August 2026 Most Influential CEO 2026: Travel Assistance Leadership – Latin America & Leading Travel Assistance & Emergency Support Provider 2026 – Latin America Grupo CORIS Latam is a pioneering travel assistance company with an unwavering presence in more than six countries in its region. Pilar Lozano has stood at the helm of the business since 2012, working tirelessly as CEO and President to guide the organisation to even higher levels of success. We learn more from Pilar as she is bestowed with these monumental accolades in our Most Influential CEO Awards 2026.
Welcome to the August 2026 issue of CEO Monthly. We are pleased to bring a selection of news, features, and success stories to our readers around the world. Introducing our cover feature, Pilar Lozano of Grupo CORIS Latam who we awarded the title of Most Influential CEO 2026: Travel Assistance Leadership – Latin America, with a second esteemed accolade of Leading Travel Assistance & Emergency Support Provider 2026 - Latin America, in this year’s Most Influential CEO Awards. Pilar is a shining example of a woman who empowers other women, while elevating everything she comes into contact with along the way. From uplifting her fellow women in business to enriching absolutely every individual’s experience of the corporate landscape, Pilar continues to earn recognition for her dedication to excellence. We are also proud to cover success stories on other outstanding CEOs across luxury jewellery design to market-leading marketing, music rights investment to motorhome excellence. We can’t wait for you to read this month’s issue and we look forward to welcoming you back again in September. Sofi Parry, Senior Editor Website: www.ceo-review.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility.
4. News - FMG Suite Strengthens Leadership Team as AI and Enterprise Demand Reshape Advisor Growth - Sun Life Appoints Katherine Lee to Board of Directors 6. Why Senior Teams Set the Conditions for Leadership to Succeed 8. Grupo CORIS Latam: Most Influential CEO 2026: Travel Assistance Leadership – Latin America & Leading Travel Assistance & Emergency Support Provider 2026 – Latin America 12. Ricardo Garcia: Building the Future of Switzerland’s Finest Social Insurance Provider 14. The Power of Community, Commitment, and Continuous Evolution 16. Randazzo Srl: Most Influential CEO 2026: Luxury Jewellery Design Leadership – Italy 17. Star Music Fund: Most Influential CEO 2026: Music Rights Investment Leadership – UK & Leading Music Catalogue Investment Platform 2026 – Europe 18. Anthony Higman: Building Stronger Businesses Through Market-Leading Marketing Contents
NEWS FMG Suite Strengthens Leadership Team as AI and Enterprise Demand Reshape Advisor Growth
Sun Life Financial Inc is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Lee to the Sun Life Board of Directors, effective July 31, 2026. Ms. Lee is a seasoned executive and board director with deep experience in financial services, investments and real estate. Her various senior management roles combined with her over 20 years of public and private board service have contributed to her talent for navigating organizational and regulatory complexity, particularly during periods of transformation. She will bring valuable perspective to Sun Life’s Board as the company continues to advance its strategic priorities and deliver long-term value for Clients and shareholders. Ms. Lee spent 20 years at GE Capital in progressively senior leadership roles and working across teams in Canada, the U.S., and Asia. From 2010 to 2015, she served as President and CEO of GE Capital Canada, during which time she led the diversified financial services organization through a period of significant transformation, helping establish strategic partnerships and capital relationships that supported long-term value creation. From 2002 to 2010, Ms. Lee served as CEO of GE Capital Real Estate Canada, and previously held a number of positions including Director, Mergers & Acquisitions, for GE Capital’s Pension Fund Advisory Services based in San Francisco and Managing Director of GE Capital Real Estate Korea based in Seoul and Tokyo, driving investment, asset management, and regional expansion. She began her career at Ernst & Young in Audit and then advanced to the firm’s Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring Group. Ms. Lee also brings more than two decades of board experience, including at BCE Inc., Colliers International Group Inc., the Public Sector Pension Investment Board, and Chorus Aviation Inc. These roles have provided Ms. Lee with valuable insights into governance, risk management, and strategic oversight across regulated industries and global financial services. Ms. Lee holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. She lives in Toronto where she continues to volunteer, and mentor and coach young professionals. Ms. Lee received the Horatio Alger Award in 2025, which honours role models dedicated to the principles of integrity, perseverance and compassion for others, and whose experiences exemplify personal and professional success. Sun Life Appoints Katherine Lee to Board of Directors New hires from EY-Parthenon, Bain, Goldman Sachs, Salesforce, IBM and ISS strengthen leadership as firm scales its compliant growth platform across enterprise wealth management, broker-dealers, insurance and asset management FMG Suite (FMG), the leading marketing and growth platform for financial advisors, insurance professionals and enterprises, has announced four senior leadership appointments: Christian Short as Senior Vice President of AI Strategy & Operations, Nathan Worthington as Senior Vice President of Customer Success, and Kevin Jurick and Jeremy Kowalski as Strategic Enterprise Account Executives. The appointments follow FMG’s recent board expansion and support the company’s next phase of growth. As broker-dealers, RIAs, wirehouses, insurance organisations and asset managers continue adopting FMG at scale, the company is strengthening leadership in AI, customer success and enterprise sales. Together, the new hires will help institutions drive compliant growth, improve advisor engagement and expand adoption of the FMG platform. “FMG is entering a new phase. We are evolving from a marketing platform into the compliant growth platform for the financial services industry,” said Dave Christensen, CEO of FMG Suite. “Christian’s hire will help define our AI strategy, while Kevin and Jeremy strengthen our enterprise reach, and Nathan ensures we continue delivering an outstanding customer experience.” New Team Members Christian Short joins as Senior Vice President of AI Strategy & Operations, reporting to Christensen. He joins from EYParthenon, where he co-architected an AI transformation product for financial services clients and helped commercialise AI growth platforms. Previously, he spent more than seven years at Bain & Company, founded a venture-backed telehealth company, served as interim CEO of a consumer health brand, and worked alongside FMG Executive Chairman Mark Casady at Vestigo Ventures. Nathan Worthington joins as Senior Vice President of Customer Success, leading FMG’s customer success organisation across SMB and enterprise segments. Formerly a Managing Director at Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS STOXX), he spent more than 16 years building global client success teams, strengthening customer relationships and driving industry-leading renewal rates. Kevin Jurick joins as a Strategic Enterprise Account Executive, bringing more than 20 years of institutional financial services experience. Most recently, he led Strategic Accounts (US) at ISS STOXX, overseeing relationships with asset managers, insurers, pension funds and wealth platforms. He previously managed the firm’s North American asset management sales team and spent a decade at Goldman Sachs. Jeremy Kowalski joins alongside Jurick after nearly six years at Salesforce, where he managed strategic partnerships with State Street and Fannie Mae. Earlier in his career, he held AI-focused enterprise sales roles at IBM and spent eight years at UBS in fixed-income sales and operations. “Enterprise growth is not just about winning deals, but earning trust and delivering long-term results,” said Matt Newman, Chief Revenue Officer at FMG Suite. “Together, this team gives us greater scale across the full enterprise lifecycle.”
Feature This article was contributed by Leadership Trust, a UK leadership development organisation with 50 years’ experience. A CEO can approve a leadership programme in ten minutes and undermine it in the next meeting. The contradiction is easy to miss. An organisation invests in executive coaching or leadership development because it wants stronger judgement, clearer accountability or more open communication. Participants return ready to work differently, then encounter the same pressures, incentives and senior behaviour that encouraged the old habits. Leadership decisions are made within conditions set at the top. The way a CEO, chairperson and wider C-suite respond to pressure, challenge and poor results tells leaders which behaviours are genuinely safe to use. Senior behaviour carries more weight than stated values Employees notice what happens when results fall short, a difficult issue reaches the boardroom or someone challenges an established view. A CEO may encourage openness, then react defensively when uncomfortable information appears. A chairperson may call for accountability while allowing senior colleagues to distance themselves from mistakes. The management team may ask leaders to delegate, yet intervene whenever a decision involves genuine risk. Leaders become cautious about raising concerns. Decisions move upwards. Managers wait for approval rather than exercise judgement. The organisation may still describe itself as open and accountable, but its daily behaviour says otherwise. Pressure exposes the organisation people actually work in Senior teams are easier to assess during a difficult quarter, organisational change or rapid growth. Under pressure, consultation may narrow and decisions become more centralised. Executives who normally welcome debate may become impatient with challenge. Leaders elsewhere in the business often copy what they see above them. That does not necessarily indicate weak leadership skills. They are reading the situation and adjusting to what appears safest. When the C-suite responds through control, silence or blame, those habits travel through the business. Managers become less willing to acknowledge uncertainty. Teams keep concerns to themselves. Decisions deteriorate because useful disagreement has disappeared. Why Senior Teams Set the Conditions for Leadership to Succeed A senior team that remains open when the stakes rise creates a stronger coaching culture. Executives who admit mistakes make accountability less threatening. A CEO who listens before defending a position shows that challenge has a legitimate place in decision-making and supports psychological safety. Sponsorship requires more than approving the budget Senior sponsorship is often reduced to a launch meeting and a report at the end of the programme. That level of involvement is unlikely to support lasting behavioural change. The sponsor needs to understand the organisational goals behind the intervention. Which behaviour is affecting performance? What within the organisation may be reinforcing it? Senior leaders also need to consider whether their own expectations form part of the difficulty.
An organisation may want managers to take greater ownership while the executive team continues to overturn decisions without explanation. Leaders may be asked to communicate openly, despite seeing uncomfortable information dismissed at senior level. Collaboration may be encouraged while executive incentives reward individual results. These are not problems participants can solve through greater effort or another development programme. The senior team has to remove the contradiction. Executive coaching cannot compensate for poor conditions The problem is especially clear when an organisation invests in executive leadership coaching. An executive coach gives a C-suite leader confidential space to examine judgement, strategic relationships and behaviour under pressure. Good executive coaching can expose assumptions that have gone unchallenged and help a leader understand how colleagues experience their decisions. The work becomes harder to sustain when the wider organisation rewards the behaviour being addressed. A leader may develop a more collaborative approach, then return to a team where senior colleagues still treat consultation as delay. An executive may become more willing to acknowledge personal vulnerabilities, only to find that the board expects certainty at all times. Effective coaching needs a clear connection to the organisation’s priorities. The leader, executive coach and sponsor should understand why the coaching activity is taking place and what change the organisation hopes to see. Private coaching conversations remain confidential, but the purpose of the work cannot be vague. A systemic approach looks beyond the individual Executive coaches work with individuals, but the behaviour under discussion belongs to a wider system. A controlling response may reflect low confidence, blurred authority or a senior team that punishes mistakes. Avoidance may stem from a difficult strategic relationship rather than a lack of emotional intelligence. A leadership assessment or 360-degree feedback exercise may identify the pattern, but it cannot explain the cause without context. A systemic approach connects individual reflection with organisational development. It asks what the leader needs to change, what the senior team must stop reinforcing and whether team coaching or wider organisational change is also required. Executive coaching services add greater value when the work remains connected to the business problem. The leader has room to test different responses while the organisation examines the conditions surrounding them. What CEOs should examine before asking others to change Before approving a leadership intervention, the CEO and senior team should examine their own operating habits: how mistakes are discussed, whether challenge between C-suite colleagues carries a personal cost, and whether leaders genuinely hold the authority for decisions they are expected to own. They should also consider what happens when unwelcome information reaches the top. What that examination reveals often explains why a previous leadership programme produced limited change. It may also show that executive coaching is only one part of the response. Decision rights may need clarification. Performance measures may reward the wrong behaviour. The executivee team may need group coaching or focused work on the relationships within the team. Leadership development gains credibility when senior leaders are prepared to examine themselves with the same seriousness they expect from everyone else. If senior teams want different behaviour across the organisation, they have to stop making the old behaviour the safest option.
Most Influential CEO 2026: Travel Assistance Leadership – Latin America & Leading Travel Assistance & Emergency Support Provider 2026 – Latin America
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 9 AIM-May26322 peaking of her success as CEO and President, Pilar told us: “I continue to inject Grupo CORIS Latam with projects, possibilities, and opportunities through a career that, although full of great challenges and efforts, has also had great achievements.” However, Pilar’s career is rich in experience, change, and opportunity. She added: “My business, corporate, and personal experience began from a very young age.” As an entrepreneur from the age of 13, Pilar is no stranger to working hard or starting new endeavours. Over the years, she experienced various sales and improvised businesses, some of which were successful and others somewhat unsuccessful, that eventually led her to solidifying her working life at 16 years old. She took this initial leap into full-time employment at her mother’s insurance brokerage office, just a day after finishing school, where she remained for a few months. Once Pilar had turned 17 years old, her mother secured a role for her as a receptionist which officially marked the beginning of Pilar’s corporate life within insurance companies. Over time, she worked her way through different multinational insurance companies, such as ACE Insurance where she transitioned into commercial activity as an insurance sales representative, dedicating herself to consistent professional and personal development each day. From there, Pilar was assigned a commercial management role at ACE Insurance before taking on a commercial area manager role at one of the largest insurance companies in the world, American International Group (AIG). Following these stepping stones, in 2001 and at the age of 23, Pilar became National Director of Personal Insurance. She ended up holding this position for four years before she “felt a call to rest and went on a sabbatical year to open a beach bar in Mexico.” Although this was something Pilar thoroughly enjoyed exploring at the time, she began feeling her professional career in the corporate landscape wasn’t complete. “It wasn’t long until I realised that I still had a few decades before living that lifestyle, so I returned to corporate life the following year,” said Pilar. This break came to an end when she was rehired by AIG, and 2006 saw her expatriated to Argentina, where she held highly respected executive positions. Pilar added: “I became the first woman in 60 years to be part of the executive committee, going through many adversities in a world traditionally led by men.” Although the Grupo CORIS Latam is a pioneering travel assistance company with an unwavering presence in more than six countries in its region. Pilar Lozano has stood at the helm of the business since 2012, working tirelessly as CEO and President to guide the organisation to even higher levels of success. We learn more from Pilar as she is bestowed with these monumental accolades in our Most Influential CEO Awards 2026. S insurance and tourism sector has historically been male dominated, over the years this landscape has been shifting, and Pilar’s catalytic contributions those years ago continue to have an impact on the sphere. This doesn’t just mean progression for Pilar herself, but it has also made it easier for other women to carve out a path for themselves in what was once seen as a male-led sector. Speaking of her work over these critical moments in her career, Pilar enthused: “In these companies I had the opportunity to receive many and diverse highperformance trainings directly at their headquarters in New York and in different parts of the world, which provided me with the strategic and business vision I have today. There I had matrix reporting lines to regional and global structures.” Atop Pilar’s experience within the world of work, she has also completed different postgraduate degrees, master’s degrees, and courses at various universities, feeding herself with all the technical knowledge necessary for a highly successful corporate life in strategy and business. She has a professional degree in Marketing with a Concentration in Financial Project Evaluation; Postgraduate Degree in Senior Management with a Concentration in Financial Project Evaluation; and a Postgraduate Degree in PyMEs Senior Management, finance, digital technologies and databases, AI and Quantum Management. Moreover, equipped with experience from a humanistic perspective, Pilar has undergone courses in Business Anthropology, holds a Master’s Degree in Intelligence for Happiness, she is a certified coach and with a Holistic Master’s Degree which also allows her to deliver Family Constellations services. Throughout her years of dedication to personal and professional development, Pilar has also participated in ½ Ironman and 100K cycling competitions as a passionate advocate of high performance, but also continues to reach higher year upon year. She added: “Recently I have written my first book, which is currently in the process of publication, ‘The Journey of Being: Tools to Design and Enjoy the Present You Have, Manifest the Future You Desire, Healing the Past, and Elevating Your Level of Consciousness,’ which provides different tools for human evolution, from healing one’s personal and family history, to finding and defining a life purpose, being able to manifest it, and finding tools for a good life with oneself and with those around them, contributing empathy for others to the world.” Linking Pilar’s own personal and professional growth to this award-winning business, Grupo CORIS Latam, we are delighted to explore exactly what is on offer from this leading Latin American company. Pilar commented: “our mission is to provide peace of mind, protection, and confidence to travelers throughout the region by maintaining the highest Service Level Agreement (SLA) standards for passengers, with worldwide medical coverage and 24/7 personalized assistance, fulfilling the promise of loyalty and a permanent value proposition to the B2B distribution channel and travel agencies. “Our mantra is to maintain a strong, proprietary, and personalized service offering, generating well-being within the channel and serving as a benchmark for tourism with ongoing support to the industry, with resources inspired to achieve personal and professional growth.” “We simultaneously and actively contribute to the strengthening and technological transformation of the entire tourism industry value chain in every country where we operate, understanding what the sector represents in terms of
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 11 employment, GDP, and the economic development of each country.” “I am here today thanks to the fact that, in my career as a corporate leader, serial entrepreneur, insurance executive, and businesswoman, I have integrated my technical knowledge and my knowledge of the self, pursuing a purpose which, with loyalty, has generated retention among distribution channels, travelers, suppliers, and the employees of Grupo CORIS Latam.” Central to Grupo CORIS Latam’s operations are the core values of integrity, transparency, innovation, service excellence, and, above all, respect for every individual involved in our service process. From passengers to employees, travel agency partners, and suppliers, the agency is committed to building long-term relationships with all stakeholders within a true win-win framework. Pilar said: “For more than two decades, we have continuously developed value-driven initiatives that generate sustainable benefits for every participant in the travel industry. We have consistently expanded the tools, advantages, benefits and virtues of our products and services.” For over 14 years, Pilar has stood at the helm of Grupo CORIS Latam’s work as CEO and President. Her primary responsibility has been to proactively define and continuously redefine strategic action plans that ensure the company’s sustainable growth and evolution. She has become recognised as a truly inspiring and leading woman, with an entirely active participation in all global, national and regional events related to tourism, generating in each meeting a hands-on learning experience for the sector, as well as through active participation and as a referent in seminars, chambers, and industry associations. She is now known as an innovative contributor who generates both challenges and opportunities, and Pilar does this through visionary leadership focused on well-being, balance, and the enjoyment of achieved accomplishments. Her commitment to creating spaces that promote female leadership in the tourism industry is pushing these sectors to the next level. This is especially true as she unites leaders from the public and private sectors across Latin America to discuss trends, innovation, sustainability, and tourism development. She told us: “Here I am especially active, having participated as a speaker alongside other leading figures from the regional tourism sector. “In addition, I have achieved brand retention and loyalty within the B2B travel agency segment at a regional level. I have become a leader in this segment across the region and positioning Grupo CORIS Latam as the company with the highest reliability, track record, and benefits, always focused on the channel, consistently innovating and providing real incentives that foster the integrity of the channel at all hierarchical level.” By focusing heavily on creating better spaces for women in business, Pilar makes it her personal responsibility to lead by example, discover gaps to be filled, and strengthen skillsets to generate value for both employee and employer. She enthused: “Our purpose is to identify strengths, enhance talent, and manage the necessary tools so that each employee reaches their maximum potential. In this context, we have formed innovation and development committees supported by artificial intelligence with cross-functional reach, made up of employees from different hierarchical levels and business areas. Participation is open to those who demonstrate curiosity, willingness to learn, and a vocation to contribute to organizational transformation.” When it comes to advice for budding CEOs, Pilar commented: “Follow Intuition transformed into Purpose, with Clear Objectives, Manifested through business plans that can be projected and evaluated using financial project evaluation tools. Build teams by legitimizing and enhancing individual capabilities, which when combined, lead the company to a higher level of superior results. “Likewise, it is essential to promote a culture based on emotional intelligence, keeping the ego aside, and ensuring that the mantra is always to be excellent in the product and/or services, based on permanent innovation and creativity. The spirit of service must be reflected in the positive impact on clients, employees, suppliers, and communities, acting with social responsibility.” As a firm believer that CEOs should focus on executive leadership while striving for more in everything they do, Pilar demonstrates that sustainable results are not only the consequence of engaged teams looking up to a leader but also the consequence of tireless dedication to progression for all. Generating impact every step of the way, from developing leaders to driving innovation, sharing knowledge to promoting a positive vision, and so much more, Pilar has been a guiding force for leaders everywhere. She has been recognised for her work via prestigious accolades and opportunities as a speaker at major tourism events, pushing her further into the public domain. For the years to come, Pilar shared: “The launch of my book ‘The Journey of Being’ represents the integration of my professional and human journey. I believe the future belongs to those who are able to combine technology with empathy, economic growth with well-being, and professional success with purpose.” Aware that the travel assistance industry is constantly evolving, Pilar extends her expertise to professionals across the sphere to support integral developments. She concluded: “Let us work together so that the evolution of the channel becomes the best combination of the valuable experience gained throughout a lived history, and that technology becomes that center of transformation.” Awarding Pilar, as a true team player in addition to an outstanding leader, is an honour. We are delighted to bestow Pilar with the accolades of Most Influential CEO 2026: Travel Assistance Leadership – Latin America and Leading Travel Assistance & Emergency Support Provider 2026 – Latin America, long may her success continue. Contact: Pilar Lozano Company: Grupo CORIS Latam Website: www.coris.com.ar LinkedIn: pilar-lozano
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 12 Ricardo Garcia: Building the Future of Switzerland’s Finest Social Insurance Provider ROMEA Social Insurance has been serving individual and corporate clients across Switzerland for decades, offering services such as pension fund management and other age security measures, as well as programmes relating to social insurance, such retirement, death and disability insurance and parental/caregiver allowance. Its reputation as the authoritative force for social security issues in Switzerland means Ricardo had a lot to live up to when he joined the company four years ago, on the back of a 20-year career predominantly in the banking sector. Graduating from the University of Zurich with a master’s in finance, Ricardo’s roles before ascending to the top of the ladder at PROMEA spanned asset management, wealth management, and investment banking, as well as numerous managerial positions. What is most impressive about all of these roles is that they were for some of the biggest banks and financial institutions in Switzerland, such as Swiss Re, UBS, and Credit Suisse. Bringing this financial acumen and management expertise with him to PROMEA, Ricardo’s role as the company’s CEO is to oversee all of its institutions, including the compensation fund, family allowance fund, and pension fund. These duties see Ricardo sit between PROMEA’s boards and its operations, ensuring that the vision and goals of the board are implemented by the people carrying out the company’s dayto-day operations. AIS-Apr26294 One of Switzerland’s foremost minds in the areas of investing, retirement, and the economy, Ricardo Garcia has been the CEO of PROMEA Social Insurance, the premier Swiss provider of social insurance services, since 2022. With Ricardo being named the Most Influential CEO 2026: Pension & Social Insurance Leadership – Switzerland as part of our Most Influential CEO Awards, we sat down with him for more on his career and the impact he has had across PROMEA. P To this end, Ricardo actively makes sure PROMEA operates an employee-friendly environment where talent is attracted, retained, and motivated to go the extra mile, something we will explore in more depth below. Besides this, of course, is an emphasis on performance and results, but every ounce of energy the company puts into forging its own success is complemented by something much bigger: a focus on sustainability and ESG principles, especially those concerning the climate and future of our planet. In fact, PROMEA is so dedicated to sustainability that it even included it as one of three key focus areas upon defining its purpose last year, alongside people and security. Exploring these areas in more detail, Ricardo told us that the purpose here was to emphasise three points crucial to the company. The first is that it puts people at the centre of its work (which is particularly important in a world of AI), the second is that it holds the strength of its balance sheet dear, and the third is that it assumes its broader responsibility with pride. The latter is seen through the responsible initiatives introduced over the last few years, including offsetting carbon emissions at its headquarters (with help from a partnership with the KMU Clima Foundation), investing in digital customer journeys to save on resources, using 100% green electricity, and supporting employees who use public transportation on the way to the office using Reka checks, which are vouchers that can be redeemed across thousands of holidays and experiences across the country. In doubling down on this sustainable focus, which has already seen PROMEA become one of the three most sustainable social security funds in Switzerland, the company is continuing to set itself apart from its contemporaries, not only those in the world of social insurance, but also the other companies in the wider Swiss business ecosystem. This distinction is reflected in some of the impressive figures the company has to its name, including a net promoter score of +58 (much higher than the industry average of +24) and an employee satisfaction score of 90% (well above the Swiss average of 67%), as of the completion of the most recent edition of the bi-annual Great Place to Work survey last year. Ricardo has definitely played a major part in securing these numbers, and he shared with us some of the changes he has made over the last few years to keep PROMEA operating at the highest level. The first of these involves intensifying client contracts at management level, further increasing the high-quality service clients receive. “Given the seniority and importance of these discussions, I am directly involved”, Ricardo said. This award-winning CEO also recognised that, despite its impressive quality, there was huge potential within PROMEA to optimise its internal processes, as well as its approach to areas like recruitment, governance, and technology. Implementing these changes required intensive change management, something Ricardo knows is rarely right for everyone. Yet, by getting key stakeholders involved quickly, hearing their input, and taking their feedback seriously, Ricardo was able to finetune decisions and take things in a direction that worked. Touching on some of the shifts that followed, Ricardo explained: “We moved to a more goalbased system and decided to overhaul the whole goalsetting process, employee performance evaluation system, and remuneration approach. These processes have become much more rules-based and systematic now, increasing employee acceptance and motivation.” This also acts a great example of Ricardo’s ethos of hearing everyone out, especially when
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 13 they have ideas of new ways to do things. “It pays to listen to people”, he commented. “That doesn’t mean we run a holacracy, but the more people can have an influence, the more they buy into decisions and change. It is an illusion believing that you can do whatever you want as a CEO – you have to earn it all the time. You are just as good as your people.” Thus, with PROMEA having 55 of the best employees in the whole of Switzerland, as well as the kind of culture where everyone knows everyone, Ricardo is clearly very good as the company’s CEO. He is passionate about rewarding these employees with the kind of environment where they can thrive, and this is why PROMEA offers generous homeworking rules (up to three days per week) with one weekly team day where everyone must come into the office. This keeps culture alive in a world where flexibility is a must. However, this is just the beginning. As Ricardo added: “We also introduced so-called ‘PROMEA days’, where the whole firm gathers once a month in the office for employee events such as our Christmas party, an offsite, a summer barbecue, and so on. The strategy here is to offer more quality time together, rather than just maximising quantity and having people in the office for the sake of it.” Given the challenges the team are facing in this space at present, including increasing regulatory demands and the high valuation of stocks, the sense of camaraderie the culture at PROMEA offers sees them aligned and keen to work together to solve these issues. For instance, in the wake of these shifts, the team have started to limit the amount of projects they take on and define new sources of returns (such as currency overlay, regular rebalancing, and new asset classes like private debt, catastrophe bonds, and direct mortgages). PROMEA is not stopping there, and with plans in place to reshuffle its investment portfolios over the next 12 months, taking its returns to the next level in the process, the company has started institutionalising its asset management and created new positions. The intention, Ricardo explained, is for the company to run its investment portfolios like much bigger funds, introducing a more diverse portfolio with specialist advisors for each asset class. Finally, as for his own next steps, Ricardo Garcia strives to continue with the same ambition he has had since his first day at PROMEA Social Insurance, keeping one step ahead of the opportunities that await and continuing to improve things across the company. We wish Ricardo, who has again been recognised as the Most Influential CEO 2026: Pension & Social Insurance Leadership – Switzerland, all the best as he continues to write the bright future of PROMEA, in the face of a changing social security sector, nonetheless. More on PROMEA Social Insurance can by visiting the website below. Contact: Ricardo Garcia Company: PROMEA Social Insurance Web Address: www.promea.ch/de/home
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 14 ounded in 1907 as the Caravan Club, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is the UK’s largest touring community. Its roots trace as far back as 1885, with the invention of The Wanderer, the first purposebuilt touring caravan and an inspiration behind the Club’s founding. For over a century, the community has enjoyed the great outdoors, whilst playing an essential role in helping caravanners, motorhomes, and campers access more than 3,000 stunning locations across the UK and Europe. Today, the Caravan and Motorhome Club offers vital advice and inspiration that enable travellers to book their perfect touring holiday. The organisation enjoys an expansive network of locations to choose from, encompassing 145 UK Club campsites, more than 2,000 private sites exclusive for Club members, and an array of privatelyowned affiliated sites. These locations are spread across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Beyond location and inspiration, the Caravan and Motorhome Club also provides a series of quality, value for money products and services that enable holidaymakers to make the most out of their time away. It has developed the Club Shop in collaboration with Prima Leisure, offering clients a selection of clothing, awnings, folding chairs, puncture repair kits, solar panels, and caravan The Power of Community, Commitment, and Continuous Evolution From the rugged mountains of Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands to the coastal views of Cornwall and Devon, the UK is the proud home to an array of gorgeous touring environments. Whether you are an experienced camper or trying out glamping for the first time, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is on hand to help you book the perfect touring holiday. The Club is steered by CEO Harvey Alexander, a visionary leader and deserving recipient in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2026. We heard more from Harvey below, following his recent success. F cleaning products, among other technologies, accessories, and camping essentials. At its core, the Caravan and Motorhome Club is driven by an unwavering commitment to its community; its team puts its membership base – over one million members strong – at the heart of every decision it makes. This is supported by the values of environmental stewardship and sustainable innovation, which protect the landscape its members love to visit both today and for many generations to come. With these values, the Caravan and Motorhome Club has positioned itself as the trusted, definitive voice of independent touring travel. At the helm of this industry leader is CEO Harvey Alexander, a dynamic and accomplished executive leader specialising in driving business growth and market share. Responsible for providing the Club’s strategic vision, Harvey is directly involved in driving cross-functional collaboration across the Club’s internal teams and building longterm, high-value partnerships with industry manufacturers and stakeholders to keep the Caravan and Motorhome Club positioned at the forefront of independent travel. Harvey’s journey to leading the Caravan and Motorhome Club has been one rooted in strategy, digital innovation, brand transformation, and a personal passion for the great outdoors. He cut his teeth early on in a digital marketing agency writing strategic marketing plans for a variety of different sized clients, each with varying needs and ambitions. This role provided Harvey with an excellent opportunity to lift the bonnet on a variety of clients’ businesses, allowing him to appreciate the role he could play in delivering their vision and ambitions through a comprehensive strategic marketing plan. “I was fortunate enough to have some great clients who shared their challenges, opportunities, and the way they managed their businesses,” he reflected. “If you are willing to listen and pay attention, you can learn a lot from people. I was also fortunate enough to have the support of the owner of the agency to launch and build a digital business within the traditional framework of the organisation. This taught me a great deal about running a business, understanding and controlling costs, investing in people and resources, and, importantly, how to drive cash flows.” Following his agency experience, Harvey spent the next five years working in FMCG. He learned from a recruiter that his C.V. needed a big brand experience whilst at a networking event and, within a week, set up an interview with Eurotunnel – Le Shuttle. Harvey spent seven years at Eurotunnel, delivering awardwinning digital marketing and commercial performance, which deepened his expertise in navigating complex consumer service operations and driving commercial growth. During his time at Eurotunnel, Harvey benefitted greatly from the aid of a business mentor; the CEO of GB Railfreight often gave him unedited – and at times brutal – insights into how he managed his business unit, inspired a team, and navigated the strict regulations impacting the railway and distribution network in the UK and Europe. Harvey was intrigued by his mentor, fascinated by his ability to stay focused on his longterm vision whilst delivering the commercial business targets. After Eurotunnel, Harvey joined the Caravan and Motorhome Club in 2015 as Director of Marketing and Membership Serviced, before later stepping into the role of CEO. Upon joining, Harvey championed a comprehensive rebrand of the organisation to ensure it was positioned as an inspirational and inclusive Club that welcomes all next-generation outdoor enthusiasts. Looking back on his professional pathway, the CEO shared, “I truly owe where I am today to all of those managers who believed in me, listened to my ideas, and gave me enough autonomy to execute my plans.” Now, Harvey leads his team with a collaborative, peoplefirst mindset, driven by a firm belief that his primary role is to create an environment where everyone can grow, learn, adapt, and thrive. He
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 15 upholds that leadership is fundamentally about encouraging over criticising, instead recognising that a leader can get the very best out of their team when three elements align: they know exactly what is expected of them, they feel safe sharing ideas without fear of recrimination; and they are actively supported in developing both themselves and their part of the organisation. To other budding CEOs, Harvey recommends a mindset of continuous evolution. “Never stop listening, learning, and adapting,” he stated. “True leadership is not about having all the answers from day one; it is about having the humility to listen to your teams, customers, and industry peers. The corporate landscape changes rapidly, and the moment you stop learning is the moment you stop being relevant. Staying curious and remaining open to fresh perspectives allows you to pivot when necessary and guides your business through complex challenges with confidence.” Harvey has successfully led his team through a period of profound cultural and technological shift, wherein the public appreciation for the great outdoors, nature, and domestic tourism has grown exponentially. Capitalising on this momentum has allowed the Caravan and Motorhome Club to accelerate its digital transformation and introduce new innovative accommodation options, such as glamping and welcoming a new wave of holidaymakers who prefer to holiday in roof tents, tailgate tents, and campervans. In turn, these opportunities have significantly broadened Harvey’s outlook as a leader, shifting the CEO’s focus from traditional service management to dynamic brand modernisation. “It has shown me that even a well-established organisation with over a century of heritage needs to be agile and forward-thinking,” he told us. “Embracing these changes has reinforced my belief that the best way to futureproof a business is to actively seek out new trends, listen to next-generation consumers, and view every market shift as a chance to innovate and improve relevance.” Over the next 12 months and beyond, the Caravan and Motorhome Club’s focus is firmly on welcoming its future members by embracing the diverse new ways in which people wish to holiday, including trends like touring in a converted campervan, a roof-tent, or tailgate camping. Its team is actively developing the Club’s campsite network to ensure that its sites are ready for these evolving outdoor habits, ensuring that its facilities remain modern, accessible, and inclusive for all. Over the last decade, Harvey has made significant waves across the Caravan and Motorhome Club. The CEO has reacted to emerging market trends without pursuing advancement for its own sake, ensuring that his team remain well-positioned to respond to the changing needs of its community whilst providing the five-star service for which the Caravan and Motorhome Club has become renowned. For his exceptional work, we at CEO Monthly are delighted to recognise Harvey Alexander as the UK’s Most Influential CEO 2026 in Transformational Travel and Membership Leadership. Reflecting on his achievement, Harvey shared, “Success is an interesting word, as I don’t necessarily feel ‘successful’ – equally, I don’t feel unsuccessful. I feel privileged to be surrounded by such gifted people that I can collaborate with. My focus is entirely on the future, expanding my skills, knowledge, and understanding to help grow the Club and serve its members better. “Building on current success means never standing still, staying curious, and constantly pushing the boundaries of what an ambitious forwardthinking membership organisation can achieve.” Contact: Harvey Alexander Company: Caravan and Motorhome Club Web Address: camc.com
CEO MONTHLY / AUGUST 2026 16 orn in Arezzo, Francesca Randazzo’s jewellery career began in 1989. Before long, she was in charge of sales and merchandising for the likes of international department stores and commercial TV channels. Then, in the early 2000s, she created her first Murano jewellery collection and launched il Murano di Francesca, which became a huge success. It was in 2009 that she founded Randazzo, a place where her expertise and unique design language could come together and shine. Over the last 17 years, Francesca has built a varied portfolio of successful jewellery collections through the company, with her brand today offering Murano glass jewellery of the highest quality to retailers worldwide. This includes the National Portrait Gallery in London, which has worked with Francesca on several collections since 2013. Every piece of jewellery across her collections reflects Francesca’s love of travel, art, and culture, which is what made her passionate about craftsmanship and luxury design in the first place. Through her work, Francesca aims to take people on a journey of discovery through Italian heritage and culture, and this is why her designs take the timeless and add an innovative twist, ensuring she honours traditions while also standing out. A fundamental aspect of the brand is its commitment to fostering close personal relationships with the talented artisans who produce this glass. These relationships pave the way for exceptional, tailored designs created for every retailer, all at a competitive price. This makes Randazzo one of the leading suppliers of Murano jewellery in Italy and beyond, with Francesca’s collections also popular in the UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the United States, highlighting the widespread appeal of her creations. One of the primary reasons for the popularity of Francesca’s jewellery is the fact that she combines sterling silver, crafted by skilled hands in Arezzo, with Murano glass made right at the source on the Venetian island of Murano. The skill of the artisan glassmakers on the island is immediately apparent from one Most Influential CEO 2026: Luxury Jewellery Design Leadership – Italy For centuries, Murano glass jewellery has been popular across Italy and all over the world, renowned for being painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans using traditional techniques that have been passed down through the generations. Based in Tuscany, Randazzo Srl celebrates the beauty and craftsmanship of Murano glass through elegant jewellery pieces that serve as timeless works of art. look at Randazzo’s designs, which incorporate artistic elements such as 24K gold foil, murrine, precious gemstones, and cultured pearl accents, making them perfect for fashionconscious women. “Personally curated by me from small, family-owned workshops – each with their own special expertise – Murano glass represents a timeless cultural heritage.” Whilst Francesca is best known for finding inspiration in the beauty of the world around her and drawing on her love of life to translate poetry into wearable art, she is also responsible for the corporate side of her company. As CEO, she leverages her creativity to be an empathic and strategic leader, guiding Randazzo through a blend of transparency, active listening, and a focus on the clear vision she has set for her namesake brand. Since her company is small, everyone plays a vital role in its success, and this is why Francesca also motivates her team through genuine appreciation for their work. “It’s important to have the staff work in harmony and not compete with each other,” Francesca added. “This is why I try to establish precise roles, responsibilities, and final decision-making authorities early on, as well as remaining accessible and showing a high degree of humanity.” Despite the market continuing to evolve around her, Francesca’s combination of creative energy and leadership prowess continues to position Randazzo as the go-to business for global retailers in search of the finest Murano glass jewellery the world has to offer. She plans to continue achieving the brilliant results she has delivered over the years, guided at every turn by her core values: self-motivation, passion, and hard work. Offering beauty that will endure for generations to come, alongside a business structure more than capable of supporting the high-end jewellery it delivers, Randazzo Srl is a brand truly worthy of recognition. As a result, we are delighted to name Francesca Randazzo the Most Influential CEO 2026: Luxury Jewellery Design Leadership – Italy. To learn more about these Murano jewellery collections, visit the website. B Contact: Francesca Randazzo Company: Randazzo Srl Web Address: www.ilmuranodifrancesca.com
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