Category Archives: Spotlight Interviews

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH GARETH EVANS, SENIOR FRAUD AND FINANCIAL CRIME PREVENTION CONSULTANT AT BAE SYSTEMS

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A conversation with Gareth Evans, Senior Fraud and Financial Crime Prevention Consultant at BAE Systems

1. What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

I hope the audience will gain an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities from the evolution of banking in particular around the challenges of customer experience against security.

2. What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

I’m interested to understand different perspectives around the best way to secure the bank in the most open way possible.

  1. What do you enjoy most about your role?

Going out and meeting customers and industry professionals and getting different perspectives on the various challenges we face.

  1. How did you get into the industry?

Right place, right time. I was starting my career at a bank when the internet came into our lives, as a result I started getting involved in internet banking and the challenges that came with this new world. I didn’t know very much and neither did anyone else back then, so we learnt as we went and 20+ year later here I am.

  1. Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

Too many to pick one. I loved driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in California, I love Sydney Australia (where I am lucky enough to be moderating an event at the end of July) and many other cities around the world (which is a good thing as this role has me spending a lot of time travelling).

Join Gareth Evans on the webinar entitled ‘How to strike the right balance between reducing fraud and creating a frictionless experience for your genuine banking customers‘ BAE Systems on 20th June at 10AM London/11AM CET.

Spotlight Interview with Paul Stone, Product Evangelist at FlowForma

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A conversation with Paul Stone, Product Evangelist at FlowForma

 

With 27 years’ experience in the IT industry, Paul is a highly accomplished IT professional who has been involved in a vast array of projects, delivering bespoke SharePoint and .Net solutions, incorporating workflows, data gathering and reporting.

What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

I know our community love to hear real world examples of how organizations are automating processes and accelerating digital transformation. I’m hoping our audience will enjoy hearing from our customer James Morgan, IT Manager of the A14 Integrated Delivery Team (a £1.5bn joint venture between Costain, Skanska and Balfour Beatty), he has great practical examples of what digital transformation really means – on the ground, here-and-now, in the cut-and-thrust of busy working days.

 

The theme of this webinar will be dominated by Automation, Visibility & Mobility, primarily discussing how the A14 brought complicated paper-based processes such as permission to dig, site visit request forms and labor requests online. This was achieved by implementing a no code Process Automation technology platform, into what is one of the largest road construction projects running in the UK.

 

The key learning objectives of this webinar are:

  • Learn why the time is right for process change
  • Learn how the A14 Joint Venture is automating large amounts of document generation, while centralizing and standardizing data across projects
  • Discover how the A14 joint venture rapidly deployed multiple processes, and increased efficiency and governance with a full audit trail
  • Hear how the intuitiveness and rich features of FlowForma’s no code process automation tool, make it very adaptable and easy for everyone to use

 

If you’re looking to utilize the power of a process automation tool, this webinar is perfect for you.

 

What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

James and I are looking forward to discussing common challenges that the energy and engineering sector are facing such as manual processes, excessive paperwork, logistical challenges etc. I’m excited for James to share how he overcame these pain points and more by automating processes with the no code FlowForma Process Automation tool for Office 365. James is keen to show attendees how they automated processes such as permission to dig and targeted risk monitoring. I’ll also give attendees a short demo of the FlowForma Process Automation tool. We’d love to make the webinar as interactive as possible, so please send us any questions you have for us to [email protected] or just raise your hand during the webinar.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy working with customers and prospects, understanding their challenges and finding ways that FlowForma Process Automation can improve their situation. I love helping organizations transform their ways of working and increase productivity through innovation.

 

How did you get into the industry?

I was interested in computing since childhood and my childhood hobby turned into a career! I joined the founding team at FlowForma after spending many years delivering bespoke data and workflow solutions in large organizations. I knew the pain of traditional software delivery methods and wanted to promote a new no code approach to empower business managers – now I get to help people.

 

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I have visited and worked in many places around the world, I’m always keen to experience new cultures. My favourite place is my homeland of Ireland, our people have a lot to offer and it’s so accessible! I’m lucky that I get to travel a lot in my role, visiting prospects and customers across the US, UK and Europe.

 

Dave Dejean – SVP Strategic Initiatives, Systech

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A conversation with Dave Dejean, SVP Strategic Initiatives, Systech

 

David DeJean is responsible for Systech’s strategic initiatives, which support and educate customers with proven offerings and best practices for implementing Enterprise Serialization, Track & Trace and Authentication solutions. DeJean brings a wealth of market knowledge, hands-on experience in solution design and development, and project methodology. His role includes staying abreast of international regulations, business and industry drivers, defining high performance project outcomes, and delivering cost-effective solutions that are integrated and expandable to meet future needs as market dynamics fluctuate.

BRW: Key strategies brands should keep in mind for protecting their products from counterfeiting and diversion across the supply chain:

Always stay focused on protecting your genuine products as they travel across the supply chain. Counterfeiting is now the largest criminal enterprise in the world and no product is immune to the ravages it can cause. Product diversion is also a major problem for many manufacturers and can eat away at brand and revenue protection.

There are many different types of product authentication solutions in the market. Many are “additive” labelling solutions such as taggants, holograms, special inks, and more, in addition to a label’s barcode or data matrix. Some help, some are flawed. There’s more that can be leveraged with an existing product’s packaging. Innovative technology is already being used by major global brands across industry to better track products in the supply chain and secure product safety.

BRW: Why is supply chain innovation so important for brands to stay focused on? 

Because you cannot fight new battles with old weapons, brands must continue to innovate. Product safety is key. Protecting the supply chain from counterfeiters has been on the regulatory agenda for a long time because counterfeiters are getting smarter and can replicate almost anything.

For example, the pharmaceutical industry has witnessed the implementation of compliance regulations to help combat the threat of falsified medicines and protect patient safety. But compliance does not equal brand protection or anti-counterfeiting. The problem is only getting worse on a global scale and is impacting many other industries including wine and spirits and cosmetics.

BRW: What do you foresee as being the biggest game changer in supply chain technology in the next few years?

New, all-digital approaches that connect physical product to digital records is a trusted solution that enables cross-supply chain mobility using technology such as Systech’s e-Fingerprint®. This also means that emerging technologies like blockchain can be employed, which combine digital identity with authenticated and trusted physical product identity offering complete visibility and more robust information and data capture, which can be used for competitive advantage.

BRW: Who is Systech?

Systech is revolutionizing brand protection. For over 30 years, global brands have relied on its advanced software to combat counterfeiting, prevent product diversion and meet regulatory compliance. Innovation is deeply ingrained in Systech’s DNA—from its start-up roots in advanced machine vision to pioneering pharmaceutical serialization and transforming traceability and non-additive authentication. Systech’s software solutions keep products authentic, safe and connected across the supply chain—from manufacturing to the consumer’s hands.

Join Dave DeJean on a webinar entitled ‘Secure Your Supply Chain with Authentic, Safe and Connected Products‘ by Systech on 17th April at 3PM London/10AM New York.

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Spotlight Interview with Josh Lewis, Solution Consultant at Blackline

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A Conversation with Josh Lewis, Solution Consultant at Blackline

 

Josh Lewis, Blackline Solutions Consultant is a former Continuous Improvement Manager for a Finance SSC with 500 staff, former EMEA Corporate Tax Manager for a global energy business & former Audit and Tax experience with KPMG and other firms.  He is a qualified Accountant (CPA United States) and a Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt.

Join Josh Lewis on the webinar entitled ‘How to Digitize your Financial Accounting Processes to Reduce Risk & Dramatically Increase Efficiency’ by Blackline on 3PM London/10AM New York

Register Here!

BRW: What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar? 

The audience will gain a clear understanding of what  “better controls, automation, visibility and reporting” across the close processes delivers to them personally as an Accountant or Finance Manager and how this allows them to be better business partners.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

I’d expect to be answering audience questions such as:

  • How do we connect to your data?
  • How do we automatically certify reconciliations?
  • Where do we sit in the financial close process?

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role? 

Challenging belief systems and inspiring change.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

Having worked with BlackLine software at a client I was offered a job to join BlackLine and be an advocate for the use of Cloud Technology to improve close processes.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why? 

Top of any mountain because it takes both courage and grit to get there.  And very occasionally, a warm, flat and dry place to have a quick rest.

 

 

Spotlight Interview with Miki Goetsch, Director of Regional Expansion at Inceptua

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A conversation with Miki Goetsch, Director of Regional Expansion at Inceptua

Miki Goetsch is a Director at Inceptua Group, responsible for rapidly growing regions, such as Asia’s developing clinical trial market. Miki is also a board member for Inceptua’s Japan office in Kobe.

Miki has extensive experience working with Japanese, American, and European companies, particularly with consulting on how to benefit most efficiently from the opportunities of collaboration between East and West. During her time at Inceptua, Miki has been responsible for ensuring the success and setup of the Japan, China, and UK offices, as well as leading the Operations team in the Clinical Trial Services department. Her main focus is to strategically implement what is best for clients in terms of their needs from EU/US to Asia. Miki is fluent in Japanese and English.

Miki is reachable for questions and consultation on China and broader Asia expansion at [email protected]

BRW: What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

China has become the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market, which comes with enormous opportunities, but the landscape is complex. Our webinar will help the audience understand the challenges they may face when undertaking a clinical trial project in China. We will discuss how finding a reliable partner who can provide strategic consulting, support with sourcing, and ensure high-quality standards and service in the region is key to making the most out of the opportunities in China.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

Companies hoping to launch clinical trial projects in China are often daunted by risks to supply chain integrity, and the inevitable challenge of cost control in an unknown market. We look forward to addressing any specific queries audience members may have on these issues and exploring some of the solutions Inceptua can offer.

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role?

I greatly enjoy working with our specialized team in China to explore new business opportunities. My colleague and co-host, Viktor Sandstedt, has in-depth knowledge of the local market and knows how to support domestic and international clients in finding the best solutions for operating in China. In addition, our COO, Kay-Christian Karstadt, is an expert in the Asian Pharmaceutical industry, specialising in the optimization of global clinical supply chains.

I am a Japanese native speaker, but the rest of our team in China is fluent in Mandarin, including Viktor and Kay. I really enjoy working as part of an international team who are engaged with the local culture in China and can help guide our clients through cultural and communication challenges of operating there.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

I joined Inceptua four years ago. I’ve always had strategic roles in aligning the needs and priorities of East and West, usually between Japan and the US or EU. Since joining Inceptua, I’ve been involved in setting up the Japan, China, and UK branches and have held global roles in Administration and Operations. As we are adapting to current market trends, we now have a specialized team that can support clients wishing to expand their activity in Asia. Inceptua has a long history of doing business in China, and we have an office in Shanghai. I love that Inceptua is really answering to our clients’ needs and proving to be a flexible, strategic, and successful partner in the growing Chinese market.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

Tough question – I must say that there is a special place in my heart for Japan and Texas as both are my home, but I’ve always loved travelling and encountering new countries and cultures. I’ve had the great pleasure to have been to more than 50 countries and can confidently say that there is a uniqueness in nature, culture, architecture, cuisine, and people everywhere, in which that uniqueness connects us all. If I have to choose right now, I think I live in my favourite place in the world which is Berlin, Germany. I view it as a microcosm of the world, with many unique people and cultures colliding, coexisting, and collaborating, and it’s a great feeling living in a city where uniqueness is valued.

Join Miki Goetsch on the webinar entitled ‘Navigating Sourcing in China’ by Inceptua on 3PM London/10AM New York

Register Here!

Spotlight Interview with Chris Williams, Lead Solution Architect at IBM

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A conversation with Chris Williams, Lead Solution Architect at IBM

Chris Williams is a Lead Solution Architect in IBM’s Data Science & AI team and was previously the Chief Architect for IBM Watson in Europe. He works with IBM’s clients and partners across all industries. Chris specialises in using AI and data to add real value to businesses. He was part of Watson from its commercial launch in 2014. Prior to this Chris worked in big data, analytics and data warehousing for 20 years delivering large scale analytics projects in retail, telecommunications and government. Chris is a Fellow of the British Computer Society.

 

BRW: What do you hope attendees will gain at your event/s?

I hope that people will be inspired to get excited about the possibilities that AI offers to make our lives better. I also hope that they will see AI as something that is real today and can be implemented in businesses right now. I also hope that they will leave with an understanding of the challenges around things like trust and transparency and how we are helping to address these issues.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the attendees?

I enjoy being challenged on some of the practicalities of implementing AI solutions and then sharing my own experiences of tackling these challenges over the past 5 years.

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love working with such a variety of clients across different industries and improving how they operate. In AI there are new ideas and possibilities every day.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

I spent many years working with data and analytics. When I was offered the opportunity to work with IBM Watson I jumped at it. I could really see the potential that Cognitive Systems and AI had to take analysis and decision making to the next level.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I love London, especially watching West Ham play at the London stadium, but probably my favourite place is Coronado near San Diego. I really love the beach, the weather and the vibe there.

Join Chris Williams on a webinar entitled ‘Scaling AI across the Enterprise’ by IBM on 2PM London/10AM New York

Register Here!

Spotlight Interview with Marc Mettler, Head Business Development, 3rd-eyes

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A conversation with Marc Mettler, Head Business Development at 3rd-eyes

Marc Mettler – Head Business Development, 3rd-eyes

Marc is an Executive with 18 years of transformation experience in the Wealth Management industry with a focus on Advisory Processes, Strategic Pricing and Offering Management, Business & Operating Model Design. As a result of the programmes and projects he led across the globe, he understands the challenges of the wealth management industry in detail.

He joined 3rd-eyes beginning of 2018 as Managing Partner, being responsible for Strategic Business Development, Sales and Marketing.

 

BRW: What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

All wealth managers are eager to grow but few take advantage of novel solutions which facilitate this. We will demonstrate how clients can be motivated to disclose their entire wealth information during a meeting, supporting cross-selling and increasing the share of wallet.
Further, we will show that standardisation as efficiency measure of the past is no longer justified: today, solutions are available which can cope with individual situations in a fully automated way. So, standardisation is no longer the pre-requisite for cost savings.
Last, we will show how personal beliefs of clients can be leveraged to motivate them to invest into actively managed products instead of ETFs.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

The most important thing for me is interaction during the session. So please feel free to ask any question you may have.

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role?

Learning remains key: My role comes with a completely new challenge content- and environment-wise: Before I joined 3rd-eyes, I was initiating and executing programmes in a corporate environment. Now, I am responsible for Business Development, Sales and Marketing, not being a specialist in all those roles, and this in an entrepreneurial environment.
I can leverage my strengths: 18 years of transformation experience in Wealth Management supports me perfectly to advise prospects and clients going through the transformation.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

Wealth Management has been my focus for a long time: my plan has always been to move into a bank after a couple of years as management consultant. After some stops at Credit Suisse, UBS, and after nine exciting years at Julius Bär in various global roles, I decided beginning 2017 to pursue a new challenge in a more entrepreneurial role. I remained with Julius Bär until end of the year to finalise the programme I led at the time, and got in touch with 3rd-eyes during my termination period. This was the perfect match for me: a professional FinTech with a senior management team, driving innovation in Wealth Management. So, I joined 3rd-eyes first as BoD member and later in my operational role.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I was lucky to have seen many places around the world which I really liked a lot. But living with my family in Switzerland is really perfect.

Join Marc Mettler on a webinar entitled ‘How Digital Wealth Planning can Help Your Financial Institution Grow AuM and Revenue‘ by 3rd-eyes on 7th March at 3PM London/10AM New York.

Register Here!

Spotlight Interview – With James Sokolowski – Ph.D.,- Tessella

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A Conversation with James Sokolowski – Ph.D.,  Principal Consultant – Analytics Solutions at Tessella

Jim currently directs Tessella’s analytics solutions, manages the company’s operations in Houston, and acts as technical lead for Tessella’s most complex and strategically important analytics projects. Jim has produced patentable intellectual property across multiple domains supporting military, intelligence, other federal, state, and local government, as well as an incredible diversity of commercial customer segments. Jim’s unique skill set enables him to produce the most cost-effective solutions in new and challenging environments where out-of-the-box problem solving is essential.

BRW: What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

The key takeaways are that AI is in fact complex, without any easy answers, but this doesn’t imply that successful AI implementations are impossible or even cost ineffective to develop.  AI success requires respecting the complexity, watching for all possible failure modes, and using sound development techniques.  We will cover these topics in detail.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

My favorite discussions center around two main points.  First, ‘what can I learn from other industries’ and the second revolves around fundamental and conceptual aspects of AI, machine learning, and analytics in general.  Both these approaches show folks are considering the basics, which is the best and most important starting point.

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role?

I absolutely love listening to folks discuss their business problems.  The opportunity to absorb inputs, and synthesize a bigger-picture solution to extremely complex problems always starts with the underlying business issues and motivations.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

With my training as a physicist, astronomer, and astrophysicist, working with the craziest data has been part of my work.  This also led to a focus on what I call the ‘capabilities and limitations’ of data, so that one can hope to craft an optimal data processing and analytics chain to extract critical business information.  I started my own consulting company more than twenty years ago and learned AI & ML as these tools became available and necessary for my work, and now with Tessella the breadth and sophistication of the challenges just continues to grow.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

I absolutely love everything about Texas.  The people are warm, friendly, self-reliant, and very much common sense.  The ecosystems offer everything from mountains and deserts to pine forests and year-round warm weather.  In Houston, I can be active year-round windsurfing, kiteboarding, and competing at disk golf so that helps me stay healthy and engaged.

Join James Sokolowski on a webinar entitled Delivering Business Value from Machine Learning and Analytics by Tesella on 27th Februuary at 3PM London/10AM New York.

Register Here!

 

 

Spotlight Interview – With Simon Daplyn and Adam Stack- Sensient Imaging Technologies

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Simon Daplyn, Marketing Manager

Dr Simon Daplyn Joined Sensient 2015 as part of their acquisition of Xennia Technology Ltd and is the Marketing Manager for the digital inks group. Simon has experience in development of digital inks and processes, commercial implementation and direct sales across a number of applications and industries.

Adam Stack, Product Manager

Adam Stack joined Sensient in 2015 as a Product Manager, with responsibilities for Product and Marketing Management for the Digital Inks team. Adam has experience implementing and executing product commercialization, marketing communications initiatives, as well as creation and launch of Sensient’s assurance plan for Edible inks.

BRW: What do you hope the audience will learn from this webinar?

We hope that by the end of the webinar the audience will have a better understanding of inkjet printing and the potential benefits it can offer within the food and pharmaceutical industry.  Additionally we would like to express the work done by Sensient in our manufacturing and supply chain management to mitigate any risks that could affect brand reputation.  Printing onto edible products is a complex balance of chemistry that is fit for purpose and fit for consumption.

BRW: What discussions do you look forward to having with the audience?

We look forward to understanding more about the role printing plays or could play in their business to increase consumer interaction and safety.

BRW: What do you enjoy most about your role?

SD – The inkjet industry is dynamically evolving with countless areas of potential.  Understanding new markets and the potential benefits of our technology is an exciting prospect.  Being able to influence product development strategies and shape the future technologies of Sensient and our partners is something we really enjoy.

AS – Every day we are learning about the development and application of inkjet across a range of industrial applications.  Getting below the surface to identify the key details that matter most to the market and matching their needs technically and commercially is what really drives us.

BRW: How did you get into the industry?

SD – I am a chemist by training and after completing a degree in colour and polymer chemistry from the University of Leeds in the UK, I studied further for a PhD in inkjet printing.  From that point, there has been no turning back.  I joined a start-up inkjet development company in 2004 and moved to a leading integrator of digital printing, Xennia Technology in 2008 where is was responsible for managing complex ink development projects for industrial clients.  I transitioned to a commercial role in 2012 before Sensient acquired Xennia in 2015.  I now manage the marketing output of the Inks Group and often talk at conferences and training seminars to share our knowledge in inkjet science.

AS – I really got into this industry when I joined Sensient in 2015.  I was an experienced Product manager looking for a new challenge and this industry has provided just that.  I have been able to take on board an understanding of inkjet as a printing process whilst focussing on key markets and technologies such as edible inks and their application.

BRW: Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

SD – I have been very lucky to travel to many parts of the world whilst doing this job.  All have opened my eyes to new cultures and experiences that will last a lifetime.  There is always the pull of home though and for me the mountains and coastline of Wales where I grew up will always be my favourite place.

 

Join Simon Daplyn and Adam Stack  on a webinar entitled Inkjet Printing of Edible Inks by Sensient Imaging Technologies on 28th November at 3PM London/11AM New York

Register here!

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW WITH PERRY KRUG – ARCHITECT – COUCHBASE

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Perry Krug,
Architect, Office of the CTO

Perry Krug is an Architect in the office of the CTO and general customer advocate for Couchbase. Perry has worked with hundreds of users and companies to deploy, manage and maintain their installations of Couchbase’s NoSQL database technology, ranging from single-node deployments to large-scale clusters with billions of records. Perry is the conduit between customers and the engineering team, providing the much-needed flow of communication for both sides to work efficiently. He has been with Couchbase for over 8 years and has been working with high performance caching and database systems for over 12.

What do you hope attendees will gain at your event/s?

Attendees should walk away with a better understanding of why, where and how to leverage the Couchbase NoSQL database as both a caching layer and system of record.

 

What discussions do you look forward to having with the attendees?

Looking forward to having practical and hands-on discussions about the problems they are trying to solve and how to understand whether Couchbase would be able to help.

 

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I am a technical conduit between our customers and engineering, my favourite part is translating needs into reality in both directions.

 

How did you get into the industry?

I was originally a computer science major with a focus on Network Engineering and found my way to Couchbase through a chain of technologies that included data migration, NFS caching, memcached and eventually NoSQL.

 

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

London.  The energy and culture is unparalleled in the world.

 

Join Perry Krug on a webinar entitled Modernizing the Mainframe: Evolving Your Caching Layer Into a Source of Truth and System of Record by Couchbase on 20th November at 2PM New York / 11AM San Francisco.

Register Here!