This edition features a handful of Influential HR leaders across several sectors that are forefront of leading us into a digital future Read More: https://ciolook.com/the-10-most-influential-hr-leaders-to-follow-2022-june2022/

1. VOL 06 | ISSUE 03 | 2022
Christopher
McCormick
Bringing Growth Mindset and Fostering Inclusion
Christopher McCormick
Talent Development and
Inclusion Partner
Gilead Sciences
To Follow
The
Most
Leaders
Influential

4. An Ode to Effective
Team-Management
ne of the “Critical” aspects of an organization, or any
Ocommunity—is managing its necessary asset—its human
resource. Humans are a social species that have evolved
from being in small collective groups to living in large community
clusters.
The social architecture in which we live has transformed from
dwelling in simple packs as hunters to thriving in complex socio-
engineered communities. And it all boils down to the likeliness,
belongingness of an individual and the empathetic connection
towards their peers, which applies while living with any group or
community.
As time passed on, many communities were formed all over the
world. The ones who kept their members happy passed the test of
time. Understanding this ethos of mutual living, it is important to
consider that “When a social community follows a set of well-
directed principles that suit the needs of all entities collectively, it
is likely that it will not fall too soon.”
Well, every kingdom has its own downfall, and every era has its end
date; what truly matters is the quality of time spent and how the
group as a whole managed to gel together.
Let's take this malleable concept and zoom into a short period of
st
time- the 21 century. This is a time when kingdoms have been
translated to management, and communities are being referred to
as teams. And, with the transformation of post-industrial society
into a corporate takeover, the form of governance has changed to a
mere system of out-written laws that have been accepted by a
majority.
EDITOR’S NOTE

5. Furthering this trail, we are gushing through a time when human beings value their emotional intricacies as
much as they value mental capabilities. And with this concept of “human touch” taking center stage, it has
become important that a well-structured form of managing human behaviour is set in place inside every
organization. Drawing parallels from the communities that our ancestors formed, the sustenance of a team
depends on how well it runs- individually and collectively.
Today, in this modern era, the workplace attracts employees as it allows the creativity and intrinsic
principles of an individual to bloom amid the organized chaos that is constantly buzzing around and
courtesy in the demanding corporate environment.
To sum up the above discussion trail, the prospects of the right mental stability and varied emotional
abilities are associated with working. That is the definition of an ideal workplace. A perfect office
environment is formed by this basket of organizational traits placed into a plethora of inter and intra-
communicative teams. Now comes the question, “Is there a dedicated task force to set these things in
order?”
Well, the answer is yes; you may have been referring to this team as the Human Resource (HR) or Human
Resource Management (HRM) team. While scanning the workplaces that have been successful in their
businesses, as well as HR teams who have smashed the employee satisfaction parameters, we came across
a number of organizations. A common trend I noticed during the process was the influence that a leader
can have on the entire community, essentially- an entire organization. In this case, particularly, I found
exceptional Human Resource leaders who have set a system in place with their tried and tested methods
coupled with the ever-increasing needs of workforce management to form great teams. The best of the lot
is here for you to see, learn, understand, and implement.
Without any further delay, As you might be intrigued and got encapsulated in a moment of gushing into
such inspiring stories, flip the pages to view the gold standard of HR Leaders through this edition of
Insights Success, “The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow 2022.”
Happy Learning!
To Follow
The
Most
Leaders
Influential
Abhishek Joshi
Abhishek Joshi

6. Leader’s Viewpoint
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
08
Christopher
Christopher
Christopher
McCormick
McCormick
McCormick
Bringing Growth Mindset
and Fostering Inclusion
How the Cloud Is Helping
to Drive Digital Transformation
in Manufacturing
Leader’s Viewpoint
The Trucking Industry
in the 21st Century
Establishment of Rights in
corporate law
Leader’s Viewpoint
28
36
42

7. Abdulrahman Alsheai
16
Jabbar Sardar
Creating Capable,
Ef icient, and Inclusive Workplaces
24
Designing Human Capital
from Scratch
38
HR Torchbearer of
Middle East
Alexandra McGroarty
Your People, Our Passion
Leading with a Strategic Approach
to Employee Engagement Across
All Business Constituents
Jon Dawson
Laura Salvatore
20
32

8. CONTENT
Senior Editor Alan Swann
Executive Editors Abhishek Joshi
Alex Spellman
DESIGN
Visualizer Dave Bates
Art & Design Director Revati Badkas
Associate Designer Sandeep Tikode
SALES
Senior Sales Manager Kshitij S.
Customer Success Manager Jack Ryan
Sales Executives John
TECHNICAL
Technical Head Amar Sawant
Technical Consultant Victor Collins
June, 2022
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9. Brief
Company Name
Nicole Martin,
Founder and CEO
Vaishali Batra,
Global HR Head
Christopher
McCormick,
Talent Development and
Inclusion Partner
Gilead strives to transform and simplify care for people with
life-threatening diseases around the world.
HRBoost, LLC is a Shared Services HR firm that provides
highly qualified and experienced HR professionals.
Guardant Health dedicated to helping patients at all stages of
cancer live longer and healthier, through the power of blood
tests and the data they unlock.
Centurion Asset Management Inc. is recognized as a leader in
the Investment and Property Management industries providing
quality investments and quality housing for all of its clients.
Alexandra McGroarty,
Managing Partner,
Author & HR Consultant
McGroarty & Co. Consulng, LLC handles business needs
ranging from HR to Project Management.
McGroarty & Co.Consulting,
LLC
mcgroartyandco.com
Gilead Sciences
gilead.com
Centurion Asset
Management
centurion.ca
Abdulrahman Alsheail,
Director General
of Human Resource
IPA specializes in contributing to the administrative
organization of government administration, giving advice on
administrative problems presented to it by ministries and
government agencies, and researching administration affairs
and documenting cultural ties in the field of public
administration.
Institute of Public
Administration-Saudi
Arabia
my.gov.sa
Marvin Rodriguez,
Global HR Operations
Head
MiraMed stands as the premier global provider of business
process outsourcing solutions to healthcare organizations
nationwide
MiraMed
miramedgs.com
Guardant Health
guardanthealth.com
Jabbar Sardar,
HR Director
BBC Studios is an unrivalled creator of, and investor in, the
very best British programmes reaching audiences around the
world. It is the principal commercial arm of the BBC, and it
brings in around £200m annually to support the licence fee.
BBC Studios
Distribution Limited
bbcstudios.com
Hrboost LLC
hrboost.com
Jon Dawson,
Group Director
of People Development
Lore Group is an international hospitality company that
designs, transforms, manages and operates hotel and food and
drink concepts in notable cities across Europe and the United
States.
Lore Group
loregroup.com
Maninder Singh
Founder
Manzeera provides a wide range of services such as ROI
Optimiser, Knowledge Management, Digital workers, Realtime
streaming analytics, 360-degree view, Data Lake
acceleration, BI audit and strategy, and much more.
Manzeera Solutions
manzeerasolutions.co.uk
Featured Person
Laura Salvatore,
Vice President
of Human Capital

10. Christopher McCormick
Talent Development and
Inclusion Partner
Gilead Sciences
C
O
V
E
R
S
T
O
R
Y

11. Christopher
McCormick
Bringing Growth Mindset
and Fostering Inclusion
We need to continue
to have meaningful
conversations that
create connection
and build trust. No “AI”
is going to be able to
replace that.

12. rom performing in "The King and I" at the age of 6
Fto being one of the most influential leaders in the
Human Resource sector today, Christopher
McCormick has established himself as an example for
many.
Despite being an out gay man in the 90s Corporate
America, which was considered taboo, he discovered
self-confidence and eventually learned how to be the
best version of himself. When it comes to his
professional career, being a Talent Development and
Inclusion Partner at Gilead Sciences, he has
successfully incorporated a growth mindset and
neuroscience principles into management theories.
Some of Christopher's volunteer experiences include
working as an Executive Chairman of a non-profit
providing programmatic efforts to develop regional
events and offers for organizations and businesses a
way to connect and harness thought leadership and
positively impacting the community. He has also led
transformative learning programs that allow
participants to explore new realms of potential and
achieve new outcomes in the areas of their lives that
matter most to them as a Seminar Leader at Landmark.
On an Expedition as a Professional
Christopher began his professional career at the age of
6. He grew up doing professional theatre and studied it
in college, eventually becoming a professional adult
actor and started taking on corporate jobs to "really
pay the bills."
While doing his corporate gigs, Christopher realized he
had a lot of transferrable skills that added a ton of value
to his workplace. He has become an Award-winning HR
leader, and key thought partner to CEOs, Executive
Leadership Teams, and Board of Directors with 20+
years of experience across top financial services, retail,
technology, healthcare, and life science companies.
He is known for his strength in managing cross-
functional teams, influencing ability, and fostering
diversity and employee development. He successfully
brought growth mindset and neuroscience principles
into management philosophies.
Through Obstacles and Clashes
When you start working at such a young age, you gain
experiences and perspectives along the way that are
not the same as your peer group. Christopher was
making money and hanging out with adults in the
workplace for most of his childhood. He was directing
shows and "telling adults" what to do by 16.
While all of that was valuable, when you enter a
corporate job at an early age and with limited
"corporate experience," he found it difficult to have
people take his ideas, feedback, and input seriously.
They would see him as an early in his career or a junior
person. When really, he had likely been working
professionally, albeit in a different industry, but
working for as long as some of the more "senior" people
had.
Christopher struggled earlier in his career to feel like he
had a say or voice. Being a gay man in corporate
America in the 90s was also a bit taboo; he covered a lot
of his true self or his voice earlier on. It took him quite a
long while to own his brand, his self-confidence, and
find his voice.
"The great news is I did find it. It just took me a while. I've
also had to forgive myself for not finding it as soon as I
thought I should have," says Christopher.
An Influential Leader
Over the past year, Christopher has led the work to
define and identify "Manager Effectiveness" to equip
managers, drive inclusive behaviors, and hybrid
working best practices.
Additionally, using agile and change management
methodologies, he has led the work and benchmarking
efforts to build the Return to Site guidance which
continues to assess, monitor, and solve for the future of
work and the employee experience at Gilead Sciences
Inc.
Gilead Sciences and Its Tower of Strength
Gilead is a biopharmaceutical company that has
pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for
more than three decades to create a healthier world for

13. Focus on
gratitude for
what you have
and go live your life
the best you can.

14. Through bold and transformative
science, we are driving innovation
that has the potential to become
the next generation of life-
changing medicines.

15. innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-
threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, and
cancer. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries
worldwide, headquarters in Foster City, California.
Gilead has promoted equity, particularly healthcare
equity since the company brought its first therapies to
the market. Through global partnerships, Gilead's
medicines today reach millions of people in low- and
middle-income countries worldwide. In the United
States, Gilead has committed more than $100 million
®
over ten years through the COMPASS Initiative to
community organizations working to combat HIV in the
U.S. South. In 2020, Gilead launched the Racial Equity
Community Impact Fund to support organizations
tackling racial inequities affecting Black communities
across the United States.
Maintaining a Flexible Work Culture
G.Flex is a global framework of flexible work options
and guiding principles that encourage more flexible
ways of working. A balanced approach builds on their
belief in the benefits of co-location while providing
employees with more flexibility to work where and
when they are at their best.
"My role is to ensure our People Managers are empowered
to activate our G.Flex program and ensure they are
providing an equitable option for all their employees. We
also are focused on developing better hybrid ways of
working so that no matter where you are or where you are
working from, you feel included and valued to contribute
your best," shares Christopher.
Leveraging Technology in All Its Form
There is no doubt that Technology has played a critical
role in their success as human beings and as
organizations still able to contribute during a global
pandemic. Technology is critical. At Gilead, they need it
as an enabler in how they continue to innovate,
streamline and be efficient in their work.
Christopher further expresses, "Technology doesn't
replace human connection, though. And we need that now
more than ever. We need to continue to have meaningful
conversations that create connections and build trust. No
"AI" is going to be able to replace that. As leaders, we have
to manage that delicate balance of when to use Technology
and not let it use us."
Changing the Face of Human Resource Niche
According to Christopher, the hybrid will be the way
they work going forward. He recently was on a call
hosted by the NeuroLeadership Institute. Their study
found, and he loosely quotes, "A third of the workforce
preferred to be "in-person." A third preferred to work
remotely. And the other third preferred to have a
hybrid/flexible model."
The key insight they shared is that wherever each third
preferred and got to operate from, that is where they
were most productive. Christopher finds that
fascinating.
Aim for the Future
"My goals in 2022 are to ensure we are embedding
Inclusion & Diversity into everything we do, from redefining
Talent and Careers to increasing manager effectiveness
throughout the organization," said Christopher, "My
longer-term goals are to continue to grow and develop as an
HR professional. I'd love to be a CHRO within the next 5-10
years. I still have a lot I want to accomplish along the way."
A Word of Counsel
According to Christopher, we all compare each other
and try to find what others have and what we don't.
Maybe it's a nice house, car, better relationship, cool
job. Whatever it is, try asking yourself what they
sacrificed to achieve that. Ask yourself what you can
learn from them to get that or something similar and
what changes you should make in yourself.
Christopher credits his friend Andy Storch for this one:
"When you meet or see people who are doing things you
want to do, instead of being envious, try asking yourself
what you can learn from them and what you need to do to
accomplish the same. And if you can't, focus on gratitude
for what you have and go live your life the best you can.”

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18. Abdulrahman
Alsheail
Alsheail
HR Torchbearer of Middle East
he Saudi Arabia labor market is undergoing great
Tchurning. Saudi nationals, especially Saudi
women, are joining the labor market at an
unprecedented rate. There is also major policy reform
in line with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Transformation
Program, paving the way for increased hiring of local
talent and making the market attractive for talented
foreign expatriates.
Hiring in such a meta-morphing job market while
keeping track of the changing demands of employees,
companies, and labor market policies is a monumental
task. Amid this transformation, Abdulrahman Alsheail,
The Director General of Human Resources at the
Institute of Public Administration (IPA), is one of the
HR leaders in the region.
Abdulrahman started as a Recruitment Officer at the
IPA’s English Language Center before climbing the
ranks to the Director General of Human Resources
over ten years. He brought innovative approaches to
recruitment, retention, compensation, benefits,
training, policy development, and administration. This
brought him recognition when he became a nominee at
the CIPD’s HR Rising Star of the Year Award in 2019,
received a special mention at the Best L&D Program
awards in 2020, and The GOV HR Leader of the year in
2021.
As the Director General of HR at the IPA, Abdulrahman
leads several projects that focus on developing its
culture, structure, and capabilities to support the
organization’s next growth stage, He also leads HR
transformation projects.
From Recruiting to Leading
The Saudi government established the Insti-tute of
Public Administration (IPA) in 1961 to train civil
service employees. Besides the goal was to train civil
service employees and to prepare them to practice
their duties professionally. The IPA also provides
consultations, solutions, research, and studies for the
public sector in the region. Abdulrahman’s career began
here as a faculty member and recruitment specialist
who recruited English language teachers from the USA,
Canada, and the UK to work in the country. He gained
extensive experience as a recruiter. Later on, he was
asked to establish and manage the strategic activities of
IPA’s HR Development Department.
The biggest challenge as a leader proved to be the
distinct lack of qualified talents with HR experience.
Abdulrahman remembers, “I handled these challenges by
recruiting experienced calibers to work for the HR Develop-
ment Department, and providing quality training to build
the capacity of new HR staff. As a result, we became
recognized by several prestigious international HR organi-
zations.”
Expanding Human Resources
When Abdulrahman started working in HR, the concept
of human resources was relatively new in the public
sector in the Middle East. He translated several books
and training courses into Arabic to spread knowledge
about HR practices. Abdulrahman is a keynote speaker
at conferences. He also participates in local events to
spread awareness about HR topics. He has conducted
many HR studies at the national and regional levels. He
anticipates the ‘Gig Economy’ as the next biggest HR
change.
“Businesses frequently use independent contractors for
short-term projects and common temporary roles,”
Abdulrahman says. “This will make companies and
businesses depend more on freelancers. For example, I know
an engineering consultation office in Riyadh that hired two
engineers who reside in Cebu City in the Philippines for a
full-time job.
| June 2022 |
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19. Abdulrahman Alsheail
Director General of Human Resource,
Instiute of Public Administration,Saudi Arabia
The ‘Gig Economy’
is the next biggest
HR change.
“
“
This will affect HR work, and the HR depart-
ments should show awareness of cultural differences and
international laws related to HR.”
Abdulrahman thinks that due to the changes in the
market, there will be more focus on upskilling and
reskilling employees and virtual employee engagement.
According to him, technology has a significant role in
forming organizational culture and creating a cloud
community of practice. Therefore, he says, “Data-driven
HR will no longer be a luxury due to the digitizing of HR.”
| June 2022 |
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20. A Value-Driven Work Culture
Values differ from one organiza-
tion to another according to their
activities and goals. However,
Abdulrahman believes that every
organization should have values of
passion, integrity, teamwork,
professionalism, accountability,
commitment, self-learning,
transparency, continuous improve-
ment, and innovation. To identify
work culture, he thinks, HR leaders
must first understand the political,
societal, cultural context, and the
nature of the organization.
Abdulrahman expands on the
topic– “A company’s culture needs to
be aligned with the big cultural
context. It’s often challenging to
create a company’s culture that does
not match society. For instance, I
have seen a start-up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, attempting to
create a work culture resembling a start-up in San
Francisco. This start-up failed because what motivates an
employee working in a marketing company in Riyadh can be
different from what motivates an employee working in a
marketing company in San Francisco, Shanghai, or
Mumbai.”
However, he does believe in a work culture that
promotes values of discipline, commitment, and
passion, while providing confidence and authority to
employees and, most importantly, encouraging self-
learning.
Accept Cultural Differences
Abdulrahman advises young professionals venturing
newly into HR to keep an open mind and accept cultural
differences. He says, “The HR business is sensitive since
HR personnel has access to information, issues, reports, and
complaints that require confidentiality. However, I think HR
professionals who can speak more than one language will
have a broader perspective due to their access to different
cultures.”
Additionally, he believes HR freshers must get a
professional certificate from a prestigious entity and be
a member of professional HR organizations that would
keep them updated on the latest trends in the field of
HR.
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22. Alexandra McGroarty
Your People, Our Passion
here is an upheaval in workplaces today. People
Tand organizations are changing how they work
by adopting a fully remote working model or
choosing a hybrid working style. Organizations are
changing their operational norms, and employees face
new challenges in working in a virtual environment. The
responsibility for handling this shift lies with HR
leadership and managers across the globe. We at
Insights Success came across one such leader
Alexandra McGroarty Managing Partner, Author, and
HR Consultant at McGroarty & Co. Consulting, LLC.
Alexandra is a veteran of the human resource industry.
She has worked her way up HR Coordinator to VP of
Global Human Resources before leaving the corporate
sector to co-found her HR consulting firm in 2021. She
went through some of the same struggles in transition
that employees and organizations face today. That did
little to stop her from leading McGroarty & Co.
Consulting, LLC . McGroarty is concurrently pursuing a
certificate in Corporate Sustainability Practices at
Cornell, a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership, and
recently launched her firstbook- Bridging the Gap:
Reducing Gender Bias in the Workplace.. As an
accomplished HR consultant and savvy leader,
Alexandra has used her ample expertise to lead at local
and global levels in women's and LGBTQ+ colleague
resource groups and as a sustainability representative
for HR. Her considerable accomplishments were
recognized when she was nominated for the 2021 HR
Person of the Year Awards and the 2022 Ragan
National Platinum HR Awards.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at McGroarty & Co.
Consulting, LLC. What challenges have you had to
overcome to reach where you are today?
I started my HR journey in healthcare. A former Director
of mine recommended me for a position with DaVita, and
I joined as an HR Coordinator, working my way up to HR
Business Partner and HR Project Manager. From there, I
spent time in Financial Services, and my most recent
Corporate Role was VP of Global HR for Clarivate. In
2021, my husband and I decided to launch our own
consulting firm, and since then, I have been leading the
team at McGroarty & Co Consulting firm.
We are a small
firm with
big firm expertise.
Family values
and a fun
but professional
corporate culture
drives our team
forward.
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23. Alexandra McGroarty
Managing Partner,
Author & HR Consultant
McGroarty & Co. Consul n,LLC

24. | June 2022 |
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25. Tell us something more about your company and its
mission and vision.
· Our mission is to help our clients achieve their
goals by providing best-in-class Human
Resources and Business consulting and
solutions. We strive to be seen as valued people
and partners to our clients
· We will undertake and deliver on any HR or
business consulting project or objective we
pursue while building long-lasting relationships
· Big firm expertise with small firm value.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the HR
Consulting niche through your expertise in the market.
I recently published my first book- Bridging the Gap,
Reducing Gender Bias in the Workplace, and I am a
Certified Professional Coach and Certified Diversity
Professional. I strive to be seen as a coach and Diversity
strategist in our local market.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that
drives your organization.
We are a small firm with big firm expertise. Family values
and a fun but professional corporate culture drive our
team forward.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
It is vital to stay up to date on the newest HR and
Employee Experience technologies. AI is quickly driving
our sector forward, and being able to advise clients on
top resources is key.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in the HR Consulting sector? How is your
company preparing to be a part of that change?
Roe vs. Wade has had a huge impact on the employee
experience. Continuing to support our clients through
our diverse knowledge coupled with HR experience will
be key.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for McGroarty & Co.
Consulting, LLC?
We are looking to continue to grow and be a leader in our
market – my hope is that in the next three years,
McGroarty & Co Consulting will continue to be a leader
in the HR space, especially in our hometown market.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the HR Consulting sector?
Network, network, network. Join your local chamber of
commerce- we have built many solid and impactful
relationships there. Always be learning and coaching
others that are trying to come up as well.
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26. T
he success of any organization is dependent on
the staff within it. The HR service plays an
essential role in delivering this and it sets the
tone for the organization's functionality. HR leaders
play a valuable role in improving the workforce and
creating a most conducive culture to delivering
superior business performance. As an HR Director for
BBC Studios, Jabbar Sardar oversees all HR activity to
support the business strategy. Jabbar emphasizes and
focuses on creating efficient and inclusive workplaces.
In an interview with CIO Look, Jabbar Sardar shares his
journey, aspirations, and how he is contributing as an
HR leader at BBC Studios.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at BBC. What
challenges have you had to overcome to reach where
you are today?
My career journey reflects my personal journey and has
been built on dismantling stereotypes and mindsets as
barriers to breaking into a sector, and using the
influence I hold to implement change.
My priority has always been clear – provide the
business with the tools to be competitive and efficient
AND inclusive, culturally confident, and welcoming.
Workplace culture is never static, and in HR, we need to
ensure it is constantly evolving, improving, and meeting
the highest standards.
Tell us something more about BBC and its mission and
vision.
The BBC has a clear mission – to inform, educate and
entertain – and clear values about how we expect all
our employees, and anyone who works with us, to
behave. We are committed to maintaining a diverse,
inclusive, and sustainable workplace culture, reflecting
our audiences across the UK and globally, connecting
with new generations and perspectives, and respecting
our planet.
JABBAR
Sardar Creating Capable,
Efficient, and
Inclusive Workplaces
We are committed to
maintaining a diverse,
inclusive, and sustainable
workplace culture; reflecting
our audiences across the UK
and globally; connecting
with new generations and
perspectives; and
respecting our planet.
| June 2022 |
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27. | June 2022 |
25
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Jabbar Sardar
HR Director

28. As the BBC's commercial arm, BBC Studios
has an ambitious growth strategy that will
be driven by an equally ambitious people
and culture strategy, which I'm leading. We
already have over 6,000 staff and
freelancers operating in 16 countries,
producing over 2,000 hours of output per
year. A world-class business with bold
growth ambitions needs a world-class
working culture, and our mission is to be in
the upper quartile for wellbeing,
leadership, inclusion, and performance.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted
HR through your expertise in the market.
A few years ago, BBC Studios and BBC
Content de-merged from BBC Television
(now BBC Content), and in 2017 the teams from our
Distribution business (then BBC Worldwide) merged
with BBC Studios to create a single commercial entity. I
directed both major change programs, enabling the
teams involved to build a new commercial culture that
has workforce wellbeing and career development. I've
worked closely with the former CEO (now BBC
Director-General) and the new BBC Studios CEO to
ensure their senior leadership teams create and model
an honest and effective performance culture, which
both nurtures success and challenges everyone at
every level when necessary.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
As an HR leader, my priority is to ensure technological
advancements are leveraged to improve workforce
culture, remove the fear of - and instill enthusiasm for -
change. Like most businesses, pre-pandemic, we had
not been seriously looking at the future of the
workplace and the possibilities offered by technology
to create a truly hybrid, mobile, flexible (and happier)
workforce. The pandemic forced us to meet an era-
defining challenge.
My HR team worked with the Studios executive swiftly
and confidently to build a spirit of collective resilience,
flexibility, and kindness. A company-wide strategy
known as Putting People First really kicked in during
those first months, and this has had a lasting effect.
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29. The staff tells us in increasing
numbers that they feel respected
and supported and that we have
enabled them to do their best
work by harnessing all the tools
at their disposal, technological
and otherwise.
What change would you like to
bring to the HR Operations if
given a chance?
I believe creating a truly inclusive
and diverse workforce should be
our number one priority. We are
making great progress at BBC
Studios, but I want us to go
further and faster. Any workplace
needs to reflect the make-up and
aspirations of our society. Career
choices and possibilities should
be free, fair, and accessible to all. I'm very proud of our
success in BBC Studios, and although we're not there
yet, our achievements so far include the introduction of
inclusive leadership training, the creation of diverse
talent pools, and concrete support for staff networks
championing diversity of our workforce.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in the HR sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
So many sectors and industries are now faced with
structural and financial challenges which will
necessitate a revolution in how HR makes a difference.
At BBC Studios, we know we're at our most effective
and powerful when we enable and empower, when we
see the long-term big picture and the strategic plan, and
understand our role in how to help a business grow,
change, and in some cases reinvent itself.
We must move away from the misconception of HR as a
service provider. HR is about bringing out the very best
in people. It is not the department that tells you what
you can and can't do – it needs to be at the top table as
a trusted guide, critical friend, and strategic partner.
Ultimately, creating an organization where leaders are
empowered and accountable for making the people's
decisions to drive business performance and people
development.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for BBC?
I would like to look back in a few years' time and be
proud of what my team achieved to position BBC
Studios as a world-beating content giant with a brand
that is trusted and admired the world over.
Personally, I want to continue making a difference at
every level as an HR professional, HR Director, and
leader. That means encouraging, in turn, the next
generation of HR leaders to encourage the next
generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and role
models, in every sector.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs
who aspire to venture into the business sector?
Understand the power of clear and inclusive
communication. Don't be afraid of failure – learn from
things that don't go as planned. Don't tolerate bad
behavior at any level. Breathe and reflect before
making decisions – even if you only have minutes,
rather than days, to pause. Put yourself in the other
person's shoes. And remember that you, and all your
team, are also consumers or members of the audience.
Use that to your advantage.
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31. How the Is Helping to
Cloud
Drive Digital Transformation
in Manufacturing
C
loud technology is helping to drive Industry 4.0
transformation in many ways. It can offload data
center costs, ease systems integration, and
provide a cost-effective approach to scaling resources
and infrastructure requirements. Interestingly, there
has been a new benefit that is gaining more attention as
we emerge to a “post-COVID” world. When some or all
of your company’s workforce is working remotely
supporting customers working from anywhere, the
importance of your software being hosted in a local
datacenter matters less – keeping everything else at
par.
Of course, maintaining application updates, managing
role-based access, and maintaining data integrity
remain of utmost importance. Provided these
maintenance tasks can continue to be provided
acceptably, the concept of what it means to “locally”
host your systems infrastructure becomes less of a
concern. The definition of “local” has forever changed.
The New World of Anywhere Working
This shift in defining local work could be classified as
one of the unexpected outcomes of going through a
global pandemic. Industry research supports this shift,
showing that 94% of all enterprises already use a Cloud
service in some form. New investment in this
technology only further reinforces this trend is not
slowing down.
But it’s not all about technology. Cloud solutions are
also addressing the most traditional of concerns:
staffing and workers. Today, there are millions of
manufacturing jobs that cannot be filled, and many of
those positions will likely remain unfilled. A recent
study of 800 U.S.-based manufacturers concluded that
these missing jobs could cost manufacturers $1 trillion
by 2030.
At the same time, there has been a huge upswing in
people working remotely. This trend was already
underway before the pandemic, and it has only
accelerated in the last two years. Across all industries,
including manufacturing, we are now becoming
accustomed to “work anywhere” operations.
The Cloud is a key technology enabler behind these
trends. It augments human processes so that people
can get more done with less effort. It helps
manufacturers maintain--or even improve--their
productivity when faced with a long-term staffing
shortage.
Empowering Remote Workers
Gartner has forecast that 51% of global knowledge
workers will be remote by the end of 2021 – or more
than half! This ranges from individual professionals
working in their home offices to administrative teams
from different locations monitoring servers and
responding to increases and decreases in bandwidth
and usage.
The trend is not limited to classic white-collar workers,
either. It’s estimated that 32% of all employees
worldwide will soon be working remotely, and this will
include work that traditionally has required an on-site
presence. For example, a forklift driver with Cloud-
enabled technology such as a VR headset and remote
controls can now operate at multiple warehouses while
working from home or a regional office. One skilled
driver could work the morning in Asia and the
afternoon in North America as the company requires,
or even change locations several times an hour.
The Cloud has emerged as a great option to support
this kind of systems infrastructure to provide this kind
of global accessibility. It allows everyone with an
Leader’s Viewpoint
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32. internet connection to participate in this new work
environment. Applications can be readily accessed from
anywhere while scaling quickly and easily, whenever
needed. The pandemic has shown us that you never
know what your business’s needs will look like a year
from now, so the ability to quickly adapt to change is
imperative.
Attracting the Best Talent
Throughout the next decade, it will be harder than ever
for manufacturers to find skilled people at all levels. It
may be especially hard to find the workforce you need
to successfully implement your digital transformation
strategy.
How do you attract the people you want? Supporting
remote workers is one way, and is fast becoming a
requirement. What about on-site workers? No amount
of automation will ever fully eliminate the need for
some people to be on-site, so the cloud is just as
important here, too. For example, Augmented Reality
(AR) is best deployed in multiple factories via the Cloud
because the application is so data-intensive. A private
network with central storage will struggle to support
the kind of bandwidth required. An edge computing
environment that leverages the Cloud can easily
support AR anywhere, along with providing local
processing and data availability in real-time to both
remote and on-site employees.
Those entering the workforce today were born into a
technological world. They’re going to expect the best
technology when they go to work, wherever that work
is.
Cloud Security
One reason that Cloud usage is growing so rapidly is
the acceptance by companies that it is a secure
platform for enterprise applications, even for
manufacturers operating in highly regulated and
compliance-driven industries. The top Cloud providers
have advanced and layered security procedures that
are continuously updated to prevent, detect, and
respond to security threats. Furthermore, systems
based in the Cloud are unlikely to be affected, at least
for long, by physical threats such as natural disasters.
The fact is, Cloud solutions are often more reliable and
secure than traditional in-house settings.
However, manufacturers should still vet their Cloud
provider to ensure that robust security systems and
procedures are in place. And critically, each enterprise
must secure its networks and systems, especially in an
organization with remote and far-flung operations.
Your Cloud provider can only protect the data it
receives; it is no replacement for internal, end-to-end
security.
The New Workplace
By 2025, it’s predicted that manufacturers will have
reduced their operational costs by 25%, combining
automation technologies with redesigned operational
processes enabled by the Cloud. Much of this will have
to do with making people more productive. It won’t only
be about improving the way people work now, which is
how we tend to think of technology. It will also be about
changing the relationship between the organization
and the people who work for it, and what it even means
to work.
Many factors are driving digital transformation, but in
the coming years, a lot will depend on how well
manufacturers can create a new kind of workplace that
is more mobile, more agile, and more productive than
ever before. And they’ll need to make extensive use of
the Cloud to do it.
Sung is an experienced technology architect
and a published computer scientist. During his
tenure at iBASEt, Sung played a key role in
enhancing Solumina’s technology and
exploring architecture experiments for future
product directions. As the Chief Technology
Officer, Sung leads iBASEt’s long-term
technology vision and is responsible for the
overall product architecture and
infrastructure deployment profiles, focusing
on open standards and integration
technologies
About the Leader
By Sung Kim, CTO, iBASEt
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34. P
eople often say they leave lousy managers, but is
it ever asked if those managers were given the
support, skills, and information they needed to
succeed? Managing employees takes time and demands
certain skills. Many business owners lack competence
in human resources.
The fundamental difficulty for every Chief People
Officer is to figure out how to improve as people
managers and leaders so that employee retention,
performance, motivation, and engagement may all
improve. The real winners are the managers who can
give their employees what they want while also giving
the company what it wants; they can provide solutions
that benefit everyone.
One such manager is Jon Dawson, the Group Director
of People Development at Lore Group, a multinational
hospitality firm that creates, converts, manages, and
operates hotel and food and beverage concepts in
prominent European and American cities.
We at CIO Look approached Jon to give us his valuable
insights about his achievements and challenges in this
edition of "The 10 Most Influential HR Leaders To Follow,
2022."
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business
leader until your current position at Lore Group. What
challenges have you had to overcome to reach where
you are today?
Prior to joining Lore Group in 2020, I led the Human
Resources function and strategy through a significant
redevelopment and relaunched the Mandarin Oriental
Hyde Park London and One Hyde Park Residences,
which operate within the luxury hotel and residence
sectors. I also launched the London EDITION as the
Director of Employee Experience and was part of the
team that introduced the brand in New York and Miami.
Dawson
Leading with a Strategic Approach
to Employee Engagement Across
All Business Constituents
A signi cant part of our identity is the pride we
have in people - we endeavor to attract the best
talent in hospitality to help deliver extraordinary
experiences for our guests.
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35. Jon Dawson
Group Director of
People Development
Lore Group

36. I started my career with Marriott International, and I
am grateful for the strong foundation and opportunities
Marriott provided me, including opening the St Pancras
Renaissance Hotel in 2010 in the role of HR Director. In
my current role at Lore Group, I am the group's People
& Development Director, responsible for the people
strategy for the countries we own and operate hotels
within. I was attracted to the group as it displays a
start-up mentality with a desire to create more hotels
as we continue to evolve.
Tell us something more about Lore Group and its
mission and vision.
Lore Group is an international hospitality
company that designs, transforms,
manages, and operates hotel and food and
drink concepts in notable cities across Europe and the
United States. Thoughtful design and interesting use of
space are at the core of everything we do as a brand.
Our portfolio includes Riggs Washington DC, Lyle
Washington DC, Pulitzer Amsterdam, Sea Containers
London, and the recently opened One Hundred
Shoreditch. We strive to create storied hotels for the
long term, both for our teams and our guests.
A significant part of our identity is the pride we have in
people - we endeavor to attract the best talent in
hospitality to help deliver extraordinary experiences
for our guests. Property-wise, we look for unique
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opportunities in major cities which we then bring to life
by creating hotels that remain true to their
architecture, design, and community.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted Hospitality
through your expertise in the market.
As someone who is known for pushing boundaries and
trying new things within both the people and
hospitality professions, I'm fortunate that I work with a
very inspirational CEO and fantastic teams both at our
group office and within our hotels. I love the creative
side of my job and working to inspire the next
generation of hospitality professionals while attracting
best-in-class talent to our teams.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in
almost every sector. How are you leveraging
technological advancements to make your solutions
resourceful?
Thanks to technology, travelers and prospective guests
now know more about a property prior to staying than
they ever did before – in addition to leaving traditional
reviews, guests can provide an honest view of hotels via
their social media posts. Technology is hugely
important to Lore Group; we recently created a new
Technology Director role that focuses on ensuring
technology is a key enabler for enhancing our guest and
employee experience.
What change would you like to bring to the Hotel
Operations if given a chance?
For the team at Lore, it would be a combination of a
new city for us to open a hotel within and the ability to
design and deliver an entirely new concept - something
that would shift the hospitality landscape in a city
through design and product and guest experience. It
would be the type of new hotel that becomes
synonymous with the city's hospitality scene and has
a mix of best-in-class, imaginative design, and strong
F&B; ultimately, it would come down to our people.
Without excellent people in our properties, we
couldn't deliver the level of service for which we
strive.
What, according to you, could be the next significant
change in the Design sector? How is your company
preparing to be a part of that change?
We are very much a design-driven group, so it's
hugely important to us. Jacu Strauss, our Creative
Director, and Caitriona O'Sullivan, our Design
Director, work exceptionally well with their teams on
the conception, design, and launch of new projects.
Having the design function in-house means that their
work continues post-launch, so our hotels are
constantly evolving and being updated. They are not
driven by trends; rather, they focus on doing what is
best for any property in the long term, in addition to
considering the location and the local community.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run,
and what are your future goals for Lore Group?
As a relatively new group, a large part of our identity
is the pride we have in our people - we always look to
attract the best talent in the industry to help us
deliver extraordinary experiences, and I look forward
to leading this for the group in the long term. Our
future goals are certainly to be an employer of choice
for hospitality professionals and a go-to for travelers
looking for unique experiences in some of the most
vibrant cities in the world. Our people are at the
center of everything we do at Lore Group, and this
won't change as we continue to grow and evolve.
What would be your advice to budding
entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the
business sector?
The world and workplace have seen significant
changes post-pandemic; therefore, it's important to
be open to change. Never be afraid to try something
new, and you must always be prepared to work hard if
you want to create long-term success.

38. The Trucking Industry
in the Century
21st
Ellen Voie

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What is your initial reaction when you are
driving along a four-lane highway, and
there’s a tractor-trailer next to you? Do you
see smokestacks, diesel engines, and a massive machine
spewing fumes into the air? Are you afraid of sharing
the road with these massive vehicles?
If so, you need to move your perception into the 21st
century. No longer are the tractor-trailers of the past
even similar to what’s coming off the assembly line
today. The trucking industry has embraced technology
faster than many industries, but it’s not just about
efficiency; it’s also about safety.
Step into the cab of a semi-tractor, and you’ll be amazed
at the number of gauges, switches, and knobs. What
you don’t see is an oversized steering wheel and two
shifting gears connected to the floor.
In fact, the interior cab of today’s truck resembles your
car more than you realize. First, the truck has been
designed to be more ergonomically correct for all body
sizes, which means women are now more comfortable
in the driving seat than in the past. Look at the way the
dash slopes to accommodate the view out the
passenger’s side. Check out the pedals that are
adjustable to better accommodate husband and wife
teams when one is much taller than the other.
The creature comforts inside the cab include
refrigerators, microwaves, more closet space, and often
a porta-potty. Lighted cup holders and even 220 outlets
in the sleeper berth make it more like home.
What you might not have realized is how clean today’s
trucks operate. Due to EPA standards, many trucks
actually leave the air cleaner than when it went into the
engine. The addition of DEF, or diesel emission fluid, has
created much cleaner exhaust.
The EPA Smart Way program also provides guidelines
for fuel economy. From low rolling resistance tires to
aerodynamic hood shields, trailer skirts, wheel covers,
and “tails” on the back of the trailer, diesel fuel savings
in the range of ten percent or more can be realized.
Today’s trucks are also safer than your grandfather’s
rig. The opportunities are endless to provide
technology to reduce driver error by relying on these
devices. From personal safety to safety on the road,
there are more opportunities to make our roads safer
for all of us.
Lane departure warning equipment, anti-rollover
devices, side guards, and speed monitors are all
becoming common additions to today’s trucks. Some
carriers are now replacing mirrors with cameras, so the
driver has a better view of the space around the 53-
foot trailer.
Personal safety is also a concern. Instead of
experiencing worker’s comp claims from cranking
dollies or pulling the hood open to inspect the engine,
we now have devices that raise and lower the landing
gear with the push of a button. There is hydraulics that
opens the massive hood and even cameras the show
whether your kingpin has been secured or not.
Add to all these technological advances the promise of
autonomous trucks, and your tractor-trailer no longer
looks like a mass of smoke and diesel fumes.
The technology removes much of the physical strength
needed to operate a tractor-trailer in the past. This
allows us to attract and keep more women as well as
men who prefer a less physically demanding job. Even
the burden of loading and unloading the cargo has been
automated, and the responsibility has typically been
transferred to the shipper and receiver instead of the
driver.
The changes the industry is making will also help
address the need for more drivers. The jobs are
plentiful and offer a decent wage, but a shortage of
qualified professional drivers continues. The
advancements made in the area of technology not only
make the trucks and the roads safer; it makes the job
safer. Removing as much of the physical component
also helps attract a wider range applicants.
The trucking industry has adopted advanced
technology; not only to comply with government
regulations but to reduce its footprint on our ecological
resources as well as make the job much safer.
The next time you see a tractor-trailer alongside of you
on the highway, consider how technology has created a
new era of load delivery. These are not your
grandfather’s trucks today.
Leader’s Viewpoint

40. onvincing a skeptical business leader that your
Cwork matters and securing funding to open a
new department is difficult.฀Laura Salvatore,
Vice President of Human Capital at Centurion Asset
Management, did that ten years ago. Standing before
the management of Centurion, Laura persuaded them
of the need for the Human Resources department and
secured buy-in from them for new HR initiatives.
From Administrator to Vice President, Laura has seen
Centurion grow from 50 to 300 employees, from $350
million to $6 billion in assets under management. She
also acts as the Secretary to the Board of Trustees for
Centurion Apartment REIT and Centurion Financial
Trust. For her exceptional work, Laura has been
nominated for multiple awards, most recently of which
was HRD’s annual Global 100 in 2021. She was selected
as one of the best and brightest leaders in the human
resource sector from six markets – the United States,
Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, and the
UK.
Starting From Scratch฀
Centurion Asset Management is one of Canada’s
leading asset managers specializing in the real estate
sector. They offer investors a diversified portfolio of
multi-family residential apartment buildings, student
housing residences, mortgages, real estate
developments, and debt instruments. When Laura
started here a decade ago, they had 50 employees and
no Human Resources department. At the time, the
business leaders couldn’t see the value that HR could
bring to the organization. Laura overturned their
skepticism by measuring and analyzing their return on
investment for each program she implemented.฀
Laura shares,฀“Once I could illustrate the positive
impact on key success drivers such as employee
engagement, job satisfaction, team morale, corporate
culture and ultimately job productivity, it became that
much less challenging to get management’s buy-in for
future initiatives. Fast forward to today, and we have
been able to build a successful team and culture here at
Centurion, with the function of HR playing a critical
role in helping to achieve overall strategic business
objectives.”
฀A World Class Asset Manager
Centurion aims to be a highly regarded, reputable, and
multi-disciplinary alternative class asset manager. To
that end, they have been focused on creating a strong
corporate culture in their company – something that is
not always found in the investment management
industry. They regularly monitor the satisfaction of
their employees and compare themselves not only
against their own established benchmarks, but also to
others in the industry.
Laura notes,฀“In doing this, we have been able to foster
an incredibly strong corporate culture that is modeled
from the top-down. We have empowered our
employees to perform their best work, ensuring that
they understand how their individual efforts directly
contribute to the overall success of the business. This,
in turn, has had a positive impact on the experience of
our residents and our investors.”฀
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41. Surrounding
yourself with the
right people and
establishing a strong
corporate culture
from the beginning
is what separates a
great leader from the
rest.
“
“
Laura Salvatore,
Vice President, Human Capital
Centurion Asset Management
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42. Respect, Integrity, Simplicity, Excellence
Laura tells us how the workplace culture of Centurion is
driven by the four values of Respect, Integrity,
Simplicity, and Excellence. Respect is promoted in the
company for Centurion’s communities, customers, and
colleagues. Integrity is displayed in every action, and
processes are simplified wherever possible. Lastly, all
business leaders and employees commit to excellence
in every possible way – making the company an
excellent place to work, creating an excellent
investment solution, and offering an excellent
community for residents to call home.
“Over the years, we have developed a workplace
culture where employees are recognized, rewarded,
valued, and supported. They are provided with the tools
to be successful in their roles not just now but into the
future, with our hope being that they continue to grow
as the organization does. Recent employee surveys
indicate that Centurion’s organizational culture
continues to improve (even during the pandemic),
increasing from 4.2/5.0 in August of 2020 to 4.4/5.0 in
June of 2022,”฀says Laura.
Employer of Choice
As the competition for top talent hiring has grown
fiercer due to remote work possibilities, Centurion
races ahead with its commitment to being the Employer
of Choice. To that end, they focus on fostering a positive
workplace culture. They were named as one of the best
workplaces in Canada by the Great Place to Work
Institute for the second year in a row.
Laura describes how they ensured employees’
retention and happiness during the
pandemic,฀“Throughout the pandemic, we learned
from our weekly engagement surveys that employees
were looking for a greater challenge as well as an
opportunity to expand their existing skillsets and
knowledge base.฀
To ensure that we could retain our top talent during the
Great Resignation, we launched the Centurion Learning
Academy.”฀฀
The online learning and development platform gave
employees access to over 400 digital training modules,
regardless of their physical location. They offered short,
concise training modules that were easy to digest and
applicable in real-time. This benefited both the
employee and the organization as, over the course of
twelve months, Centurion promoted more than 70
employees.฀
Future Plans & A Bit of Advice
Even as Centurion expands, Laura thinks maintaining
strong corporate values would be important. She is
planning to identify new ways to promote inclusion and
cross-collaboration across the organization, especially
since now they have very diverse teams in terms of
both geography and experience.฀
Laura’s experience says that surrounding yourself with
the right people is important, as a great leader takes the
time first to establish a strong corporate culture.
Therefore, her advice is first to identify individuals who
will help you get there. She says,฀“Employees today are
looking for more than just monetary compensation.
This is especially true in an entrepreneurial
environment, where they seek to contribute in a
meaningful way, as well as to learn and grow with the
organization. Given this, it’s important to ensure that
you are hiring the people who are going to be the right
fit for the company you are looking to build not just
today but into the future!”
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