 95 which is an Eco-friendly, Sustainable Fashion clothing range.

Limitless Dreams

With the opening of their new premises, Andy’s team will be able to stretch their wings and learn new skills they may have never thought they would learn. They will be offering a huge array of courses from diving and first aid to oil and gas. “The dive team are wanting to start to run dive trips and this is something we will be offering in the next year to bring all our students together. We are also going to be running our bubbles and BBQ night where this is an open invitation to all divers from any agency to join us on a social evening,” shares Andy.

Word of Experience

To budding professional diving enthusiasts, Andy says:

If you have a passion follow it!

It’s one of the scariest moves I have made in my life but has fast become something I would have never imagined and wouldn’t change.

There will be many sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears but it will all be worth it when you are doing what you love and doing it for yourself your way. 

Being a few years in and being able to look back and say ‘I have done that’ is one of the greatest achievements in my life.

Quote: “Never get old and look back and think what if?”

A seasoned expert renowned for his strategic innovation and leadership prowess, Ali Alamri has nearly 2 decades of experience spanning both public and private sectors. He stands as a beacon of excellence in business strategy, development, and investment stimulation.

Ali’s multifaceted skill set encompasses strategy formulation, execution, and organizational excellence. His approach combines academic brilliance with practical acumen, making him a stalwart in the industry. With strategic agility, he navigates complex domains adeptly. Whether in government entities or private corporations, he crafts meticulous strategic plans that empower organizations to fulfill their mandates and flourish. His journey exemplifies resilience and adaptability, turning challenges into growth opportunities.

Charting his Course

Throughout the past two decades, Ali has gained vast experience in both private and public sectors working in organizations with different levels of maturity and business natures. Mostly in strategy development and execution, he has contributed to several strategic shifts in financial and banking sectors, government entities, and Non-profit organizations.

Ali’s journey as a chief executive is focused on strategy and sector development. He started his career with the stock exchange. In the journey to uplift the maturity of this promising emerging market, he worked for almost a decade in technology transformation and product development. He then moved to the banking industry for a few years building a strategic plan and an execution framework to take the bank in a growth journey towards larger market share despite the competition.

After 2016, with the great announcement of KSA Vision 2030, the move to the government sector was indeed the right next move for Ali, where he could put into action all the knowledge and expertise gathered throughout the years into even longer term and wider scope of governmental development. He worked for the Small and Medium Enterprises Authority for a while before moving to the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). In these governmental entities, Ali led the development and implementation of national and internal strategies along with enabling sector development programs and Vision Realization initiatives.

As a strategist, Ali looks for sectors that are either developing and emerging which is a great opportunity to formulate fresh strategies; or transforming sectors that give a great opportunity to take a fresh look into the market and existing capabilities along with shaping an even greater future for those sectors. In the dynamic landscape of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, he confidently faces the challenge of transforming nascent sectors within tight timelines. For private enterprises, he strikes a delicate balance—facilitating investor journeys while upholding stringent governance and regulations. Achieving this equilibrium fosters a thriving business environment while maintaining regulatory integrity.

Ali is also a board member of two organizations. One is the development authority for two royal reserves. He brings his expertise in strategy development and regulatory framework design to the authority. The diversity of sectors and businesses’ nature could open huge potential. The other one “Hawi” is an organization aiming to help develop and regulate hobby groups and clubs. This organization helps passionate people of similar interests and hobbies to establish their own clubs and build networks of members to enjoy their hobbies in places facilitated to them by public or private entities with the help of Hawi. Beyond corporate roles, Ali extends his expertise as a consultant. He mentors entrepreneurs and SMEs, ensuring their growth aligns seamlessly with market demands. His commitment to nurturing talent reflects his belief that every challenge is an opportunity for both organizations and their people.

Giving Direction to the Entertainment Sector

Saudi Arabia’s entertainment sector is experiencing rapid growth, creating lucrative opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Visionary leaders like Ali are driving key initiatives that propel this expansion.

They have successfully attracted the prestigious IAAPA summit to Riyadh for the first time. This achievement not only garners global recognition but also opens doors for collaboration and international ties.

To further strengthen the sector, Ali shares that they have embarked on Investment Roadshows to countries like the USA, UK, France, and China, attracting vital foreign direct investments. These efforts broaden horizons and foster a collaborative spirit within the industry. Additionally, Ali’s commitment to local startups is evident through the launch of two accelerators. These programs provide vital support, making entrepreneurial dreams more attainable and nurturing innovation within the community.

The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has also received accolades, including the prestigious EFQM Excellence Award. Ali’s pride in this achievement reaffirms their commitment to excellence, setting a high standard for the industry.

In a heartwarming initiative, Ali highlights The Hawi (Hobby Clubs Association), which nurtures local communities’ hobbies. These initiatives collectively shape a thriving entertainment sector, paving the way for a vibrant, innovative, and inclusive industry. With government support through incubators and accelerators, funding solutions are more accessible than ever for local startups.

Strategic Vision

The entertainment sector is a relatively nascent one led by a newly established authority that is responsible for developing and regulating its activities. These essentially were the key drivers for Ali to take this opportunity. He is currently leading several key business units that deliver the most strategic and long-term results. He oversees the Strategy Management Office which is responsible for the sectorial strategy and the corporate one.

He leads the Vision Realization Office which is the unit governing and delivering the KSA Vision 2030 initiatives. Investment Stimulation and Business Development are also two units aiming at maturing the entertainment sector with its services, companies, and investors in addition to attracting new international and local investors to open businesses in KSA. This is supported by four other key units aiming to provide governance, support, and controls.

Data Management Office is a unit acting as a one-source-of-truth where it accommodates all relevant data from inside and outside to provide meaningful and useful information to make strategic decisions. Excellence Office that acts as the center of excellence providing standardized policies, procedures, and business processes with proper governance and quality controls. Strategic Partnerships department that provides access to partners locally and internationally so they can deliver more and better by joining forces and sharing services among entities along with creating value through active partnerships. Last but not least, a Project Management Office that helps organize and govern all these projects and other projects of the authority providing sources of tools, plans, governance models, and a framework of proper project management and implementation.

Catalyzing Development

In authorities like GEA where one entity is responsible for a particular sector, the authority assumes responsibility for building and maturing a full value chain to develop that industry. Entertainment, for example, is an industry where local businesses existed before and needed a strategy for further development and improvement to cope with today’s customer demand. Also, the industry is full of potential when considering international players who own IPs and attractions where KSA can benefit from their presence in diverse cities. KSA possesses amazing destinations that, when activated, will be a global attraction; and the world has seen this starting now. “Entertainment activities adjacent or part of a tourism destination and accompanied with sports venues, cinemas, and other F&B and retail outlets is what shapes the future – creation of all-in destinations,” says Ali.

In order to ensure the sustainability and growth of the emerging sectors in KSA, small and medium enterprises are needed to play a crucial role. These SMEs and potential entrepreneurs are an important source of innovation. They also bring creative solutions that fill the gaps in larger investment projects. Ali has had discussions with huge international investors who are willing to be part of KSA’s growing market and they always ask for the availability and readiness of SMEs who can provide local content to fit in their upcoming projects. “We are blessed to have such amazing SMEs today and we could connect and match-make their solutions with international expertise,” he says.

Roadmap Ahead

Ali envisions a dynamic and innovative future for the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). He aims to diversify entertainment options across Saudi Arabia. This includes promoting cultural events, music festivals, sports competitions, and family-friendly activities. By catering to a wide audience, the GEA can create memorable experiences for residents and visitors alike.

Ali recognizes the importance of infrastructure in supporting the entertainment sector. His plans involve developing state-of-the-art venues, theme parks, and recreational spaces. These investments will enhance the overall entertainment ecosystem and attract both local and international audiences. He also emphasizes collaboration with private companies, international organizations, and local talent. By fostering partnerships, the GEA can access expertise, resources, and fresh ideas. Ali envisions joint ventures that elevate Saudi Arabia’s entertainment scene on a global scale.

Ali believes in nurturing local talent. His vision includes mentorship programs, workshops, and talent showcases. By empowering young artists, performers, and entrepreneurs, the GEA can contribute to a vibrant creative community. He also plans to prioritize inclusivity. He aims to make entertainment accessible to all segments of society, regardless of age, gender, or background. This involves creating events that cater to diverse interests and ensuring affordability.

Inviting the Aspiring Entrepreneurs

The growing industries in KSA provide a great opportunity that if not taken today may be missed with regret. Entrepreneurs have the chance to benefit from government support through incubators and accelerators in addition to guaranteed funds.

Ali has had the privilege to establish and activate an accelerator of entertainment activities combining brilliant businesses from around the Kingdom. They provide a networking opportunity that opens the potential for joint ventures, and they have actually celebrated several agreements among them. Mentors and advisors are available to the business owners in a very well-designed calendar of events.

“I have had several chances to connect personally with the entrepreneurs and business owners to discuss various issues with their business plans and growth ambitions. I have also delivered some keynotes and presentations in the area of strategy planning for new businesses, and strategic transformation for expanding and growing businesses,” concludes Ali.

Quote: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

Quote: “I am passionate about developing strategies, executing them, and leading game-changing initiatives.”

Since its inception in 2002, Riverbed Technology has helped the world’s largest organizations empower the digital experience and drive enterprise performance. At the core of their operations lies a strong emphasis on innovation. This commitment to innovation permeates every aspect of their business. From continuously introducing innovative products and solutions to the customers, to incorporating customer feedback for re-engineering and enhancing their offerings, they prioritize innovation. 

“Moreover, we strive to innovate in the way we structure our services, moving towards outcome-based approaches rather than fixed scopes. This allows us to align with and adapt to our customers’ evolving business and operational needs. Innovation permeates every level of our organization, driving us to constantly improve and deliver exceptional value to our customers,” explains Alex George, Country Director – India & SAARC.

Making His Way to the Top

Alex’s professional journey has been shaped by many global and external events making it a diverse one. After graduating in Engineering in 1997, Alex experienced the boom-to-bust phase of the technology era, characterized by a surge in the IT technology arena. During this time, both Indian and Global companies were actively recruiting skilled professionals in software development and IT services. Like many others who aspired for the “American dream,” he enthusiastically joined the wave as a software developer, shortly before the significant downturn in 2000.

Interestingly, the Y2K phenomenon, often seen as a challenging time, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Alex. It marked the start of his journey as a contract consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and eventually led him to engage in product development in the United States for a company named SmartStorage. As the company underwent acquisitions by OTG Software and later by Legato Systems, Alex’s role evolved, encompassing diverse responsibilities such as quality testing, writing technical manuals, conducting product and solutions training, and serving as a technology evangelist. This transformative period became a turning point in his career, shifting his focus from desk-bound work to actively engaging with customers and partners. It was during this time that Alex realized his true calling lay in customer-facing roles.

“Throughout my journey, I have encountered numerous challenges, and I firmly adhere to the belief that “you either win or you learn.” This mindset guides my approach to every obstacle I face. One particular challenge taught me a valuable lesson: “You can’t win them all.” This lesson applies to both personal interactions and business endeavors. Once you accept this reality, it becomes easier to transition to the next challenge with a renewed focus and determination” shares Alex.

Upon returning to India, he transitioned into presales consulting and eventually found his true passion in sales. Alex embarked on an exciting journey as a sales professional, representing esteemed brands such as Wipro, Sun Microsystems, and Hitachi Data Systems. These experiences paved the way for his current position as the Country Sales Director for Riverbed Technology. 

Bringing his Expertise to Board

Interacting with people, establishing connections, and comprehending their perspectives effortlessly define Alex’s working nature. Prioritizing relationships over the business has been ingrained in him, and the bonds he has formed over the past two decades have played a pivotal role in his business achievements.“In the realm of personal branding, it is essential for your own identity to make a stronger impact than the brand you represent. The trust that has been established over the years serves as a steadfast anchor during both favorable and challenging circumstances,” he says. 

The valuable experience and diverse roles, Alex had the privilege to undertake in his previous organizations, have propelled him to his current position. In addition to driving business growth in the region, he is responsible for managing the Channel ecosystem and facilitating business development through a team of highly motivated professionals across Sales, Solutions Engineering, Professional Services, and Technical Support.

Among various innovative ideas under his guidance, the team has implemented, one particularly noteworthy homegrown concept which is the practice of the 4Ps of Sales, similar to the 4Ps of Marketing. “This framework revolves around setting a target date for closing a sale and then working backward to address the four essential elements known as the 4Ps: Product, Process, People, and Price. This approach fosters critical thinking and enhances predictability, contributing to our overall success,” explains Alex.

Keeping Solutions Scalable

Alex believes that in today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape, the adoption of technology is also quite dynamic. Therefore, it is crucial to align one’s offerings in a way that allows for scalability and flexibility. It becomes essential to offer solutions that can start small if required and seamlessly scale in accordance with actual business growth. Additionally, maximizing return on investment (ROI) is vital by ensuring that the solutions can coexist and integrate with the client’s existing investments.

“Moreover, it is of utmost importance to ensure that your solutions are adaptable and scalable within the hybrid environments that clients are embracing. These environments encompass a combination of on-premises systems, multi-cloud setups, hosting platforms, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions. By catering to these diverse environments, you can provide clients with the necessary tools and flexibility to navigate their IT landscape effectively,” he adds.

Challenges in Applying Emerging Technologies

From Alex’s perspective, the “slow adoption” of emerging technologies is a prevalent issue, particularly among certain businesses. Businesses must embrace a mindset of “Fail Fast – Learn Fast” instead of lagging behind and risking their competitive advantage. With the growing number of security breaches, it becomes imperative for businesses to secure their IT ecosystems for both employees and customers. Additionally, in today’s Work-From-Anywhere (WFA) environment, enhancing efficiency and productivity through the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities can provide significant benefits. These areas present a wide range of solutions offered by emerging technologies that require immediate implementation to stay ahead of the curve.

Sustainable Solutions 

The adage “time saved is time earned” holds true, and Riverbed’s portfolio currently offers two primary solutions: Alluvio and Acceleration. Alluvio delivers unified observability across complex and scalable IT ecosystems worldwide. Collecting full-fidelity, full-spectrum data, it provides a holistic observability solution that helps identify, isolate, and auto-remediate issues, thereby saving valuable time spent in war room meetings to find timely resolutions. This solution enhances IT system efficiency, reduces downtimes, and saves time and money associated with repairs, returns, and logistical costs involving both manpower and infrastructure.

The second component of Riverbed’s portfolio focuses on improving employee productivity and accelerating application performance across various environments, including on-premises, cloud, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), catering to all users whether in-office or mobile. These solutions also contribute to customers’ sustainability goals by reducing logistics, travel time, power consumption, and more.

Riverbed places great emphasis on ensuring that all products are legally secured, sustainably manufactured, and free from the use of illegal or forced labor. The company actively works towards sustainability goals, striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity, natural gas, water usage, and building emissions. Riverbed promotes remote work and telecommuting, encouraging the adoption of remote collaboration tools to decrease energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with commuting and travel. Through comprehensive reuse and recycling programs, Riverbed minimizes the environmental impact of its products by providing end-of-life services for the hardware equipment. Customers can also participate in the Trade Up and Trade In programs to return Riverbed equipment for credit and recycle products at no cost.

Riverbed’s commitment to sustainability extends to compliance with regulations such as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) to improve the protection of human health and the environment. Riverbed ensures that its hardware product lines comply with REACH restrictions against harmful chemicals and continually reviews the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern for Authorization to maintain compliance. Additionally, Riverbed adheres to RoHS directives and WEEE compliance, furthering its sustainability initiatives.

Drawing Inspiration 

One quote that Alex finds particularly helpful and inspiring is by Albert Einstein: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” This quote resonates with him because it emphasizes the value of creativity, curiosity, and thinking beyond what is already known. It encourages him to embrace his imagination and explore new possibilities, reminding him that innovation and progress often stem from the power of imagination rather than solely relying on existing knowledge. “It serves as a reminder to continuously seek new ideas and think outside the box in both personal and professional endeavors,” he insists.

Encouraging Young Leaders

When it comes to advising young entrepreneurs, Alex emphasizes, “If the path is too silent, then you are mostly alone on it.” He explains that this situation can have two possible interpretations. Firstly, it could mean that you have come up with a brilliant idea or solution that no one else has discovered yet, positioning you in a unique position. Alternatively, it could indicate that your products and solutions are not currently relevant in the market, or you are unable to effectively communicate your vision to your intended audience.

To succeed, he insists it is crucial to identify the underlying cause early on and continuously seek improvements. If it is the former scenario, it is important not to lose the head start, while in the latter case, it is necessary to acknowledge the situation and course correct immediately. 

“Moreover, it is important to remember that attempting to accomplish everything on your own can be limiting. Your strength is only as robust as your individual capabilities, and likewise, your weaknesses can hinder progress. However, by working as a team, you can achieve balance and complement each other’s skills. Therefore, it is vital to actively search for talented individuals and delegate responsibilities accordingly,” he advises. 

The Path Ahead

Riverbed holds a remarkably unique and captivating position in today’s industry landscape. The relevance of its solutions is evident in their adoption by 95% of the Fortune 100 companies globally, with a customer base exceeding 50,000 worldwide. Furthermore, being recognized as an industry leader for its solution offerings on more than 15 occasions provides both Alex and his team with the motivation to dive deeper, expand their reach, and establish a substantial presence before competitors can catch up.

“We have experienced tremendous growth in recent years, and with an expanding team, we are determined to maintain the momentum. Our goal is to continue acquiring prestigious clients while nurturing the brand loyalty we have diligently cultivated over the years. This commitment will ensure the sustainability of our success for the foreseeable future,” concludes Alex.

Wunderman Thompson strives to be not just an agency but a growth partner – part agency, part consultancy, and part technology company. The group focuses on delivering solutions that go beyond marketing and advertising into strategic design, business understanding, and digital transformation. Leading from its Colombia office as the CFO, of Colombia & Central America at Wunderman Thompson is Agustín Correa.

A Transformational Leader

Agustín’s joined Wunderman Thompson  (WT) in 2018. His role was to restructure and transform the company from a traditional creative agency to a consultancy firm, by leading cultural transformation and creating their vision for the business – while at the same time, all efforts were invested in building this vision through talent acquisition and developing their people’s skills. By now, Colombia has become one of the most recognized businesses within the network in terms of innovation and marketing technology – all of this as a result of strategy execution through their ambitious plan of bringing the best talent to generate growth in our clients.

Through developed vision and strategy, Agustín’s objective in the execution was to divest on complex stakeholder, management, and legal entities structures and to put efforts into one unique vision driven by the investment (and development) on talent with martech capabilities, with creativity as the foundation of all of their solutions.

The result of this was a more diverse, agile, and simple business. In numbers, WT improved in 2019 by 19+ points percent of its Profit Margin and speeded up its cash generation dramatically by building new internal (SOX compliant) processes and more valuable relationships with its clients – that also brought, as a result, big improvements in their Net Sales.

“Our north has always been to invest in our talent, martech capabilities, and more profitable business units, and we developed creative approaches that allowed us to reduce our operating costs by 1.4 million dollars a year since 2019, also with strong taxation and administrative less expensive structure. At this moment, we are globally one of the most growing and profitable markets, hopefully, admired by the kind of solutions we export to the world. Innovation guides our services within the idea to bring into life solutions that solve human problems, to promote a better world through sustainability while also making our clients grow,” shares Agustín.

A Perfectionist

Within his career, Agustín has had the opportunity to be exposed to progressive experiences within finance and business roles. He got to work in different industries in Latin America while leading international global and regional roles in Europe which allowed him to visit and work with many people and countries in the world, from diverse backgrounds and cultures. He started his career in Argentina 18+ years ago in the retail industry (1 year), moved into advertising services (5+ years), and finally, before getting back to WPP, moved into the sporting goods industry (7 years).

He chose the current industry since the idea to return to a company with great leaders with the ones he could continue developing his growth and career looked promising. But secondly, because of a clear idea of transformation that he started building since the interview process started and has been modeling during the last 5 years as the way to evolve and improve every day our business performance and clients’ satisfaction.

Though Agustín is a perfectionist, he still is able to understand that sometimes perfectionism cannot be the first goal but the evolution to something better every time. He is a hard worker but respectful of work-life balance. “I still believe that dedication is the clue to moving forward. I always am in search of a solution rather than dedicating time to a problem itself,” says Agustín.

As a leader, Agustín does his part in promoting DEI by showing interest, and curiosity but also humility on diversity and inclusion. He likes to be part of this agenda since it allows him to understand other perspectives that could enrich his own paradigm. While at the same time makes him understand and treat others in the way they want and deserve.

Learning from Challenges

Agustín’s biggest challenge came in 2018 when he was hired to transform business in Colombia. The situation was really hard. Clients were not happy. There was not a unique and clear vision of where the team was going. Talent was frustrated. Company oversized. There was not enough cash to operate. And if not enough, there was no credibility from the group on strategy and execution.

The solution was in two ways: doing a big restructuring to keep a simpler, healthier, and light structure; and, secondly, hiring the right talent to ensure improvements in services to our existing clients. At the same time, being able to conduct one unique vision of the company, improve commercial terms with (now) happy customers, and invest in the development of clients and capabilities.

We asked for his views on the impact of the recent FTX and then the SVB scenario, which is a global challenge considering the effect on the credibility of fintech. Agustín believes this is the first time private financial firms are feeling their obligation of taking consciousness rather than being a responsibility from the government itself. As a result, banks will need to show to the world that they have enough liquidity to respond to investors if they want to retire their funds, generating bigger reserves on banks (meaning less money in the market) – which is going to affect interest rates at first, being the potential result a deceleration in the inflation and consumption.”

Words of Wisdom

To the young budding entrepreneurs, Agustín says:

“Believe in the power of leadership, behaviors, and culture to drive strategy. You can be the best technical resource of the company but without the best talent on your side, you won’t be able to show and implement all of your capabilities at the speed that the current changing environment requires. Keep humble and flexible to new different approaches.”

Quote: “I live by the idea of experiences in life, for me and my family. I really enjoy traveling, moving through this international career that gives me the opportunity to obtain the best things of each nation and culture.”