PAGE 8 CEO of DPD UK F R O N T C O V E R Elaine Kerr
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C EO T O D A Y UNITED KINGDOM A W A R D S 2 0 2 2 Welcome to the 2022 Edition of the CEO Today United KingdomAwards. The CEO Today United Kingdom Awards is an annual endeavour to recognise exemplary business leaders in Britain and Northern Ireland whose talent and leadership skills have placed them at the apex of their sectors. Even in the face of exceptionally trying times, we have seen many astonishing displays of leadership from CEOs and entrepreneurs across the United Kingdom. At CEO Today, we have made it our mission to bring these inspiring professionals to light, granting rising talents and disruptive visionaries the recognition they are due. The business leaders featured here are drawn from a range of sectors and regions across the breadth of the UK. This year’s release has profiled a collection of the UK’s brightest industry-leading professionals. Leaders of note in 2022 include Lucy Anderson, whose work as CEO of WooWoo is overturning the status quo in feminine hygiene and care, and ViiV CEO Deborah Waterhouse, who continues to lead the healthcare sector’s charge against HIV. You will find profiles of these two and many more excellent pioneers in the pages of our latest release. We at CEO Today are proud to present this special publication. Congratulations to all of our winners and finalists. 5 www. ceotodaymagazine . com
Featured Winners CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 - 8 - Elaine Kerr DPDgroup UK Ltd. - 12 - Henry Baye Standard Chartered Bank - 14 - Paul H. Jones Bitrez - 16 - David Reid Birtenshaw - 18 - Deborah Waterhouse ViiV Healthcare - 20 - Lucy Anderson WooWoo - 22 - Paul Cooper Tungsten Network
About Elaine Kerr Elaine Kerr was appointed DPD UK CEO on 1 June 2021. Elaine has worked for DPD for the past 29 years, joining as a Sales Executive based in the North West, followed by the roles of Customer Relationship Manager and Head of CRM before being promoted to the DPD UK senior management team in 2008 as Director of Sales & CRM. In 2020, Elaine became Executive Director, Sales, CRM and Customer Services and is still passionate about ensuring customers are at the heart of everything DPD does. Elaine has been instrumental in growing DPD’s impressive customer base to include many of the most prestigious brands in the UK. CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 www. ceotodaymagazine . com 8
CEO, you get to meet and talk to a much wider range of people in the DPD team and beyond. More than anything, I’m keen for a wider variety of voices to be heard. Inclusivity is a one of my big things and my aim is to create different conversations and opportunities for everyone at DPD. We are incredibly lucky to have such a diverse team and we want to celebrate that and turn it into one of our core strengths. My job is to make sure we have an open, diverse and inclusive culture as I believe that is what creates a high-performance environment where everyone can flourish. I’ve certainly appreciated how important my senior management team is. We have over 20,000 people, a huge fleet on the road every day, significant nationwide real estate and we are a seven day a week operation. You need a very strong team to run all that. So, my job now is to lead that team, which is obviously a different challenge for a manager to just running your own piece of the jigsaw. What were your priorities as you started out in your new position? Have these shifted since last summer? I think, initially, the focus was on reassurance and continuity at a difficult time with Covid and Brexit still very much in the picture, last year. Our parent, La Poste, wanted to appoint from within the UK team, partly for those reasons and the importance of maintaining the UK operational knowledge. Last year, the focus was still very much on supporting the operation post-Covid. We had to The UKs Lead i ng Log i st i cs F i rm Execu t i ve of t he Yea r CEO of DPD UK Elaine Kerr You have had an exceptionally long and successful tenure at DPD UK, having worked in various roles. What were the biggest lessons that you experienced during that time? For most of my career with DPD I’ve been responsible for retail customers and bringing new customers on board. So, I would say, really understanding customers, working alongside them as partners and working out how to exceed their expectations. At DPD, all of the senior management team are involved in customer management. They are each responsible for a number of retail customers and spend a lot of time out meeting and working directly with them. That gives you a much more rounded view of the business and helps you understand all the issues and opportunities. I’d also say, the importance of investment and innovation. We think of ourselves as a tech company because that is what drives us forward. We realised that parcel delivery had to become smarter. Have you gained any further insights since your appointment as CEO ast June? Obviously, I knew the business pretty well already, but as DPD UK CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 www. ceotodaymagazine . com 9
increase capacity in the network to cope with a 50% uplift in parcel volumes at the start of the pandemic and then run like that as the ‘new normal’, immediately. We were lucky in that we were already building a massive new overnight sortation facility in Hinckley before the pandemic, so we were able to bring that online and get it fully operational last year. That’s the level of investment we’ve been making over the last 10 years in the UK, and it paid dividends having that in the pipeline. But we also had to accelerate the expansion of the local depot network to cope with the demand. We were able to open 15 new sites in 6 months and again, we’d been planning that investment, we just had to really fast-forward it! As a result, we had a record-breaking peak last year – the Black Friday and Christmas period – which is always a massive focus for the business. Have there been many exceptional challenges that you have had to overcome in your new role? We went through the equivalent of three years growth at the start of the pandemic, almost overnight. The operation is still running at that level and that has meant looking for improvements in efficiencies and different ways of doing things on an ongoing basis, while also looking after the team and recruitment. Similarly, Brexit is still an issue. We provide delivery services to around 200 different territories but most of our international traffic is to and from the EU. We deal with all different sizes of customers on the international side of the business and I think everyone found last year tough going. But by the end of the year we were definitely seeing things improving. I think this year is about continuing to rebuild that traffic. The driver shortage has been a long-term challenge for the whole industry, but it certainly came to a head last year. We’ve had our own recruitment and retention initiatives running for years. For example, incentivising staff from the warehouse and other parts of the business to consider a driving career with DPD, and we had over 800 applications this year. In June we went up a gear, establishing our own accredited test centre at our head office in Smethwick, which employs DVSA examiners. As a result, I think we’re in a really strong position going forward. What motivates you to excel as a leader at DPD? First and foremost, the people. The DPD team is incredible. We work in a very tough sector. It is an industry where you, the business, everyone has to perform every single day, no matter what the weather, the traffic or anything else throws at you. We are in the spotlight. But it creates the most incredible people who go above and beyond, every time. Also, working with the very best online retailers. There is so much innovation in that sector and we have created some fantastic partnerships. We are responsible for their delivery service and I think that drives us to keep investing and improving, to be the best we can be. There is also the sense that we can genuinely drive change. The delivery industry has changed beyond recognition in the last ten years and I think we’ve played a huge part in that with technology and improving the customer experience. And we can see it with our sustainability work. We get frustrated at times, for example, when we can’t get hold of enough electric vehicles in the UK. But it is because we want to have the cleanest, greenest and most sustainable business, as soon as possible. Can you tell us anything about DPD UK’s plans for 2022 and beyond? One of our big aims is to be the UK’s most sustainable delivery company. This year we plan to have over 3,000 electric vehicles on the road in the UK and our vision is that by 2023, we will have 5,000 EVs and 30 city centres delivered on all-electric vehicles. We went through the equivalent of three years growth at the start of the pandemic, almost overnight. The operation is still running at that level and that has meant looking for improvements in efficiencies and different ways of doing things on an ongoing basis CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 www. ceotodaymagazine . com 10
Another priority this year is a project around late-cut-off collection times. This is a biggie for retailers who want the latest cut-off time possible for next-day delivery. We are working to extend our overnight hub operation by a couple of hours which means that retailers will be able to get parcels to us later, and then incorporate those parcels into the existing delivery waves in the local depots. In January we completed the acquisition of CitySprint, the same day delivery specialist. We will operate as separate businesses, but same day delivery is one of the fastest growing segments of the logistics market, so the deal does create some very interesting opportunities for both brands. Finally, we’ve got plans to introduce a regional sortation strategy over the next five years. At the moment, the majority of UK parcels are sorted at five DPD hubs in the Midlands and then trunked to the 85 local depots for delivery. We’ve bought a former Sainsbury’s site near Canary Wharf and are in the process of turning that into our first regional hub. There will be a small operation there this year and it will be fully operational in 2023. What does this award mean to you? Given the last couple of years and the way the business has stepped up, I think it represents recognition for the whole team. We’ve seen appreciation for parcel delivery and the transport and logistics sector in general increase, as a result of the pandemic and the important role we all had in helping to keep everyone going. Customers were so appreciative of what we were doing and the interactions on the doorstep were incredible. We were recognised as an essential service and that’s been good for the industry. As a sector, I think we need to hold onto that and build on it. Part of my role is to make sure that recognition continues to be earned and that our customers – both the retailers and the shoppers, love what we do. We’ve seen appreciation for parcel delivery and the transport and logistics sector in general increase, as a result of the pandemic and the important role we all had in helping to keep everyone going. CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 www. ceotodaymagazine . com 11
What has been Standard Chartered Jersey’s greatest achievements over the past 12 months? Which are you most proud of? There are many achievements, but if I were to pick a few of them, they would be the below. We successfully led our employees through another unusual period of COVID-19. We refurbished our office in St Helier to an ultra-modern, sustainable environment that is designed to support the team’s wellbeing and collaborative working. It was important to my leadership team and I that this was what employees came back to after working at home during lockdown. This was coupled with introducing flexible ways of working to enable our people to choose a working rhythm that fuses their family and working life. We also launched a Standard Chartered Art Competition for high school students on the Island and proudly hung the winning paintings on the walls in our office. We have released a fresh user-friendly digital mobile app for our clients that puts more control in their hands. Finally, employees from Jersey won our Group Chairman’s special award for Community Impact, the first of its kind. As you can see, it has been a busy, productive year! What do you think makes a strong CEO or senior leader? How would you describe your leadership style? You must be HIPI: • Heart – Be true to yourself, authentic, humble and have a heart full of love for your people, seeking their growth with passion. • Inspire – Be visible and inspirational in guiding the teams towards success. Learn to tell the stories that have an impact and celebrate great work unashamedly. • Paint – You must be a good painter. Paint a compelling picture of what you all can aspire to together and do not be afraid to aspire to it. Nobody gets arrested for aspiring. It is when you do nothing that there is a problem. • Invisible – Give back all the credit to your teams when you achieve success. You actually become more visible that way. If you were able to go back in time 10 years, what would you tell yourself about leadership that you did not know then? I think finding true purpose in your work is the most satisfying way to work and achieve. You must not be afraid to be authentic. Humility and respect are actually very powerful in leadership and playing “office politics” is not the most important tool to take you up the ladder. I also believe hard work is not an old-fashioned concept; it is the foundation for climbing the ladder. Additionally, I would tell myself to value every relationship along the journey and build it deeply and positively, not only as a network but as a valued possession. And never stop learning! Every new challenge carries with it an opportunity to learn. What would you consider to be your biggest achievement as a corporate leader? By far it is the many people, the many talents, who I have invested in over the years and opened doors for, and who have become amazing corporate leaders. It is the relationships that I have built over the years and how those relationships have also fed into my journey. I am also proud that every business I have run did well under my leadership – that is an uncommon blessing. What steps did you take to develop yourself as a CEO? • Always being willing to learn new things by taking on new challenges. • Understanding the strategic trends that must drive leadership action. • Building a strong track record of delivery and performance. • Learning from mentors and peers, and all colleagues. What does this award mean to you? This award means a lot. When one’s leadership style is built on authenticity, respect and humility and not on selfinterest, it registers differently, and one would hope the impact shines bright. What makes this award special is that I was not invited to submit an entry, I was nominated by the readers. I am truly grateful and hope it inspires other leaders to offer authentic, inspirational leadership that seeks the best interest of employees, clients and an organisation. I dedicate this award to my wife and family, and to my colleagues who are at the centre of the story. I nte r nat i ona l Bank i ng Leade r of t he Yea r CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey Henry Baye www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 1 2
University of Cape Coast (Ghana) and University of Ghana (Legon, Ghana) alumnus Henry Baye began his banking career as an International Graduate with Standard Chartered. Over the course of a storied 25-year career in the sector he has held leadership positions in Barclays Bank Ghana and Merchant Bank Ghana, gathering insights across a broad range of sectors. Henry’s areas of experience include distribution, wealth management and personal lending. His early work with Standard Chartered focused on delivering a wide range of initiatives for Ghana and the West Africa region, including leading transformation projects and the launch of Standard Chartered’s first ever digital bank in Cote D’Ivoire. Henry was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank in Jersey in August 2019. Since his appointment he has helped to steer the bank through the COVID-19 crisis while remaining ever vigilant of the threat of financial and cybercrime. w w w . s c . c o m www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Give back all the credit to your teams when you achieve success. You actually become more visible that way. 13
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Paul H. Jones FRSC is the Director of three successful UK businesses concentrating on the design and development of niche specialty polymers and the manufacture of specialist synthetic resins. He has been in the industry for over 35 years, over which time he has been involved in all aspects of his businesses. Whilst responsible for strategic growth and expansion with the associated time and extensive travel obligations, he has maintained responsibility for research and development throughout his career due to his passion, vision, and particular innovative set of skills. Paul is recognised as being one of the UK’s most dynamic forward-thinking business leaders, having recently won another plethora of awards including a Queen’s Award for innovation, an iChemE global award and an array of supplementary awards for innovation, leadership, and supplier excellence. Paul was also listed in the top 100 innovators and he was recently elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, joining a select group of scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the field of chemistry. In each of his operations, Paul has a core responsibility to determine the strategic direction of the business. Maintaining a dynamic approach to satisfy short-term, and long-term objectives requires the identification of potential hurdles that stem from numerous sources. Now more than ever, this includes political, economic, regulatory, and ecological/environmental challenges. The negative impact we have made to the planet requires rectifying, but of course, there are very few people wanting to reduce their standard of living and the comforts they have grown accustomed to. Paul is targeting the development of products that maintain equivalent economic levels and technical performance, with the drive towards a circular economy. The drive for sustainable performance requires addressing on both a micro and macro scale to be successful. Internal management of resources, waste, and chemical processing with the 12 principles of green chemistry firmly in focus, is coupled with the innovative design of polymers from sustainable feedstocks that do not influence the food chain, offer effective yield, and have high bio content. Of course, it would be considered counter-intuitive to develop green products only to find they contain CMR [Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Toxic for Reproduction] labelling requirements or acute hazards to human health so products are processed to design out these items. Additionally, feedstocks need to be obtained from areas and organisations that abide by acceptable humanitarian and ethical standards. What this award means to me It is an honour to even be considered for this award and a privilege to be recognised for a third time as the CEO of the year in this category! I always like to point out that whilst I may be the figurehead of the team, without the hard work, dedication, and determination of my colleagues, we would not be where we are today. We recognise the part that the chemical sector must play in progressing towards a circular economy, and we continue to try to make a difference in support of the new innocuous polymer products that we hope will provide a cleaner, more sustainable future for generations to come. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Manu fac t u r i ng Leade r of t he Yea r CEO of Bitrez Paul H. Jones At Bitrez, we offer unique innovative technologies, designed exclusively to meet our customer needs whilst our manufacturing supports quality, flexibility, value and service. w w w . b i t r e z . c o m | 0 1 2 5 7 4 2 5 5 1 2 15
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What has been your proudest moment at Birtenshaw in recent years? I am absolutely delighted about a number of things that our organisation has achieved, and the difference we’ve made in the lives of so many people. I am delighted to be the person in a privileged position that is able to employ so many incredible people, who can in turn help so many people. In terms of the things that I am happiest about that we have achieved, most recently is the opening of a brand-new special school in Liverpool which is a partnership arrangement with the City of Liverpool Council and the only partnership of this type in the UK. It’s a service that has only opened last September and we had expected it to take 3 – 4 years to reach full capacity, however we are already at threequarters capacity now, and by September of this year, or at the start of the second Academic year, that school will already be at full-capacity. We’re really pleased to be able to support so many families in Liverpool, however this also demonstrates just how great of a demand there is for this service. We’re looking to find ways of increasing this as quickly as possible in order to meet this demand. A significant number of people in the organisation have won various awards, such as our education staff, care and support staff. All have taken on the task of contributing to the success of the organisation and, as a result, have been rewarded for their work, some of which have been on a national level. I’m delighted for them to get that recognition. What is your top goal as you lead Birtenshaw forward? To continue transforming the lives of hundreds if not thousands of young lives, and to meet the demand for the current supply of quality services. We need to develop our services as quickly as possible in order to provide more services in other regions in the UK and, ultimately, have a complete UK footprint so that we are able to reach and support more people. It’s a very difficult thing for us to think that there would be anyone in the UK that isn’t able to get the support they need to thrive, prosper and become independent; we want to be that mechanism to help them achieve their potential. About David David Reid is the Chief Executive of Birtenshaw, an organisation that provides a unique range of services for children and young adults with special educational needs and disability. Birtenshaw operates as a social enterprise – while they are a profit-making organisation, all of their profit is reinvested for growth and success in order to improve their services. Although the organisation was founded in 1956, it was technically bankrupt when David became CEO in 2006. When he took over, it had roughly 6 months left of life, had he not made difficult decisions at the time to restructure the business, changing contracts and the way that they sold their services. After four years of hard work, the business turned around for the better and has since then seen 400% of growth from 2012 until today and established itself as a larger employer in the area. About Birtenshaw Birtenshaw was established in Bromley Cross, Bolton in 1956. Birtenshaw provides a creative and dynamic range of Care and Education services for children and adults with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). Through Birtenshaw Special Schools (in Bolton and Merseyside) and Birtenshaw College we provide education for children and young people with significant physical impairment, complex health needs, learning disability and / or Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Birtenshaw’s education services are complimented by our social care services, which include several children’s homes, one of which is a short break centre, a domiciliary care agency, supported tenancies, an adults short break centre, plus a sports and recreation programme. Our aim is to improve the quality of life of the people we support so that they may lead fulfilling lives as independently as possible. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Ca re & Educat i on Se r v i ces Leade r of t he Yea r CEO of Birtenshaw David Reid w w w . b i r t e n s h a w . o r g . u k 17
Deborah Waterhouse was appointed to GSK’s Corporate Executive Team on January 8, 2020. She became Chief Executive Officer of ViiV Healthcare on April 1, 2017. Deborah joined GSK in 1996 and was most recently the Senior Vice President of Primary Care within the company’s US business, prior to which she led the US Vaccines business. She brings a wealth of experience to ViiV Healthcare, having lived and worked in Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, and a strong track record of performance in both specialty and primary care. Deborah led the HIV business in the UK before heading the HIV Centre of Excellence for Pharma Europe, and held international roles as General Manager of Australia and New Zealand and Senior Vice President for Central and Eastern Europe. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 About Deborah Waterhouse I’m proud to lead ViiV Healthcare – a company on a mission to leave no person living with HIV behind. ViiV is a global specialist HIV company, 100% focused on researching and delivering new medicines and improving access to care for people living with HIV. 18
We are ViiV Healthcare: 100% dedicated to HIV medicines and research and completely focused on people affected by HIV and AIDS. At ViiV Healthcare we do things differently. From our unique origins to our innovative medicines, we push the boundaries of what people think is possible in HIV treatment and care. If you should know one thing about us, know this: we will not rest until we leave no person living with HIV behind. Until the 38 million people living with HIV is down to zero, we will continue searching for new ways to limit the impact of HIV.1 Born out of a partnership between GSK and Pfizer in 2009, with Shionogi joining in 2012, at ViiV Healthcare we are determined to help end the HIV epidemic. Our one focused goal unites our employees located across the globe, with their expertise in research, manufacturing, policy and more, all guided by our mission to be here until HIV isn’t. Our current portfolio of HIV treatments is our first step in fighting back against the disease. This is only the beginning, as our research center in Branford, Connecticut, the world’s only HIV-dedicated facility, which is uniquely focused on finding new innovative medicines to help improve the lives of people living with HIV. Also searching to find major breakthroughs against HIV is our industry-defining partnership with the HIV Cure Center at the University of North Carolina. Part of a unique public-private collaboration with Qura Therapeutics, we have been combining resources and expertise to accelerate novel breakthroughs and maximize the chance of finding an HIV cure. Alongside our novel approach to R&D, improving access to medicines is just as important in delivering results for people living with HIV. At ViiV Healthcare, we are dedicated to widening access to ensure those who need our medicines can receive them. Collaborations with organizations such as IAS, CHAI and MPP enable our medicines to make the greatest possible impact in countries around the world. As an example, our voluntary license agreements allow generic manufacturers to develop pediatric formulations of our medicines where 99% of children living with HIV live. We are committed to working ever closer with our partners through continued access initiatives. To accelerate the HIV response, we put significant focus on community initiatives to strengthen local healthcare services for people living with HIV. Through our Positive Action programs, which back more than 300 projects worldwide, our work with local communities aim to deliver long-lasting impacts on groups such as women and children. We seek to enhance local expertise and resources that build toward global goals, as well as our own dedicated mission of leaving no person living with HIV behind. Our History & Mission Since our founding, we have worked to take a deeper and broader interest in HIV and AIDS than any company has done before. We’re committed to new approaches that deliver effective and innovative medicines for HIV treatment and prevention. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Hea l t hca re Leade r of t he Yea r CEO, Vi iV Healthcare Deborah Waterhouse Te l : + 1 8 7 7 V i i V U S A ( + 1 8 7 7 8 4 4 8 8 7 2 ) | w w w . v i i v h e a l t h c a r e . c o m 19 We will not rest until we leave no person living with HIV behind.
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About Lucy I’m Lucy Anderson, Founder and CEO. My background is in product development and marketing, including major UK companies such as McVitie’s and The Body Shop which has been priceless experience in helping me found and run WooWoo. I’m a serial entrepreneur – WooWoo is my second start-up venture, having previously built and divested a successful nanny placement business in Switzerland. About WooWoo WooWoo is a female-powered feminine care company founded in the UK by Lucy Anderson. Developed by women for women, WooWoo is on a mission to revolutionize the feminine care category with trustworthy, vegan, fun, displayworthy products. Designed to display on bedside tables or left in the shower cubicle, not hidden in the cupboard, WooWoo’s packaging features unashamedly bold and original artwork that celebrates the natural beauty of the female form, alongside light-hearted humorous pack copy. WooWoo’s packaging has been designed to shift perceptions from shame and embarrassment around intimate care, sexual health and pleasure to one of celebration with the aim of helping close the pleasure equality gap. WooWoo products are manufactured in the UK and formulated to a 3.8-4.5 pH to match the body’s natural chemistry so it’s safe to use all over including caring for our most intimate areas. WooWoo has you covered from beach, to bath to bedroom with everything that you need to pamper and protect yourselves. WooWoo’s packaging is made from sugar cane, and our 100% biodegradable wipes are made from plant cellulose which is plastic-free! I came up with the concept for WooWoo in 2016 when I found myself in the feminine care aisle and wholly disappointed by the lacklustre, chemical heavy and unattractive choice of products on offer. Prior to launching the brand to the public in 2018 we surveyed thousands of women to ask them what they really wanted and two years developing our range of natural, herbal products with a female chemist in London. When I launched WooWoo I was keen to move away from the sterile, medical packaging of the existing brands on the shelf to bright pop colours, fun designs and engaging copy that spoke to modern 21st women. I believe women need safe, affordable, accessible options for their feminine care and pleasure and this just wasn’t on offer at the time of our launch. My vision was to create a brand and range of products with purpose and to lead and start open, bold and fun conversations on ‘care down there’ that would help tackle societal norms and taboos around feminine care and play a part in closing the pleasure equality gap. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 I nsp i r i ng Fema l e Bus i ness Leade r of t he Yea r Founder and CEO, WooWoo Lucy Anderson WooWoo is on a mission to revolutionize the feminine care category with trustworthy, vegan, fun, display-worthy products. w w w . w o o w o o . f u n 21
Paul has spent much of his career with Dimension Data and NTT (who merged in 2019), where he most recently served as Regional Director at NTT Europe after being appointed in October 2019. He had ultimate strategic, operational and financial responsibility for eleven European countries generating annual revenues of $900M, encompassing 2500 employees, and online technology has been a cornerstone of his career. In the 21 years Paul has spent with Dimension Data and NTT where he initially joined Dimension Data in Australia, as a member of the finance team, he has progressed to Chief Financial Officer for Dimension Data UK, then Chief Operating Officer, before being appointed Chief Financial Officer for Dimension Data in Europe in October 2017. During his time with Dimension Data UK he lead the company through various continuous improvement and business transformation programs. Paul holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Australian National University, and also qualified with CPA Australia in 2001. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 About Paul We’ve been with Tungsten Network for five years now, they are a major part of our journey to ‘net-cost zero.’ They’re our key partner, our only partner, for electronic invoice submission. 22
Your Journey to WorldClass Performance Starts Here Success in a world of constant change, challenge and uncertainty requires an agile foundation. Total invoice digitisation through finance automation is the first step toward world-class business performance. The World’s Largest Compliant Business Transaction Network The Tungsten Network ecosystem connects Buyers and Suppliers for easier, faster, and safer global trade. With Tungsten, customers can digitise and automate complex invoicing processes to drive strategic business benefits. Our touchless processes help finance and procurement leaders become strategic partners to the business while driving agility and reducing cost. Our secure network includes a majority of the Fortune 500 and we are proud to be recognized globally as the largest compliant business e-invoicing transaction network. We are Tungsten, and We’re Changing the Game For 20 years, we’ve connected companies with their customers, processing more invoices, bringing on new customers and adding new countries, allowing us to elevate the network effect for our members. Disruptive and Experienced Since 2000, our technology has evolved but our mission has remained the same: to enable our customers to maximise the value of the invoice process through our digital network of buyers, suppliers and other business ecosystems creating the foundation for achieving world-class performance in Finance. Headquartered in London, with offices around the globe, we provide valuefocused solutions, delivering total invoice digitisation and a host of associated benefits. The Journey To World-Class Starts With Tungsten Network. The diverse experiences and perspectives we each bring make Tungsten Network stronger, more innovative and more relevant to our customers. Our mission remains at the heart of everything we do. As Tungsten continues to grow, these core values will remain constant. Collaborative We are a global team of technologists, B2B commerce experts, process mavens and digital evangelists from all around the world. As a diverse team, we pool our skills and experience with a common goal – to be the digital foundation to your journey to world-class. Innovative In a world of constant change and challenges, a world-class foundation is powered by digital tools. Using outdated invoicing methods creates challenges for global organisations and we are motivated to solve those historic problems with innovative, digital solutions. Customer obsessed Over the last 20 years, we have built a network of the world’s biggest global brands. We’re dedicated to being a trusted partner, understanding customer needs and supporting businesses on their journey to worldclass performance. Tried, Tested and Trusted Over the last 20 years, we have had the privilege of working with some of the world’s most respected organisations, across a variety of industries. Learn how we’re turning digital ambitions into reality. Global Offices We’re the world’s largest, compliant business transaction network - collaborating with other business networks, expanding our global footprint and growing our Supplier base to drive maximum value for customers. Our global network is supported by offices around the world. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 I T Se r v i ces and I T Consu l t i ng Leade r of t he Yea r CEO, Tungsten Network Paul Cooper w w w . t u n g s t e n - n e t w o r k . c o m 23
Winners
INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, speciality chemicals and oil products. Comprising 36 individual businesses, we operate 194 facilities in 29 countries throughout the world. In recent years our scope of operations has diversified with the launch of INEOS Automotive and INEOS Hygienics, acquisition of iconic British brand Belstaff and an ever-expanding sports portfolio. A blend of opportunism, belief that we can add value and pursuit of our core values and passion for adventure. INEOS is led by its founder and Chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co-owners Andy Currie and John Reece. We operate a federal structure based on clear reporting lines and direct accountability. Each business is managed largely autonomously by its own board of directors. There is minimal hierarchy or bureaucracy and a very lean head office function. INEOS products are essential in the modern world. Incredibly versatile, petrochemicals are used in a wide range of end-market applications to save lives, improve health and enhance standards of living. INEOS also encompasses consumer brands and sports interests. Our Business INEOS operates 36 individual business units covering the chemical and oil & gas industries, together with a number of consumer brands. Our chemical businesses are combined into a number of larger financial groups including INEOS Group, INEOS Styrolution, INOVYN and INEOS Enterprises. We operate a number of oil & gas businesses in the North Sea, together with the Forties Pipeline System and a refining joint venture, Petroineos. INEOS has a diversified product portfolio with a wide range of end market applications. Our chemical intermediates businesses, with leading global positions and differing industry cycles provide earnings strength world wide. INEOS products make a significant contribution to saving life, improving health and enhancing standards of living for people around the world. Our businesses produce the raw materials that are essential in the manufacture of a wide variety of goods. Our Products Chemicals Products from the petrochemical industry are found everywhere and are essential to modern life, helping to keep people healthy, housed, transported and in touch. Polymers INEOS is the largest producer of many polymers, linked petrochemical products such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Oil and Gas We all depend on oil and gas. With the steady demand for energy, oil and gas will be essential for many decades to come. Our Culture Ourfirstandfundamentalpriority issafety, health and environmental performance. We are highly focused on growth, EBITDA and top quartile economics. Fixed costs and cash are tightly managed. Our culture is entrepreneurial and defined by a lack of bureaucracy and politics. Being privately owned offers the freedom to take a long-term view, while a simple and decentralised organisational structure enables quick and efficient decisionmaking. Sports and fitness are integral to the INEOS culture, as are grit, rigour, humility and a real team ethos. Sustainability is fundamental to how we do business. It is a key driver of innovation in meeting the challenges associated with evolving societal needs. Our approach to sustainability encompasses six key areas: safety; climate; circular economy; people; communities and the natural environment; and governance. Our sustainability strategy is to develop and manufacture the products needed to address the evolving challenges of climate change, public health, resource scarcity, urbanisation and waste, in a way which drives us all towards a net zero emission economy by 2050. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Chemi ca l s Expe r t of t he Yea r Founder and CEO of INEOS Sir Jim Ratcliffe w w w . i n e o s . c o m 26
Sir Jim began his career at Exxon Chemicals where he completed his MBA at the London Business School. He moved to Courtaulds and in 1992 led the successful buyout of Inspec Group plc. He left in 1998 to acquire INEOS plc from Inspec and has been Chairman of INEOS ever since. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 About Sir Jim Sustainability is fundamental to how we do business. It is a key driver of innovation in meeting the challenges associated with evolving societal needs. 27
Once upon a time, advertising was about the Mad Men and the Media Agencies: the creative and the commercial. Advertisers needed smart strategies, great relationships with media owners, and buying power. Then digital came along, with its trillions of data points and real-time media buying. Advertising became a science overnight, and buying power made way for brain power. What was needed was a solid understanding of experimentation and data. That’s when Brainlabs was born. Founded by Daniel Gilbert in 2012, we were on a mission to make marketing more scientific. We started with our first hypothesis: instead of teaching traditional marketers how to do regression analysis or coding, it would be better to hire mathematicians, scientists, programmers and teach them how to do this new kind of marketing. This methodology proved to be a success, delivering remarkable results for our clients. There is no secret sauce behind these results but a unique formula combining testing, tech and talent to deliver commercial impact. Along the way, we’ve wrestled huge accounts from global networks, including Formula 1, TUI, and Vans, and have won bundles of awards across the globe, including Best Large PPC Agency on both sides of the pond. We’ve also been driving the industry forward through our thought leadership, sharing our open-source automation, best practice, insights, and views on topics such as data privacy and transparency on our blog and publications like Campaign and Econsultancy. We didn’t just want to stop there. We believe that work should be fulfilling and people should be given equal opportunities, so we created a culture aimed at staying ahead of the curve. From offering competitive health and wellbeing packages to outstanding learning and development opportunities – our culture has earned us awards such as the Sunday Times Best Places to Work, The Times Top 50 Employers for Women and Campaign’s Best Places to Work. And beyond what we do inside our office walls, we strive to impact our local communities and the wider world in a positive way through sustainable practices like achieving carbon neutrality, and supporting local charities through volunteering initiatives and fundraising. Today, we’re over 800 people led by an exceptional team with experience across the industry. And we’re only just getting started. In 2020, we took our next step in creating the agency model of the future by acquiring SEO experts Distilled www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 D i g i t a l Ma r ket i ng Leade r of t he Yea r UK CEO of Brainlabs Jo Lyall Founded by Daniel Gilbert in 2012, we were on a mission to make marketing more scientific. We believe that work should be fulfilling and people should be given equal opportunities. w w w . b r a i n l a b s d i g i t a l . c o m 28
Jo is here to bring excellence to our business and people to build the best marketing solutions for our clients. As previous MD of Freeda Media and Mindshare UK, Jo is well-versed in the core challenges of growth. Jo loves spending time with her boys, running, yoga and believes in the power of nourishing mind and body with great food. and US-based PPC leaders Hanapin and expanding our office footprint across Austin, Bloomington, London, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. In 2021, we grew our list of services and global coverage further with the addition of CRO experts User Conversion, Amazon experts Molzi, Canadian programmatic agency MediaNet, and mobile ad creative studio Consumer Acquisition. We also opened our first APAC office in Singapore and first LATAM office in Brazil. Our ambition is to be the best and biggest digital-first media agency in the world within twenty years – built around clients who want transparent partnerships, specialist expertise, and market-leading growth. Testing is in our DNA. We run millions of experiments to deliver remarkable marketing ROI. We call it the Brainlabs Effect™. Every test starts with audience-centric planning and a robust data strategy. Next we make magic happen through digital execution: paid search, SEO, paid social, programmatic, marketplace, creative & CRO. Our data science team then turns the insights into predictions for the next winning experiment. All of this is powered by our proprietary tech platform, Cortex, and most importantly, the top talent in the whole wide world. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 About Jo Our ambition is to be the best and biggest digital-first media agency in the world within twenty years. 29
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About Vashi Dominguez Vashi Dominguez is our Founder, Chairman and CEO. After two decades in the industry, he’s on a mission to make ethical fine jewellery accessible to everyone. Vashi grew up in Tenerife and was fascinated by diamonds and fine jewellery from an early age; as a boy, he used to play with his grandmother’s jewellery, and he wrote a 203-page essay about diamonds when he was sitting his final exams at school in Spain. To this day, he says, “the teacher doesn’t believe I wrote it.” At theageof 20Vashi went toAntwerp, where he quickly built up a trusted network, and in the process gained insight into the problems facing the diamond industry. That’s when he realised he wanted to do things differently. So in 2007, his eCommerce website began transforming the supply chain. While visiting traditional jewellery houses, Vashi witnessed how they treated their customers – and he wasn’t impressed. “The fine jewellery experience should be extraordinary, but it was actually below average,” he says. “It’s almost like you have to be renowned or you’re not going to get treated like a normal human being.” It inspired him to create an environment that not only treated customers with respect, but invited them into the creation process. So in 2016, he opened the first Vashi store in the UK: a warm, welcoming space on Piccadilly in London, the city where he has lived since 2004. A further four stores followed. Vashi is on a mission to make better jewellery in a better way. At the company’s in-store workshops, customers are invited to make their jewellery more personal and meaningful by creating their own pieces, and even having a hand in the making. By pulling back the curtains on the jewellerymaking process, Vashi is bringing muchneeded transparency to an industry that has traditionally been all about smoke and mirrors. All Vashi jewellery is made to order locally from ethically sourced diamonds and 100 percent recycled metals to lower the brand’s carbon footprint. Vashi is only just getting started; despite the brand’s success, he says that he has only achieved one percent of what he set out to do. Now, with five stores in the UK including a new 4,476-square-foot flagship in Covent Garden – and more stores to be announced – the brand is expanding fast. About Vashi Vashi brings you a new way to create personal fine jewellery that captures your story. We’re proud to invite you into the very heart of the design and making process – because we believe that something you made means more than something you bought. At Vashi, we believe the biggest moments in your life should be about you – not us. We don’t put our logo front and centre. Instead, we sit down with you to create contemporary fine jewellery that reflects who you are. That’s why every piece you see on vashi.com or in our stores is the start of a conversation. You can engrave a message, customise a design, or even create something entirely new. Come with your story and together we’ll tell it through jewellery. We believe that jewellery should tell a story – so make it yours. Together with our designers and makers, you can create something truly personal. Whether it’s adding a meaningful engraving, choosing every element of your dream engagement ring, or exploring your ideas for a one-ofa-kind piece, we’ll work with you to create jewellery that immortalises the way you feel. To create a bespoke piece, all you need is a starting point: a special occasion, a memory, or even a place that’s meaningful to you. Through a series of consultations, our designers will help you develop this into an idea before they create the final design. Equally, all of our ready-to-wear collections are carefully considered so that there’s space to make your piece personal to you. www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 Jewe l l e r y Expe r t of t he Yea r Founder and CEO of Vashi Vashi Dominguez w w w . v a s h i . c o m 31
www. ceotodaymagazine . com CEO Today Un i t ed Ki ngdom Awa rds 202 2 32 To say that Angus Thirlwell is passionate about chocolate is an understatement. As he willingly admits, it’s more of an obsession. Together with his business partner, Peter Harris, he founded Hotel Chocolat in 2004 with two specific aims for their chocolate: for it to excite the senses and for it to be widely available. Angus religiously eats chocolate every day, tastes and approves every single recipe the company produces, and is as much at home in the development kitchen – affectionately known as the ‘inventing room’ – as he is in the boardroom or among the cocoa trees. It was a bold move to become a cocoa grower, a point underlined by the fact that Hotel Chocolat is one of very few to do so, but it was all a natural progression of Angus’ passion for chocolate. About Angus
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