Banking on a Brilliant CEO Issue 9 2020 Also in this issue: What goes into making a winner of this year’s CEO of the Year? As we take a deep dive into the recipient of this title, Manish Maakan, we also examine the man’s passion, humility, integrity, respect, and fun; five key attributes that have defined him, but also his work at Intellect Design Arena and iGTB. Today, we find out what makes Manish such an exceptional leader, even in the strangeness of the times that COVID-19 has brought about.
2 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 Welcome to the September issue of CEO Monthly for 2020. As always, every month we endeavour to provide our readers with the latest news and updates from all corners of the business world. We’re starting to return to more normal proceedings here at CEO Monthly, and we hope that is also reflected in the features we have included in this issue. After all, the world of businesses never truly stops, and that holds true even during global pandemics. This is especially true for the finance industry, which finds itself as one of the true foundational cornerstones of the professional business landscape. As CEO of iGTB, Manish Maakan has built a legacy defined by a formidable reputation in the banking arena and is now one of the preferred partners for banks when it comes to digital transaction transformation programs. Essentially, Manish is in the business of bettering banking services – a task with sky-high expectations. We spoke with Manish to find out more about his achievements, experience and expertise. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading this issue of CEO Monthly. I hope you stay safe and have a wonderful month ahead. Laura Brookes, Senior Editor Phone: +44 (0) 203 970 0082 Email: [email protected] 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.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 3 4. News 6. Banking on a Brilliant CEO 8. Making Musculoskeletal Conditions Manageable 9. A Wellness Success Story 11. Romanian Firm Delivers Remarkable Robotic Solutions 12. Silver Lining 13. Alex Gelbcke To Step In As The New CEO Of Fource 14. Winners’ Listings Contents
4 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 Supporting European Businesses And Boost Economy Small businesses across twelve countries can now take advantage of pioneering mobile payment technology as they reopen for business.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 5 , Leading international provider of governance, risk and compliance software, Ideagen Plc, has announced the first cloud version of its industry leading quality, health & safety and environmental (QHSE) product, Q-Pulse. Q-Pulse is already used by more than 2,000 companies around the world to effectively manage and mitigate their QHSE risks. This update ensures existing and future customers will have access to one fast, simple system, backed by 25 years of innovation, from an established and trusted vendor. CEO of Ideagen, Ben Dorks, said: “I am very excited by this major update to Q-Pulse and I am confident that our customers will be too. The team has worked incredibly hard on this project and their efforts have really paid dividends as they have produced a product that is game-changing in its scope, ease of use and flexibility.” Although there are specific benefits depending on the industry sector, there are a number of benefits that are common to all. Firstly, Q-Pulse will enable businesses to transform their QMS into a competitive weapon by applying new levels of intelligence and insight to form a complete picture of their organisation. Q-Pulse allows a single view of the organisation, its supply chain and key stakeholders in one place. It can be integrated with other business systems via flexible APIs and it can send information to other platforms, such as a CRM or ERP. Secondly, Q-Pulse will help businesses to act quickly and confidently to exploit new opportunities, identify new markets and secure new quality standards by using datadriven decision-making. Having comprehensive data so readily available removes the guesswork from complex decisions. Thirdly, Q-Pulse helps to make quality and compliance the responsibility of everybody in the organisation, not just the compliance team. It helps businesses to easily align around world class processes and that helps to demonstrate a culture of quality to customers, regulators and certification bodies. Ben added: “Ideagen is committed to continually delivering enhancements to our products to ensure we can offer the latest innovations in technology that will help businesses meet their QHSE and audit, risk and compliance needs. As a software product development company, it is vitally important that we constantly evolve to ensure our products remain at the cutting edge and that we can deliver the reliable, fast and easy service our customers expect.” Phos, the fintech behind the first-ever software Point of Sale (POS), has today announced the extension of its partnership with Mastercard to introduce their innovative mobile payment solution. 12,000 small businesses across 12 European countries will now be able to accept contactless payments using their Android mobile devices, with this number set to increase over the coming months. This will allow merchants to digitalise their payment processes and offer more payment options to their customers, with the potential to drive sales and grow their businesses. Following the success of the original pilot scheme which covered the UK, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria, this new phase of the partnership will not only support significant growth in the existing markets but also roll out across eight others including Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The partnership will support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the continent as they reopen their businesses and look for ways to attract new customers and increase their sales. Access to a credible technology solution that can streamline payment processes and avoid common acceptance issues will mean that they can start using contactless payments quickly and effectively. They will also avoid the need for additional costly hardware and can access their monies more quickly than via most other digital payment services. Despite increasing demand from businesses and consumers for safe and sustainable alternatives to cash, over 33m businesses across Europe are still reliant on it. For many, cost has been an issue but the growth in mobile phone ownership and contactless transactions is helping to overcome this barrier. Phos is a simple and effective payment acceptance solution that can enable any organisation, from micro-merchants through to global enterprises, to accept payments from their customers using ‘Tap on Phone’ with an NFC-enabled Android device. By eliminating the need for a separate electronic terminal phos, an evolution of traditional POS solutions, is completely secure and has no hidden costs for the user. The project will rely on Paynetics, an e-money institution with license across the European Union, as the acquiring bank. Partnering with merchants across the participating countries will allow further refining of this innovative POS solution based on actual market conditions. Brad Hyett, CEO of phos, said: “Our ongoing partnership with Mastercard brings next-gen payment technology to those financially underserved merchants who want to maximise the sales potential of their customer base, and is particularly pertinent as they get back up and running post-lockdown. With a proven and credible technology solution behind us, we have purposefully built a solid network across the European region that we can use to support those businesses, for who we expect significantly increased sales. The support we are getting from the team at Mastercard on both a global and local scale will allow us to help even more businesses expand their portfolio of payment options over the coming months.” Jason Lane, EVP, Market Development Europe at Mastercard commented: “Small businesses form the backbone of the European economy; enabling them to accept digital payments isn’t only more convenient and secure, but it’s also essential for them to operate in the new normal. As Mastercard, we are delighted to extend our partnership with phos to empower small businesses to offer more payment options as they open their doors post lockdown.” 25 Years Of Innovation Ideagen launches first cloud version of industry leading Q-Pulse software.
6 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 , Apr20073 Banking on a Brilliant CEO Manish Maakan is the CEO of iGTB, which is the global transaction banking division of Intellect Design Arena Ltd, and he has occupied this role since it first became available in May 2013. During the last seven years, Manish has poured his passion into building an outstanding array of award-winning products that are developed and delivered by high-performing and innovative teams that want to enable Manish’s vision of contextual banking. Now, seven years on from his initial acceptance of the role of CEO at iGTB, Manish has made the firm into one of the most preferred partners for banks when it comes to digital transaction banking transformation programs across the globe. To put into context just how exceptional a job Manish has done, iGTB is currently trusted by 88 of the best global corporate banks across 55 countries, and is rated #1 in different categories by 12 analysts, and is also #1 in Wholesale Banking Transaction Banking by IBS. However, Manish’s career and journey towards leadership excellence began long before his role at iGTB and Intellect Design Arena. His impressive career spans nearly three decades, and in every role he has served, Manish has exemplified diligence, dedication, and determination. Across each What goes into making a winner of this year’s CEO of the Year? As we take a deep dive into the recipient of this title, Manish Maakan, we also examine the man’s passion, humility, integrity, respect, and fun; five key attributes that have defined him, but also his work at Intellect Design Arena and iGTB. Today, we find out what makes Manish such an exceptional leader, even in the strangeness of the times that COVID-19 has brought about. role, he brings a differentiated design-thinking approach to innovation, growth, and complexity reduction in business. Manish has previously served in key leadership roles, leading transformation wherever he goes with his softly spoken nature, and unparalleled ability to reframe problems, expand team’s thinking, and keep the focus on achieving ambitious goals. In some of his previous roles, Manish has led transformation as the CIO at GE Money, set up the Technology Centre for Whirlpool’s India business, and acted as a management consultant at E&Y. He has also built financial solutions for EMI Records, building on his earlier experience working as a technologist at IBM and several other IT companies in the United States. Those experiences have prepared Manish expertly for his role as CEO with iGTB as part of Intellect Design Arena. Armed with these experiences, and the values of passion, humility, integrity, respect, and fun, Manish is ready for anything that may come his way, or the way of the firm. When good things happen, he celebrates. When things do not work out as planned, he is the first to ask what could have happened differently. A key element to Manish’s approach to leadership is his conviction. In anything, Manish believes in what he does, and that belief enables his various teams to act in a way where they can deliver the best possible service. The creation of iGTB itself was a bold step, even against the advice of some consultants, to create a productfocused, IP-focused business from what had been a services business. It became the first Fintech to move a real blockchain payment, and then showcased a new contextual approach to corporate banking. Manish has always been devoted to his work, and the contextual approach to corporate banking was about acting on that conviction. iGTB is about helping the whole customer journey, rather than simply providing automation and access to bank resources. It introduces concepts like the systems suggesting the best next step to the client, and it also pioneered cross-selling and upselling directly through the front end, which is common now in consumer banking but unheard of in transaction banking. One of the other aspects to Manish’s leadership that truly makes him stand out in the CEO space is his ability to recruit only the best members of staff to be around him. A prime example of this can be seen in a key member of the executive team who has become a board member of the parent company. Once upon a time, that individual was a hugely demanding client who was complaining to Manish. Within a year, that individual was recruited by Manish, and now brings a special perspective to the team that no-one else can. Manish is incredibly proud that all of his team have skills that he does not, and his staff remain his top priority. The desire for staff to outperform themselves is driven by empowerment and inspiration that comes from the top down, but also from the challenges that the firm is presented with. Creating a trusted brand from scratch is a challenge, especially one that moves high value payments around the world, and where clients are highly regulated in an industry that means any systems failures cause newsworthy reports and high fines. Transitioning the mindset of his staff away from providing an unthinking service to offering what the bank really needs, and leveraging existing IP took a substantial effort from Manish and his team. Of course, the effects from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to permeate business and make the existing challenges even greater. However, moving all four thousand Intellect staff to a work-from-home scenario in just a matter of days with increases in productivity in some areas, is testament to the incredible team, but also to the culture spearheaded by Manish. The culture feeds the mission, and everyone benefits from that. Manish and his team are bringing
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 7 Banking on a Brilliant CEO consumerisation to commercial banking, with instant completion, anticipation of needs, frictionless action, reliable execution, and a pleasant feel to what has not always been the most glamorous of industries. Trust is a huge element in banking, and that is the cornerstone of what Manish has been able to accomplish. He has overseen the establishment of a brand new form of commercial banking, and already built a hugely trustworthy reputation for it. Behind Manish’s gentle temperament and soft spoken nature is a wealth of ambition and drive to help clients with even their most complex of issues. Currently, businesses all over the world are spending scarce amounts of time, cost, and effort to address modern issues with incumbent old systems. Manish Maakan has demonstrated perfectly his ability to lead people and clients in dealing with these issues, and so much more. He is the epitome of an exceptional leader, and one whom can always be considered an outstanding businessman, and a fantastic human being. Company: Intellect Design Arena Ltd Contact: Manish Maakan Website: igtb.com
8 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 , May20155 Making Musculoskeletal Conditions Manageable Founded in 1968, Musculoskeletal Australia has been diligently serving the people of Australia suffering with musculoskeletal issues for more than half a century. The dedicated team of Help Line nurses, staff, and volunteers are committed to ensuring that the lives of people with these conditions are improved, and that their lived experience with these conditions is understood better than ever before. In total, Musculoskeletal Australia works with, and advocates on behalf of, seven million Australians. Although musculoskeletal issues and conditions are somewhat common, the impacts are devastating when it comes to people’s lives, and are rarely understood. This charitable organisation strives to ensure that these people have their conditions and their voices heard. Since its inception, the mission of Musculoskeletal Australia has been clear and simple: to give people with these conditions a more effective role in their own treatment. In doing so, the organisation seeks to put these people back in control of their own lives. There are a number of ways that the organisation does this, including providing free access to qualified specialist staff, resources, and information, but more importantly than that, by asking people what they Musculoskeletal health is something that everybody should be concerned about. In Australia, more than seven million citizens suffer with some form of musculoskeletal condition, ranging from arthritis and osteoporosis, to back pain, gout, and more than 150 others. Fortunately, Musculoskeletal Australia is a charitable organisation that supports people in achieving better health, and is home to the CEO of the Year – Melbourne, Mr Rob Anderson. We take a closer look at how Mr Anderson’s leadership has made Musculoskeletal Australia into a force for good. need, and how the organisations can best help them. None of this would be possible without an outstanding CEO at the helm; someone who is always willing to go that extra mile in helping these individuals have their voices heard. That someone is Mr Rob Anderson. A highly qualified and dedicated CEO, Mr Anderson has garnered significant demonstrable success in developing and leading strategic transformation, innovation, and structural change throughout his working life. Primarily working with not-forprofit organisations, Mr Anderson has led an extensive and distinguished career in multiple sectors, and has a reputation for delivering organisational success across a wealth of markets. Furthermore, Mr Anderson has made major contributions to the professional sports environment over many years, with particular focus on advocacy, welfare, and human resources. Mr Anderson joined Musculoskeletal Australia in December 2017, with the aim of becoming the next leader who could take the charitable organisation to the next level of servitude to the Australian people living with musculoskeletal conditions. Since then, he has brought with him a wealth of experience and expertise in leadership, guiding Musculoskeletal Australia into a position where it can affect real change to so many people. Crucially, as any good leader should, Mr Anderson has also continued to surround himself with individuals who share his passion for care. Everyone working at Musculoskeletal Australia, including Mr Anderson, is wholly committed to working together for the shared objective of supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions. Beyond simply having the right skills, knowledge, and abilities, every staff member understands how important trust is. When working with a population that can be vulnerable in sharing personal health information, trust is key. Musculoskeletal Australia and Mr Anderson have cultivated an environment of trust, with many of the staff either living with a musculoskeletal condition themselves, or caring for someone who has one. This lived experience plays a significant role in the success of the firm, and the level of trust that people have in the staff, the organisation, and Mr Anderson as leader. Musculoskeletal conditions can have a serious effect on anybody, regardless of age, race, or gender; they do not discriminate. When faced with such a life-changing condition, having the backing of a charitable organisation such as Musculoskeletal Australia is truly invaluable, and the work that Mr Anderson has done in the last two and a half years has continued to make a difference to so many people. An inspiring leader and a fantastic advocate for care, Mr Anderson truly is one of the most outstanding CEOs in the world today. Company: Musculoskeletal Australia Contact: Rob Anderson Website: www.msk.org.au
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 9 , Jul20548 A Wellness Success Story Canavation was founded with the aim of improving people’s lives. The team have spent years developing wellness products that leverages natural, exclusive and rare ingredients, particularly cannabinoids which demonstrate significant wellness benefits. Under Mr Barlow’s leadership, Canavation has gone from strength to strength, ensuring that every product is of the highest quality and guaranteed to deliver its promise to the customer. Naturally, a great deal of focus has been placed on the role of cannabinoids, given their specific properties. It is one of the factors which makes Canavation unique. Of course, the firm has found doors opening because of its ability to provide clients with ingredients that no one else can provide. Canavation has achieved success with contract manufacturing and joint venture partners to create truly unique products, updating existing formulas creating products that are brand new. As ever, this unique development skillset of Canavation is what keeps the firm in such demand. An example of this unique skillset can be seen in the firm’s securing of the worldwide rights to sell rare cannabinoids produced by biotech leader Teewinot Life Sciences for use in any consumer product application. Their technology is expected to go online by As consumer demand for CBD and cannabinoids continues to grow, a new industry has sprung up, ready to meet the needs of the market. For the team at Canavation Product Group Inc., Bill Barlow has been an inspiring figure who has allowed them to reach their full potential. Named CEO of the Year, 2020 - the USA, we caught up with Mr Barlow to see how his firm had achieved such success. the end of 2021, producing a host of cannabinoid molecules that very few will be able to produce at commercial scale, pharmaceutical quality or such low cost. The value to both Canavation and the consumer are tremendous, and shows how it is ready to face the future. Because of their focus on delivering wellness products, when the world went into quarantine, the people of Canavation continued coming into work. Mr Barlow ensured that working protocols were implemented that allowed sufficient social distancing and workspace. More than anything else, this shows how committed his team were to deliver products that improve an individual’s life, and what a strong work culture he has been able to foster amongst his employees. Looking ahead, Mr Barlow intends to take Canavation international, using a good footing in the US as a springboard for other regions. The benefits of good health and wellness are universal, and this means that there are many markets who will have demand for their services. Company: Canavation Product Group Inc Name: Bill Barlow Web Address: www.canavation.com
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CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 11 , even more exceptional leader. His work ethic and desire to make the world a better place through digital transformation and automation is only matched by his desire to build a firm that is people-first. As the world becomes infinitely more focused on innovating in data, robotics, and cloud services in the future, Armand and }exghts is already there. The latest product, Targo, replaces management tasks and ensures that in an organizations core system is able to be adopted, with initiatives executed and numbers achieved. This exceptional leader is well-placed to be the best in his industry, and with a focus on raising new talent, his legacy is set to last for a long time yet. Contact: Armand Sullot, CEO Website: www.exghts.com Jul20652 Romanian Firm Delivers Remarkable Robotic Solutions Since being established in September 2018, }exghts has been on a mission to help organizations build a datadriven, agile, and lean culture, and therefore gain a competitive advantage when it comes to tackling the challenges of both today and tomorrow. }exghts works with the latest technologies to adopt fast, build fast, and create value fast. It does this by consulting, developing, and supporting innovative data-driven solutions that optimize and automate processes. Additionally, }exghts’ services extends into Marketing. However, none of this would be possible without the visionary leadership and risk-taking innovation from the company’s CEO, Mr Armand Sullot. Armand is a visionary and natural-born leader, having been in management positions since he was in his twenties. Having worked for nineteen years at Microsoft Germany, Armand has developed all the necessary skills to become one of the finest leaders working in such an innovative sector. As CEO of a brand new start-up, Armand brings his wealth of experience working at one of the biggest companies in the world to a new vision; one of building a unique business that The world is rapidly moving to a more digital era, despite the advancements that have already been made in areas such as cloud services, data, and robotic process automation. One of the companies and individuals leading the way in this digital climate is }exghts, and its CEO Armand Sullot. Having been crowned the Best Cloud Services, Data & RPA CEO (Eastern Europe), we had the pleasure of speaking with Armand to learn more about his firm, his work, and his journey towards becoming one of the industry’s most visionary leaders. is based on creative marketing, digital transformation, and technological innovations. Taking a risk and starting }exghts after being in a place of such security and safety is never easy, but Armand is a true visionary. He saw an opportunity to make the world better, and took it with both hands. Doing so required Armand to take his leadership to a new level, and he rose to the challenge. He brought some mantras into his new work as CEO, and he shared them with us. “If you do things more than twice, automate them. Bring value to everything you do. Permanently develop skill and scope. Marketing will be the new sales” They may be simple mantras, but highly effective. During his tenure at CEO, Armand has made }exghts into a people-first company. He was worked tirelessly to instil an atmosphere of trust and independence within his staff, where everybody is responsible for the success of the company. When presenting work to key individuals both inside and outside of the company, the entire team does so. As such, everyone shares in the success of }exghts, regardless of who achieves it. Everyone works together at }exghts, collaborating for more success under Armand’s outstanding leadership. Viewing his own role as akin to a model inspiring his team, Armand does not control the time that his staff work, but rather the results that they generate. This exceptional leader dedicates himself wholly to advancing innovation, but also supporting the personal and professional development of his staff. Wisdom and astuteness come in many forms, and one that Armand is particularly exceptional at is spotting talent. Not only recognizing talent, Armand is also keen to actively integrate that talent into }exghts as soon as possible, for the benefit of his staff and company. A recent success story involves a student from a local University who was invited to spend two weeks at }exghts. After completing some homework from Armand involving technology she had never used before, the student displayed outstanding work ethic and knowledge. The following morning, she presented that work to Armand, and began working for }exghts the very next day. Armand’s keenness to support his team with talent is second to none, and is matched only by his ability to discover talent. Armand is a truly outstanding innovator and visionary, but an
12 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 , Silver Lining A company which provides insurance to ‘Generation Rent’ and Millennials has gained a further £1.6m of investment in its second major funding round of the year. Urban Jungle, founded by Jimmy Williams and Greg Smyth in 2016, has raised a further £1.6m from new and existing investors following a period of rapid growth and industry recognition. The company raised £2.5m in March 2020 as lockdown measures were coming in. In spite of the pandemic, the 23-person strong business was able to embrace flexible working and continue to grow its customer base. “We wanted to raise more in the spring but, with lockdown restrictions pending, we had to close the round early. However, since then, the business has performed incredibly well and we are seeing opportunities for new products and new markets,” says CEO Jimmy Williams. The company’s plans for growth are being backed by experienced entrepreneurs and investors, including former Prudential CEO Rob Devey, Octopus Group CEO Simon Rogerson and Funding Circle co-founder James Meekings. Devey joined the company’s board as a nonexecutive director in December. The latest funding round brings the total raised to £7.8m and comes following a period of growth for the tech start-up, which now has over 25,000 customers and 23 staff, and is growing at over 20% per month. Urban Jungle raises an ‘extra £1.6 million’ to expand into new markets. The disruptive insurer has gained further backing from venture capital and high profile private investors, bringing the total raised in 2020 to £4.1m. “2020 has been a really tough year for everyone, but we’re lucky that people always need insurance, especially when times are tough, and even more customers are looking for a value focused provider like us,” notes Williams. “Lockdown changed the insurance market in many ways. For us, there are more people working from home and investing in expensive laptops which they want to cover. There’s also been a big rise in bike ownership and these are treasured items that people want to protect. “We’ll be hiring more people in the coming months, investing heavily in marketing and giving the traditional market some serious competition. The insurance sector has been calling for a newcomer to disrupt it for some time and we’re doing just that.” Williams gained the idea for his business after struggling to gain insurance himself while living with friends in London. He spotted a gap in the market where traditional insurers were failing to offer products and services to those in shared accommodation or renting. In 2016, Williams joined forces with former Google and Facebook engineer Greg Smyth, who he met while studying at Cambridge University. Together, they created a techpowered insurance business, or ‘insurtech’, which offers flexible contents insurance for as little as £5 per month. Their business cuts overheads by operating completely online and uses artificial intelligence to reduce risk and screen out fraud. “It’s a new world we are operating in and we believe we’ve got the tools, the skills and, crucially, the right attitude, to succeed,” adds Williams.
CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 9 2020 13 Alex Gelbcke To Step In As The New CEO Of Fource Alex will take over daily management of the Fource companies in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, which are known in the market as Fource, IPAR, CarSys, VanEsch, VHIP, LKQ Belgium, and VHIP France respectively. Alex will report to LKQ Europe’s CEO, Arnd Franz, and will become a member of the European Executive Team. More than 25 years of experience Alex has acquired over 25 years of management, marketing, sales, and operational experience in various cultural environments within well-established companies, including: Total, BIA, BIHR, 1Parts, and Tenneco. “I am convinced that Alex Gelbcke’s unique combination of industry experience and interpersonal skills will enable him to lead the Benelux and French teams to the next level,” said Sinon Galvin, current CEO of Fource. “He is an ideal successor and a great choice to continue the market evolution that began with my visionary predecessor, Adriaan Roggeveen.” “Sinon experienced a successful and eventful period at Fource, where he has been at the helm since 2014,” explained Arnd Franz, CEO of LKQ Europe. “This period was dominated by many acquisitions both in the Netherlands and Belgium, strong organic growth in France, and saw the subsequent transition The management team of LKQ Europe and Fource welcomes Alex Gelbcke, a well-known and highly respected automotive industry veteran. There will be a transition period until the end of 2020, at which time Alex will take over the position of CEO from current CEO, Sinon Galvin. from operations that were standalone to one that is functional and harmonized. It is now up to Alex to support the European integration program of 1 LKQ Europe, strengthen Fource’s leading market position in the region, and to create the best customer experience possible. Also, he will be responsible for completing the integration of our business in Belgium to serve both workshops and resellers, as well as facilitating growth in France.” “I am extremely excited to join the LKQ Europe and Fource team which has consistently exhibited a clear vision and fantastic drive to the industry,” highlighted Gelbcke. “Being part of LKQ Europe and Fource is a dream for anyone who is passionate, like me, about the Independent Aftermarket and wants to see it develop through excellence and innovation.” An important region Although the Fource region is relatively small compared to other regions within LKQ Europe’s scope, such as Germany and Central and Eastern Europe, it is an important one for the company. “The team at Fource has a lot of knowledge in the field of digitization and logistics,” continued Franz. “Here, we are investing in a new central distribution center that will expand our logistics position in the market, both in the Netherlands and in Europe.” Alex Gelbcke will have time to familiarize himself with Fource and LKQ Europe, working closely with Sinon Galvin until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. After six years, Sinon and his wife, Carolyn, have decided the time was right to return to the USA to be closer to their three children. We wish them nothing but success in the next phase of their LKQ journey.
Winners’ Listings CEO of the Year 2020 CEO of the Year, 2020 Intellect Design Arena Ltd- Manish Maakan CEO of the Year, 2020 - The United Kingdom Parity Group PLC- Matthew Bayfield CEO of the Year, 2020 - the USA Business Growth Stratergies International Jennifer Glass CEO of the Year, 2020 - the USA Samsara Ventures - Adam Walkers CEO of the Year, 2020 - the United Arab Emirates Middle East Institute of Directors - Maali Khader CEO of the Year, 2020 - the USA Mareana Inc - Manish Varma CEO of the Year, 2020 - the United Arab Emirates Urent - Omar Al Ashi
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