November 2026 Featuring: Stepping Into a Group Role – How to Do It and Lessons Learned
Welcome to the November 2026 issue of CEO Monthly. We are pleased to bring a selection of news, features, and success stories to our readers around the world. Covering fascinating success stories from CEOs impacting the world of cosmetics and chemicals to capital markets, digital sovereignty, regenerative beauty, and more, this edition upholds the standard CEO Monthly is celebrated for. We are pleased to present our recent findings in relation to the developments across a variety of sectors. As the year is soon to come to a close, our final issues of 2026 continue to highlight the excellence from the last 12-24 months while sharing predictions of what is to come for the future ahead. We look forward to welcoming you back for our December issue in a month’s time, where we will deliver our final issue for 2026. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this issue of CEO Monthly Magazine. 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 - LifeLogics Names New CEO to Lead Innovation in Organ Donation & Transplantation Technology - SPOR Group Appoints Steph Kenny as Managing Director 6. Stepping Into a Group Role – How to Do It and Lessons Learned 8. From Successful CEO to Ecosystem Leader 10. Communication, Adaptation, Innovation: The Royle Formula for Success 11. GRI Group: Growing Globally Through World-Class Innovation 12. From Plant to Beauty with N&B Natural is Better 13. At the Helm of One of the World’s Biggest Stock Exchanges – Twice Contents
NEWS LifeLogics Names New CEO to Lead Innovation in Organ Donation & Transplantation Technology
Workplace technology specialist SPOR Group has appointed Steph Kenny as Managing Director. Having joined in 2020 as the company’s first hire, Steph will lead day-to-day operations as SPOR prepares for its next phase of growth. Based in Maidenhead, SPOR supports more than 1,500 meeting rooms for clients including the NFL, Accord Healthcare and Monzo. Steph will oversee delivery, operations, service, finance and people, while Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Chris Spence focuses on strategy and new business. Having joined in procurement, Steph has progressed through senior finance and operations roles, most recently serving as Director of Finance and Operations. Her priorities include strengthening SPOR’s teams and expanding its presence beyond London. Based at the company’s Southport office, she will lead plans to grow across Liverpool, Manchester and the wider North West, with sales team expansion planned for 2027. SPOR will also explore opportunities in new sectors. The appointment follows SPOR Group’s acquisition of interior design consultancy Squaredot, broadening the Group’s offering to organisations across the UK and Europe. Commenting on her appointment, Steph Kenny, Managing Director of SPOR Group, said: “I’m incredibly proud to become Managing Director and grateful to SPOR’s founders, Chris Spence and Chris Gore, for their support and the opportunities they’ve given me. SPOR is in a strong position, and I’m excited to build on that foundation, expand into new regions and continue delivering the exceptional service our clients expect.” Chris Spence, Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer at SPOR Group, said: “Steph has been central to SPOR since joining as our first hire in 2020. Her understanding of our business, people and clients makes her ideally placed to lead the business day to day as we expand our client base and drive the next phase of growth.” Chris Gore, Co-Founder and Group Strategic Director at SPOR Group, added: “Chris and I first worked with Steph at AVI-SPL, and when we set up SPOR she was the first person we asked to join us. She has earned this the right way, one step at a time, and there is nobody who understands how SPOR works from the inside better than she does. I’m delighted to see her lead SPOR into its next phase.” Steph’s appointment marks the start of a new chapter for SPOR Group. Under her leadership, the Group is set to build its presence across the North West and the wider UK, win new clients and continue delivering workplace technology that organisations can rely on. SPOR Group Appoints Steph Kenny as Managing Director Technology leader and healthcare entrepreneur to guide LifeLogics into its next chapter with a focus on innovation, customer experience, and advancing technology across organ donation and transplantation. Technology leader and healthcare entrepreneur to guide LifeLogics into its next chapter with a focus on innovation, customer experience, and advancing technology across organ donation and transplantation. LifeLogics, a nonprofit technology company serving the organ and tissue donation and transplantation community, announced the appointment of Ankit Mathur as Chief Executive Officer. Mathur brings more than two decades of experience in technology, healthcare, and organizational leadership to LifeLogics, most recently serving as Chief Technology Officer of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). His appointment comes as LifeLogics looks to strengthen its technology platforms, deepen customer partnerships, and help advance the organ donation and transplantation ecosystem. “Ankit brings a rare combination of healthcare technology experience, entrepreneurial leadership, and a deep understanding of the organ donation and transplantation community,” said Mathew Moss, Chair of the LifeLogics Board of Directors. “As LifeLogics enters its third decade, we see a tremendous opportunity to build on the organization’s foundation while strengthening our commitment to innovation, customer partnerships, and operational excellence. We’re confident Ankit is the right leader to help us realize this vision.” As CEO, Mathur will lead LifeLogics through its next phase of growth and modernization, with a focus on strengthening the company’s partnerships with organ procurement organizations (OPOs), advancing its technology platforms, improving the customer experience, and expanding interoperability across the donation ecosystem. “Behind every organ donation is a family navigating one of the most difficult moments of their lives. The work our customers do every day to honor those gifts and help save lives is extraordinary, and LifeLogics has an important responsibility to support them,” said Mathur. “That responsibility goes beyond building great technology. It means being a trusted partner, providing the service and support our customers deserve, and making their work easier so they can focus on what matters most. I’m excited to work alongside our customers and the LifeLogics team to build on the company’s foundation while raising the bar for what our customers should expect from their technology partner.” At UNOS, Mathur helped guide technology strategy and modernization initiatives supporting the nation’s organ donation and transplantation system. Previously, he was Chief Delivery Officer for the U.S. Digital Service at the White House. Earlier in his career, Mathur founded Roundtrip, a healthcare technology company ensuring patients have reliable access to transportation. Mathur is a three-time graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and serves on the boards of the Richmond Technology Council (rvatech/) and VCU’s School of Business Foundation.
Feature By Tony Federico, Group CFO of global accessible-living company Stiltz Homelifts Taking on a new group position in your company can feel like an unnerving leap into the unknown. Research suggests that as many as half of leadership transitions end in failure. Some seven in ten leaders in one survey said they’d become much more stressed since moving into their current role. Tony Federico of international homelift company Stiltz recently became Group CFO, having previously been VP of Finance and Operations for the USA. He is now overseeing more than 50 countries and revenues of $100 million. The lessons he has had to learn quickly apply well beyond his sector. Becoming a Group CFO, Group MD or Group Procurement Director or Group Head of Sales demands a different toolkit from running a single country or subsidiary. You must think more strategically rather than tactically, inspire teams you have little direct contact with and create global efficiencies, not local ones. Here, Tony shares his tips and recent experience for people making the transition. Let go for your old job One of the hardest things for me has been stepping back from the US business, where I’d been hands-on for years. When things are being done differently from how you may have done them, the urge is to intervene. Resisting it takes discipline and a bit of practice. Give your old team the room and headspace to run things in their own way – albeit with some group guidance. Swap delivery for direction In a national or individual business leadership role, your success is measured largely on things like sales and cost control. In the US, we grew Stiltz a good amount and made it profitable. At group level, my job is set corporate direction and priorities. Instead of making day-to-day operational calls myself, I need to focus on building the processes and systems that help colleagues do that. Take a wider view Group leaders need to scan a much broader horizon, covering multiple markets, brands, business competitors and political developments, to spot shifts and trends in their sector. In the US, I focused on state regulations that could act as barriers to entry and opportunities in regional homeaccessibility markets. Now, I’m looking for potential in new countries with an ageing but reasonably well-off population and for new market opening in places we already serve. I also need to understand how tariffs, currency swings or geopolitical conflicts can create or close off opportunities. Think about global efficiencies, not local ones The headcount or skills level in a single finance or sales department are no longer your direct concern, at group level. Whether one supplier is missing quality expectations or how specific manufacturing processes are performing no longer fall under your remit, too. Instead, you’re looking at overall staffing structures across many territories, whether moving production could save money, economies of scale and where best practice in one location could be applied elsewhere. One of my priorities at Stiltz is rolling out an Enterprise Resource Planning system so that manufacturing, finance, HR and customer relations all work from one central platform, encouraging collaboration and giving us a single source of truth. Learn how to motivate people you rarely meet At national level, much of your energy goes on direct reports: building personal relationships, holding appraisals and scrutinising individual targets and KPIs. At group level, you’re connecting with people outside your immediate team, often thousands of miles away. That means motivating through strategy documents and large video calls, and leading groups rather than individuals. Managing up You also have to persuade board members and fellow directors who don’ listen to you. You need a very strong command of the numbers, a well-argued strategic rationale – and don’t get disheartened when decisions don’t go your way. Get close to local leaders Take time to listen and learn from country and department Stepping Into a Group Role – How to Do It and Lessons Learned heads about their local concerns. When introducing a global policy, be sensitive to the practical difficulties of implementing it locally. Keep in regular contact, including making in-person visits, so you aren’t seen as remote or indifferent. But don’t get dragged into the detail of their operations. Trust them to get on with things. Respect cultural differences Work styles and needs vary within one country or department, but that diversity is many times greater at group level. Overseas teams may have different expectations around courtesy or be governed by quite different employment legislation or norms to your previous location. American employees, for example, are usually very positive and motivated, but they like clear hierarchies and look to senior leaders for more guidance than people in other areas. Take change slowly Reshaping a business from the top means bringing many stakeholders with you, often with competing concerns. Imposing sweeping changes too quickly risks resentment and costly organisational mistakes that are hard to reverse. Protect your time Expect a deluge of emails and requests from people across the group, when you start your new role. Many will be from people you’ve never dealt with before. One quick way to rack up your stress levels and undermine your home and social life is feeling the need respond to message from different time zones 24 hours a day. Don’t be afraid to set firm rules about when you can communicate.
Caribbean sovereign cloud provider Datasur believes that every organisation should have the opportunity to grow through innovation-driven digitalisation. That is why it has evolved beyond operating a datacentre, and instead provides the secure, sovereign digital foundation from which organisations and economies can grow. As CEO Dr Anvit Ramlakhan is named Most Influential CEO 2026: Digital Sovereignty – Caribbean, and Datasur the Best ICT & Datacentre Services Provider 2026 – Caribbean, we caught up with Anvit for more on its work in the Caribbean nation of Suriname. From Successful CEO to Ecosystem Leader
CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2026 9 Empowering Suriname and the wider Caribbean with secure, sustainable, and sovereign digital infrastructure, Datasur exists to enable innovation, drive economic growth, and ensure that data sovereignty remains within the region. It offers the first certified commercial datacentre and is a key cloud infrastructure provider in the Caribbean. Since 2014, Datasur has stood as a trusted partner for clients navigating the rapidly evolving digital landscape, and has played a huge part in driving digital transform in Suriname and the Caribbean. For the last 12 years, Datasur has been combining local trust with international standards, providing mission-critical datacentre, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure from its base, supported by ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 management systems and its thinking increasingly from a Caribbean perspective. This feeds into what the team here believe digital sovereignty means, which is not isolation from the world, but rather knowing where data is, who can access it, and under which jurisdiction it operates. By thinking global, acting regional, and serving local, Datasur creates maximum value for its customers, with its blend of a fully equipped datacentre, customised consultancy services, hosting/website services, managed services, and domains being grounded in its values of innovation, integrity, customer focus, sustainability, and partnerships. These principles shape how the team make decisions, treat their customers, and build for the longer term. It is as a result of this combination that Datasur today sits at the heart of Suriname and the Caribbean’s digital ecosystem, with e-Government services, private companies, SMEs, and over 85% of the Suriname’s bankers and insurers being hosted by the company. Beyond its infrastructure, Datasur also has a team of innovators at its disposal, seen through it being a founding member of the Caribbean Datacenter Association along with Blue Nap Americas, as well as its work advocating for and enabling regional sovereign cloud adoption. Datasur’s team is spearheaded by Dr Anvit Ramlakhan, who, as its CEO, is responsible for providing strategic direction, inspiring innovation, and ensuring every decision contributes to both corporate excellence and national progress. Anvit also oversees the company’s financial, operational, and technological performance, all whilst fostering a culture of integrity, collaboration, and accountability within its team. He also builds the right team for the direction he sets, creating an environment where its people can grow and thrive. Anvit is guided by a personal philosophy that has remained unchanged for many years: continuous progressive successful excellence. Exploring what exactly this means, Anvit told us: “It reminds me that excellence is never a destination. There is always something we can improve in ourselves, our people, our processes, or the value we create.” To this end, Anvit regularly asks himself two simple questions to make sure that Datasur continues to move in the right direction as it evolves: “Are we leaving this organisation stronger than we found it? Are the company, its people, and our stakeholders really growing?” The answer to both has consistently been yes, and this comes down to the way Anvit leads the company. His successful leadership stems from a wealth of professional experience across this space, which began when he started his career as an engineer at Telesur, Suriname’s national telecoms operator. Technology was obviously the foundation of this role, but Anvit quickly found himself captivated by the way in which technology connects with people, processes, businesses, and strategy. This continues to interest him today. As part of Telesur, Anvit would go on to manage strategic projects, later leading a team responsible for services used by hundreds of thousands of people across the nation, and even became one of the youngest managers in the entire organisation. Anvit’s trajectory was noticed by Datasur, which approached him with the opportunity of leading what was then a small organisation in 2019. Anvit humbly accepted, and has since worked alongside its team to transform it from a datacentrefocused company into a trusted ICT partner. “Under my leadership, Datasur has achieved 300% growth in customer base, 300% capacity expansion, and 200% revenue growth, transforming from a local datacentre into a regional digital transformation powerhouse.” His time at Datasur has played a huge part in developing Anvit into the leader he is today, but his evolution has not only happened within the organisation. From chairing the ICT Association of Suriname and VSB Young Management, as well as the CANTO Trends & Technology Committee, to helping found the Caribbean Datacenter Association, advise on e-Government development, and serving on the Supervisory Board of Self Reliance N.V., Anvit has done it all, and often whilst being the youngest person in the room. Anvit’s education has been an equally important part of his journey, and he is especially proud of his PhD in information management (magna cum laude), MSc in information technology (merit), and MBA in strategic management and leadership (cum laude). Whilst these academic foundations were crucial parts of his journey, his career taught him that real education begins when academic knowledge meets real-life responsibility. This brings us back to Anvit’s approach to leadership, which builds off everything discussed above to create a style that favours transformational and situational leadership. After all, everybody is different, and one of the worst things a leader can do is to try and force a one-size-fits-all attitude on people who all learn and succeed in different ways. Instead, for Anvit, the consistency comes from the standards employed across the company. He explained: “Leadership is ultimately service. You cannot sustainably develop organisations without developing people. I therefore measure leadership not only by what my team achieves, but also by who they become while achieving it.” On the back of this, Datasur has experienced significant growth defined by its people growing towards each other, rather than away from each other. This can be attributed to the aforementioned focus on culture Anvit has, and his active involvement in developing it. Datasur also helps close skills gaps by connecting the industry with education, through the likes of internships.” With Datasur soon moving into its 2027– 2030 strategic cycle, it is entering another important phase of its development. It aims to strengthen its role in supporting Suriname’s emerging oil and gas economy with resilient in-country digital infrastructure, all whilst continuing with its transformation from an important ICT company into a full digital infrastructure platform for the Caribbean. As it makes this shift, it remains committed to expanding its team with local talent, nurturing trusted partnerships, and fostering responsible growth. Anvit himself is increasingly focused on scaling impact, connecting the different worlds he works in to develop people and create value that will outlast him. The meaningful changes he is looking to enact in this space have led to a growing philosophy based around corporate spirituality. Anvit commented: “Corporate spirituality is not about introducing religion into the workplace. It is about integrating purpose, self-awareness, discipline, compassion, ethical responsibility, and service into how we lead and create value.” Three of its principles in particular resonate with Anvit: purpose before position, integrity as inner governance, and service as the highest form of success. Guided by these, his unchanged personal philosophy, and the recognition that we all have limited time, but potentially unlimited opportunities to create lasting impact, Anvit is a leader more than fitting of being recognised here in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2026. Having also won last year, this award is a fitting reflection of the constant evolution of this industryleading CEO. “Technology changes. Positions change. Organisations change. But the knowledge you transfer and the people you help develop can continue creating value long after your own role has ended.” More on Datasur can be found by visiting the company at the web address below. Contact: Dr Anvit Ramlakhan Company: Datasur Web Address: https://datasur.sr/
CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2026 10 Communication, Adaptation, Innovation: The Royle Formula for Success stablished in 2001 by Graham Royle, GRI Group was quickly established as a global player in these chosen markets. As the company’s entrepreneur and innovator, Graham has implemented his vision to create a vertically integrated group of companies serving a number of industries through B2B chemicals manufacturing and the contract manufacturing of bath and body, personal care, haircare, skincare, and cosmetics products, taking his own brands directly to market through B2C and D2C channels. As Founder, Chairman, and CEO of GRI Group Limited, Graham is responsible for providing the strategic leadership and direction required for the business to grow strategically under the GRI Group umbrella. Drawing on extensive commercial and strategic knowledge, together with strong interpersonal and leadership skills, Graham works closely with his management team to build upon the company’s strengths while identifying new opportunities for sustainable evolution. Graham incorporated GRI Group more than two decades ago, following a 17-year long career spent in large PLCs. Graham has refined his expertise across all functions over the course of his career, which included serving as a Functional Director for four years and as a Managing Director and Chief Executive for ten years across various companies. For the last three decades, the CEO has been steered by his motto, “Business should be fun but not funny. Enjoy it but take it seriously.” Headquartered in Sheffield, England, GRI Group is the industry-leading innovator behind Libra Speciality Chemicals, Expac, and I Love Cosmetics. The company has taken the chemical products manufacturing landscape by storm on a mission steered by the expert vision of Founder, Chairman, and CEO Graham Royle, who has recently earned recognition in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2026. We explored Graham’s role in further depth below, following his latest success. E Within GRI Group, Graham believes in a can-do attitude and encourages every member of his team to have fun while asserting the value of hard work. He strives to look after his team, developing motivating internal promotions on a regular basis and ensuring that every employee feels comfortable to express their true feelings at work. What’s more, all members of the team are kept in the loop regarding any major plans or changes impacting the business, as Graham stresses the importance of open communication on both sides. All businesses face challenges throughout their operation, some even beyond their immediate sphere to influence. Having always been Chairman and CEO of GRI Group, Graham has come to stand as a rock for his people to lean on when times are troubled. He is known across the group for his calm and visionary approach, which has always resulted in the company continuing to invest and persevere through the short-term crises with a view of achieving long-term success. The modern landscape is dynamic, reshaped by the ever-changing needs of consumers. Graham believes that it is important for GRI Group to lead from the front with technology, products, and services to stay ahead of the competition. Alongside driving strategy and group direction, the CEO spends much time developing enduring long-term relationships with clients and customers alike. In doing so, he ensures that GRI Group has the connections to source limited materials where others cannot, an increasingly important capability in this field. With an ethos built around communication, adaptation, and industry-leading innovation, Graham has cultivated what is often described as a “legendary” culture of service across his team, which has played an instrumental role in setting GRI Group head and shoulders above its competition. The CEO has steered his team from strength to strength over the last two decades, demonstrating the importance of listening to his team, maintaining industry connections, and always looking to the future. Now, Graham looks ahead with equal parts ambition and satisfaction. He currently stands as the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of a highly successful and growing group of companies, but his enthusiasm for his work will never diminish. The CEO looks forward to building more enjoyment for his team, while ensuring that GRI Group remains strong, wellrespected, and continually delivering on innovation. For his unwavering dedication and unrivalled expertise, we at CEO Monthly are proud to recognise Graham Royle as the UK’s Most Influential CEO 2026 in the area of Chemical Products Manufacturing. Contact: Graham Royle Company: GRI Group Limited Web Address: www.grigroup.co.uk
CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2026 11 GRI Group: Growing Globally Through World-Class Innovation ased in Sheffield, GRI Group is known as a trusted manufacturer, distributor, and brand owner to clients across a wide range of industries. The company operates across three key areas: the development, manufacture, and distribution of chemical intermediates for personal care, household care, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications; the design, development, formulation, manufacture, and contract packaging of personal care, toiletries, and cosmetic products; and the brand management and marketing of personal care, toiletries, and cosmetic products. At its core, GRI Group is driven by the innovation and application of technologies, boldness in making numerous acquisitions and multimillion capital investments, relationship management across a global supply chain, and placing people at the very heart of the business. The company has strategically divested a number of companies through the years, always operating with the ultimate goal of creating everEstablished in 2001 by Founder, Chairman, and CEO Graham Royle, GRI Group is a recognised leader in the development, manufacture, and distribution of chemical intermediaries and personal care products. The company has built a stellar reputation across an array of sectors, becoming a name synonymous with quality, reliability, and operational excellence. As GRI Group earns applause in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2026, we took a closer look at its outstanding operations. B increasing shareholder value by providing customers with the very best-in-class products and a superior service. As with any business, GRI Group has faced its fair share of adversity. As a global buyer and seller of raw materials and products, the group has been impacted by raw material shortages, transport issues, and rampant price increases. It has encountered high inflation and wage increases across a number of emerging countries that are its key suppliers, and continually seeks new ways to navigate this landscape whilst minimising impact on clients. Despite the obstacles, the team remains as energetic and enthusiastic as ever, continuing to operate with the longterm vision of achieving even greater success. Driven by its distinctive “cando” approach to opportunities that will benefit its customers, GRI Group delivers innovative products and processes while ensuring an ever-increasing attention to sustainability, environmental control, and biodegradability. This multipronged focus and unwavering core values have enabled Founder Graham Royle and the GRI Group team to create a remarkable portfolio of businesses operating within the GRI Group umbrella: Libra Specialty Chemicals, Expac (Preston) Ltd, and I Love Cosmetics. Libra Specialty Chemicals is a leading chemical manufacturer and distributor of surfactants and speciality chemicals. This includes amphoterics, nonionics, anionics, cationics, and detergent and car care concentrates. These products are used across an array of industries, spanning personal care, oil and gas energy extraction, agriculture, lubricants, water treatment, metal working, paints and coatings, and household, industrial, and institutional cleaning. Expac (Preston) Ltd is a formulator and contract manufacturer and packer, specialising in the personal care, cosmetics, fragrances, household, and health sectors. The company delivers an extensive range of products under the GRI Group umbrella, including liquids, creams, gels, waxes, lotions, perfumes, fragrances, body powders, and bath salts. These products are packaged in a variety of plastic and glass containers, such as bottles, tottles, tubes, jars, and tubs. I Love Cosmetics is the brand owner of I Love®. The company launched its first collection in 2009, inspired by vibrant fruit blends and nostalgic gourmand scents. The initial Original launch successfully gained a cult following around the world, and the I Love® portfolio gained retail listings and distributions in more than 30 countries. Today, I Love® is an award-winning British bath, body, and beauty brand, known for its I Love® Signature, Naturals, and Wellness collections. Together, these brands boast a combined turnover of more than £300 million per annum, with plans for future growth. Each brand maintains GRI Group’s unwavering dedication to providing customers around the world with the very best in world-class products and services. Through the years, the group has invested heavily in technology, manufacturing capability, and personnel expertise, ensuring that its brands remain at the very forefront of manufacturing excellence. For this exceptional work, GRI Group has been recognised as the UK’s Best Personal Care Chemical Manufacturing Group 2026. Moving forward, GRI Group will remain highly active, implementing both organic and acquisitive growth strategies. For example, Graham’s strategic growth initiative for Expac (Preston), entitled Vision 28-60, details plans to grow from a £30 million turnover to £60 million by 2028. With this initiative currently underway, GRI Group aims to double the size of the business through organic sales growth, strategic investment, operational excellence, and selected acquisitions. Looking ahead, Graham commented, “Times remain extremely exciting!” Contact: Graham Royle Company: GRI Group Limited Web Address: www.grigroup.co.uk
CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2026 12 orn in the countryside of Salento, Italy, Domenico Scordari was raised amongst the plants. From a young age, Domenico would spend time with local farmers, learning all about the ancient herbal traditions and natural remedies that have been passed down through the generations. He joined his family’s business at 15 years old, where he honed his skills as a great communicator and motivator. Then, at 23, Domenico followed his dream, and in 1989 founded N&B Natural is Better as a small herbal extract lab with a clear purpose. From the beginning, N&B sought to improve quality of life through nature. This started out simply as craftsmanship, but over time blossomed into a fully organic supply chain and a revolutionary vision of what a sustainable business could look like. Today, N&B reaches over 60 countries with its natural cosmetic solutions, has more than 20 hectares of organic farmland at its disposal, and boasts 6,000 square metres of production facilities. It is at these locations where N&B covers the entire production cycle from plant to beauty, thanks to its km 0 supply chain. The process begins with organic regenerative farming, before progressing through the organic ingredient extraction, R&D/innovation, and production and technology phases. Then, the company creates custom products for its clients, from skin and body care to hair and sun care. A trusted partner in transforming visions into exceptional products ready for the market, private labelling is at the heart of what N&B does. Its encompassing service covers everything clients need, not just relating to the product itself, but also market demand, brand positioning, financial proposals, and even the design and packaging thanks to its in-house graphic services. The team also help clients get certified by COSMOS or NATRUE, handling the documentation and coordinating communication with the certifying bodies, before meticulously producing the formulas according to ISO 22716 standards. All batches are sampled and archived, before the logistics are handled. Across its development of personalised products for numerous firms around the world, the commitment N&B has to social and environmental sustainability guides its hand. Beyond conducting business From Plant to Beauty with N&B Natural is Better Few beauty manufacturers are as committed to sustainability as N&B Natural is Better, which, by covering everything from scientific research to organic and regenerative agriculture, creates natural and effective solutions for brands where people and the planet are put first. As its CEO, Domenico Scordari, is named Most Influential CEO 2026 – Regenerative Beauty Leader (Italy), and N&B itself is recognised as the Leading Sustainable Beauty Manufacturer 2026 – Italy, we take a closer look at the company behind pure food for the skin. responsibly, this pledge also shows up in the variety of initiatives that Domenico and the team have both created and supported over the years. All of this comes together in the vision and slogan that N&B abides by: ‘People & Planet First’. Every choice made my Domenico, N&B, and the entire production process align with the highest ethical values and the highest level of respect for people and the planet. To this end, the company even treats its social and environmental impact as a primary measure of business success. This is why it meant a lot to the team to achieve the B-Corp Certification back in 2016, placing it firmly within a community of businesses looking to ensure a better future for the next generations and a better quality of life for the current ones. Domenico himself has embodied this ethos to the full, creating many local events and activities to highlight the importance of sustainability and showing respect for both each other and our planet. One of his most popular initiatives saw him donate more than 3,500 aloe vera plants to the urban green areas of the city. It was thanks to this generosity that Martano, the city N&B calls home, has since garnered the nickname ‘City of Aloe’. But this is just the beginning for Domenico, who looks to drive community impact in every way that he can. For N&B, this means only working with collaborators that come from cities within 50km of its own, as well as focusing on employment opportunities for women and young people. Today, these groups comprise 65% of its human resources. Moreover, the company’s culture is built on inclusion, dignity, and respect, with N&B even being likened to one big family as a result of the strong team mentality and attitude it possesses. Behind N&B’s immense capabilities today are this skilled, motivated team Domenico has built step by step, with every individual within the company sharing its CEOs vision and passion for quality. These are the people who continue to reinforce both the green quality concept and capacity for innovation that N&B is renowned for, both of which have led to major awards being received at national and international levels. We are delighted to add to this acclaim by celebrating Domenico and N&B Natural is Better in this feature. B Contact: Domenico Scordari Company: N&B Natural is Better Web Address: nbnaturalisbetter.com
CEO MONTHLY / NOVEMBER 2026 13 At the Helm of One of the World’s Biggest Stock Exchanges – Twice Offering updates on exchange traded products and the latest insights on capital markets, India’s economy, and investor education, the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) is renowned internationally for driving economic growth in India. As its CEO, Ashish Chauhan, is named Most Influential CEO 2026: Capital Markets Innovation Leadership – India, and NSE itself crowned the Capital Markets Institution of the Year 2026 – India, we took a closer look at key role that its CEO has played. The National Stock Exchange of India Limited is India’s largest stock exchange and the world’s largest derivatives exchange. It was officially incorporated in 1992, before being recognised as a stock exchange by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) the following year. It commenced operations in 1994, with the launch of the wholesale debt market, followed shortly thereafter by the launch of the cash market segment. In the more than 30 years since, NSE has continued to evolve and expand its offerings. From its headquarters at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, NSE today stands as a market leader across both the cash and F&O segments of the capital and derivatives markets. It covers a vertically integrated, multi-asset class exchange that spans trading, clearing, listing, index, and data services, within the cash market, F&O, exchange-trade currency, commodity derivatives, mutual funds, wholesale debt, and interest rates alike. Ashish Chauhan joined NSE as its CEO in July 2022, having previously served as its vice president from 1993 to 2000. During his first tenure, Ashish worked as part of a closeknit team of five, helping to establish and then operate NSE during its earliest days. Ashish specifically was responsible for managing NSE’s equities markets from 1994 onwards, and he proved instrumental in setting up initial IT infrastructure like the first commercial satellite telecom network in India for NSE to utilise. This is just the beginning, as Ashish was also essential in creating NSE-50, the largest trade index in derivatives in India, and securing NSE’s certification in financial markets, not to mention bringing IPO through screen and several other innovations to India’s markets. As a result of helping to set up modern exchange traded financial derivatives in India during his first stint with NSE, Ashish came to earn the nickname ‘the Father of Modern Financial Derivatives’ in India, which has since stuck. Upon leaving NSE as the new millennium dawned, Ashish secured work in other esteemed organisations across India, including serving as group CIO of the Reliance group and even the CEO of cricket team the Mumbai Indians. Before triumphantly retuning to NSE, Ashish worked as the deputy CEO and then CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Limited. A decade at the helm of Asia first’s exchange put Ashish in a great position to lead NSE, which is today the fifth-largest stock exchange in the world by way of total market capitalisation. With Ashish as its CEO, NSE continues to blossom into a homegrown brand with a global vision. This is seen through achievements including being the largest multi-asset class exchange across number of trades in cash equities and contracts traded in equity derivatives in fiscal year 2026. In the same period, in what was another full-circle moment of sorts for Ashish, NSE officially became listed on the BSE, following a decade-long wait. Whilst this marks the start of a new chapter for NSE, it is simply the most recent of many headlines. A long-time pioneer, NSE has been an innovator since it first started trading 32 years ago, and set a benchmark for increased system performance and reliability thanks to Ashish and the small team who got things up and running when the National Stock Exchange of India Limited was little more than an idea that some of them had. NSE has kept on the right track ever since by investing majorly across both of these areas, nurturing an impressive culture of innovation and utilising the latest tools to promote transparency and efficiency. More recently, this can be seen through a robust, state-ofthe-art technology platform that offers safety, efficiency, and robustness when it comes to trading/investment opportunities across all asset classes and for all types of investor. This feeds into something bigger for NSE, which is committed to investor protection and the disciplined development of the dynamic capital market landscape in India. Ashish embodies this every day, and remains committed to nurturing NSE’s growth as we move into the final months of 2026 and beyond. Capping off the year with a title for himself and another for something that he has been such an integral part of for so many years, it is our pleasure to celebrate Ashish Chauhan and the NSE itself in our Most Influential CEO Awards 2026 feature. More on one of the world’s most dominant stock and derivatives exchanges can be found at the link below. Company: National Stock Exchange of India Limited Web Address: https://www.nseindia.in/ Nov23008
www.ceo-review.comRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==