admin, Author at Tycoon Success

Nathan Hunt, A Dynamic, Hands-On Leader Empowering Business To Grow At Gateway Group Of Companies

An Award-winning Business Leader and Company Formation Specialist, Nathan Hunt Joined Gateway to help companies get licensed to do business in Abu Dhabi & Dubai. Presently, he is successfully spearheading Gateway as the CEO to expand its services to provide more business setup solutions, including free zones setups and Tajer Abu Dhabi licenses for entrepreneurs. Additionally, he launched and heads up the Food & Beverage consultancy and management services under the Gateway Group brand, working with both existing businesses and startups to develop solutions and focus on business growth for success.

Nathan is a trained chef with experience in Europe and the West Indies before settling in the UAE in 2004 where he continued in the food and beverage industry until he reached the top of his profession as a Regional Group Executive Chef.

Further, Nathan apprised, “Working as a chef is a highly pressured job and the management skills, I had gained over the years were easily transferable and complemented Gateway’s business, such as managing teams, stakeholders, and suppliers; striving for excellence; cost control; implementing standard operating procedures, keeping on top of trends and anticipating the next, etc.”

More about the Firm

The Gateway Group Of Companies helps organisations to mitigate the risks of getting licensed to do business in the UAE. They help organisations to choose the right license for their business & long-term goals, ensuring the protection of their assets and profits. Their on-the-ground knowledge and experience ensure license procedures are carried out efficiently and their nominee corporate sponsor service provides our clients with the control and protection of their business. They also organise residence visas to help their client’s employees and their families to live and work in the UAE legally.

Clientele & Corporate Ethos

Gateway was originally established to help organisations overcome the difficulties of getting licensed to do business in the UAE. Gateway identified recurring issues companies were experiencing, such as wrong licenses, empty promises, being stuck in exclusivity contracts, no exit strategies, uncooperative local sponsors, lost profits, and more, and created no-nonsense, transparent, and well-communicated services to address them. Establishing a presence in the UAE doesn’t need to be difficult, providing you engage the right expertise at the outset. So Gateway’s approach has always been client-focused and doing what is in their best interests. Their corporate strapline is Reassuringly Honest.

Here, the clientele includes SMEs to large international organizations. Once clients have had a bad experience and they switch to their services, they are usually surprised and impressed at the quality and smoothness of our operations, which means they can spend more time focusing on their own businesses.

Overcoming Entrepreneurial Hindrances & the Inspiring Team

Nathan and his colleagues go through the same challenges as any other business, namely employing the right people at the right time and constantly innovating their service offering to remain relevant to the clients.

There is a fantastic team and we work together as a family. Their values match those of the organisation, which is Honesty. Trust. Integrity. And, the management gives their employees the freedom to develop. They each genuinely contribute to the development of Gateway. “We are extremely proud to say that we have never lost a staff member”, said Nathan.

The team is working on the front line and they are the ones who experience regulatory changes or client challenges first and are often the ones to therefore suggest changes to the services when they are needed.

Nathan’s Views on Creating a Balanced and Equal Industry

According to Nathan, companies should give more value to their employees. Employees are the cogs of a business and without them, there is no business. By hiring the right person for each role, remunerating them fairly, motivating them appropriately and genuinely making them feel a part of the team, and showing them the value they contribute to the business will make for happier employees and will also benefit the business in terms of productivity enormously. Too many organisations consider their employees a cost rather than an asset to invest in.

A Day in Nathan Hunt’s Life

“I get up early, let the dogs out and head straight into our home office, usually, around 4:30 am. Getting up and getting on with your day is essential for business success. I can get a good couple of hours of work done before the team gets to the office. I can clear emails that arrived overnight and also have virtual meetings with both the Far East and the US. It means I can take advantage of the time zones. During office hours, no two days are the same, but they will generally be made up of virtual meetings and calls if I’m working from home or face-to-face meetings if I’m working in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. When I have the opportunity, I get in a round of golf. This is a great way to combine business and my hobby. I’m also currently Vice-Captain of the Al Ain Golf Club. Evenings can be spent at home having a meal with my wife, attending networking events, or playing golf, so days end at varying times”, shared Nathan when asked about his daily routine.

Favourite Book

Millionnaire Underdog by JT FOXX. JT is one of Nathan’s business coaches. His book consolidates practical ideas and strategies for scaling your businesses. Each time you read it, you pull out ideas to implement that are particularly relevant to you at that particular time or get reminded about things you used to do for your business and need to start doing again. It’s an easy read, full of energy to make you take action and based upon proven results!

What’s Next on the Cards?

The future looks very exciting for Gateway. The company is about to expand its services into Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) meaning that they can specifically help their clients wishing to set up SPV’s to hold assets such as shares of private companies, shares in publicly listed companies, real estate, intellectual property rights (‘IP rights’) (e.g. trademarks), etc.

Accreditation on the Way

Gateway has received numerous accolades over the years. This year it was awarded with the ‘Best Onshore Business Sponsorship Services UAE’ by MEA Markets and their founding partner is in FORBES’ Top 100 Most Influential Women In The Middle East. These certainly reinforce their credibility in the market.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

It’s very easy as an entrepreneur to get caught up in the operations of a business, rather than leading it, especially in the early days, so having the foresight to step out of your business and take a look at it will help with future planning and decision making. Be prepared to be uncomfortable – if you are living in your comfort zone, you aren’t leading and making changes and growing. Learn from others – you can avoid the common business mistakes entrepreneurs make if you take time to study other business leaders and their strategies – they have already made the mistakes and this means you can avoid them. Get a business coach to keep you accountable and focused. Surround yourself with people who know more than you.

Favourite Quote

“Don’t do your best, do whatever it takes,” JT Foxx.

The cybersecurity threat landscape

With the prevalence of 24-hour connectivity and modern advancements in technology, threats are evolving rapidly to exploit different aspects of these technologies. Any device is vulnerable to attack, and with the Internet of Things (IoT) this became a reality. The IoT has seen increased usage of digital communication and the increased transfer of data via digital platforms increases the risk of data interception by malicious individuals. Pervasive surveillance through digital devices is also a recent threat with the increased use of smartphones. Governments can now engage in digital surveillance of their citizenry with the excuse of providing security against potential terrorist threats. Criminals can also do similar tasks to the detriment of the targeted victims. In 2014, ESET, an internet security company, reported 73,000 unprotected security cameras with default passwords.

In April 2017, IOActive found 7,000 vulnerable Linksys routers in use, although they said that there could be up to 100,000 additional routers exposed to this vulnerability.

In 2018, Marriott Hotels disclosed that 500 million customers’ data was leaked, and in April 2020 they disclosed another data breach affecting 5 million customers.

In 2019, First American Corporation a real estate title insurer, disclosed quarters of a billion mortgage deal documents, including bank account numbers, tax records, Social Security numbers, wire transaction receipts, and driver’s license images.

In 2020, Fire one of the largest cybersecurity companies in world , disclosed that they had been hacked, likely by a government, and that an arsenal of hacking tools used to test the defenses of its clients had been stolen.

April 2021, Facebook disclosed one more data leakage this time 540 of its users data , including Mark Zuckerberg’s data…

Cybersecurity and COVID-19

The cybersecurity landscape is always evolving and presenting new challenges, but since the COVID-19 global pandemic began, the cyber landscape has shifted at rapid speeds, leaving IT security professionals around the world scrambling to adapt to the new threat landscape. This has driven the IT world to adopt innovative methods of managing the business resilience and digital needs of a fully remote workforce, for example, with the use of video conference technology.

One of those technologies is Zoom: free, accessible, and easy to use. Zoom’s user base rocketed from 10 million in December 2019 to 200 million by the end of April 2020. This rapid increase caught the attention of security researchers, who found many security issues that have cast a shadow over the product.

Of course, Zoom is not the only company to feel the pinch during the pandemic. Cybersecurity threats have heightened during the crisis, as cybercriminals look to take advantage of companies that haven’t adopted the best practices of this rapid change and, as a result, are not operating as securely as they usually would.

When a company CEO asks what the vulnerabilities in a home device have to do with their company, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) should be ready to give an answer. The CISO should have a better understanding of the threat landscape and how home user devices may impact the overall security that the company needs to enforce. The answer comes in two simple scenarios, remote access and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

While remote access is not new, the number of remote workers is growing exponentially. 43% of employed Americans report spending at least some time working remotely, according to Gallup, which means they are using their own infrastructure to access a company’s resources.

Compounding this issue, we have a growth in the number of companies allowing BYOD in the workplace. This use of unmanaged devices is opening doors for adversaries, who have shifted quickly to exploit the newly increased attack surface and overstretched IT resources. This rapid shift in the threat landscape has left organizations scrambling to scale their security systems to meet the rise in the use of personal home networks, handheld devices, and apps beyond the scope of the enterprise environment.

Keep in mind that there are ways to implement BYOD securely, but most of the failures in a BYOD scenario usually happen because of poor planning and network architecture, which lead to an insecure implementation.

What is the commonality among the previously mentioned technologies? To operate them you need a user, which is the greatest target for attack: human error is the weakest link in the security chain. For this reason, old threats such as phishing are still on the rise. This is because they attack the psychological aspects of the user by enticing them to click on something, such as a file attachment or malicious link. Once the user performs one of these actions, their device usually either becomes compromised by malicious software (malware) or is remotely accessed by a hacker.

Understanding the attack surface

In very simple terms, the attack surface is the collection of all potential vulnerabilities that, if exploited, can allow unauthorized access to the system, data, or network. These vulnerabilities are often also called attack vectors, and they can span from software to hardware, to a network, and to users (which is the human factor). The risk of being attacked or compromised is directly proportional to the extent of attack surface exposure. The higher the number of attack vectors, the larger the attack surface, and the higher the risk of compromise. That’s why many organizations prioritize attack surface management to identify and mitigate these risks effectively. It ensures their systems are protected against potential threats.

Just to give you the extent of an attack surface and its exposure, let’s look into MITRE’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) database, here: https://cve.mitre.org/cve/. The database provides a list of cybersecurity vulnerabilities that have been targeted in the past, to make organizations aware of them should they use the same software or hardware systems. It has 108,915 CVE entries at the time of writing, which have been identified over the past few decades. Certainly, many of these have been fixed, but some may still exist. This huge number indicates how big the risk of exposure is.

Any software that is running on a system can potentially be exploited using vulnerabilities in the software, either remotely or locally. This applies particularly to software that is web-facing, as it is more exposed, and the attack surface is much larger. Often, these vulnerable applications and software can lead to the compromise of the entire network, posing a risk to the data it is managing. Furthermore, there is another risk that these applications or software are often exposed to: insider threat, where any authenticated user can gain access to data that is unprotected due to badly implemented access controls.

An attack surface may be exposed to network attacks that can be categorized as either passive or active, depending on the nature of the attack. These can force network services to collapse, making services temporarily unavailable, allow unauthorized access to the data flowing through the network, and other negative business impacts.

In the event of a passive attack, the network might be monitored by the adversary to capture passwords, or to capture sensitive information. During a passive attack, an attacker can leverage the network traffic to intercept communications between sensitive systems and steal information. This can be done without the user even knowing about it. Alternatively, during an active attack, the adversary will try to bypass the protection systems using malware or other forms of network-based vulnerabilities to break into the network assets; active attacks can lead to the exposure of data and sensitive files. Active attacks can also lead to Denial-of-Service (DoS) type attacks. Some common types of attack vectors are:

Social engineering scams
Drive-by downloads
Malicious URLs and scripts
Browser-based attacks
Attacks on the supply chain (which are becoming increasingly common)
Network-based attack vectors

To find out more about this topic, I would highly recommend that you download and read Verizon data breach reports: https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/.

What follows is a relevant excerpt, which indicates the various factors that shape an organization’s attack surface:

“Errors definitely win the award for best supporting action this year. They are now equally as common as Social breaches and more common than Malware, and are truly ubiquitous across all industries. Only Hacking remains higher, and that is due to credential theft and use, which we have already touched upon. Misconfiguration errors have been increasing. This can be, in large part, associated with internet-exposed storage discovered by security researchers and unrelated third parties.”

According to the Verizon breach report, hackers’ tactics and motives have not changed much over the last 5 years, with 63% of breaches launched for financial gain, and 52% of breaches featuring hacking. Ransomware attacks account for nearly 24% of attacks involving malware, and breaches continue to take a long time to be detected, with 56% taking several months or longer to be discovered. And typically, by the time the breach has been discovered, the damage has already been done.

With every passing day, the network of connected devices is increasing, and, while this growth of connectivity continues to grow bigger, the risk of exposure is also increasing. Furthermore, it is no longer dependent on how big or small businesses are. In today’s cyberspace, it is hard to establish whether any network or application is prone to attacks, but it has become extremely important to have a sustainable, dependable, and efficient network system, as well as applications. Properly configured systems and applications will help reduce the risk of attack, but we might not ever be able to eliminate the risk of attack completely.

A Business Leader’s Six Core Duties

The responsibilities of a company’s top executive are extensive and nuanced. You should be conscious that even if you lack a certain amount of flare, your confidence and will to succeed in business will more than compensate for it. Alternatively, even if you have all the ability in the world, your chances of success are considerably diminished if you lack faith in yourself and your abilities. The good news is that you may take concrete and tested methods to gain the self-assurance you need to be successful in your business ventures and profession. Regardless of the business, sector, or type of organisation, at least six functions must be performed.

The top Six core duties of a business leader

Providing overall leadership and guidance.

Businesses must be able to envision where they will be in three to five years. The process of conceiving the vision may appear straightforward on the surface. There are some factors to consider, including your competition and technical advancements, shifts in consumer preferences, and your existing position in the market.

Choosing the Right Approaches.

Following a clear understanding of your long-term goals, you may begin picking the best ways to get there. This could be seen as a means to an end, a way to get from here to there. The purchase of companies, development into new markets, and technological advances are all possible avenues for growth.

Making a Plan Come True

If you’re a board member of a huge company, you’ll need to strike a delicate balance. Making things happen without taking on all of the work alone is essential. In principle, this might seem like a cinch, but in fact, it’s a major challenge.

Setting the Right Priorities and Goals.

The framework you establish must allow you to realise your vision and put your strategies into action. Please keep it simple and not overly complicated at the same time. This becomes increasingly challenging as the size of the organisation increases.

Assisting Others in Getting Inspired

Being able to articulate your goals is critical. The ability of the leader to motivate and inspire others in the organisation is a vital aspect in whether or not the goal is reached. There will always be sceptics in any organisation, and you’ll need to persuade them.

Human Resource Management

People development must be a top priority if the company is to continue to grow. When it comes to discovering and developing the most brilliant employees, the top companies have processes in place. Creating a steady supply of new talent is essential to long-term advancement and success.

Self-Motivation

In order to motivate themselves, leaders with high degrees of self-awareness must have taken the time to study what makes them tick. As a result, they are well-versed in the theory of motivation and have figured out what motivates them personally.

An effective leader must be able to manage a variety of competing priorities. If you want to be a successful leader, you must master all of these standard leadership functions.

Top 10 Business Leader Mistakes When Trying to Inspire

Pay attention to the people around you.

Trying to encourage and motivate my team when I’m not fully engaged and inspired myself is a pitfall I’ve fallen into myself. Recognizing this in ourselves is an excellent place to start. Some coaches can help, but you might want to start by becoming more conscious of your impact on people first!

Pay attention to what’s happening outside of your control.

In the same vein as number 1 above, a business leader must be wholly focused on the circumstance or challenge at hand to achieve success. Leaders need to strike a balance between their introspection and their attention to the needs of those around them so that they can weigh their impact on a particular scenario or individual before making a choice.

Concentrate on the truth

They appreciate that the feelings and impressions of employees, clients, and other stakeholders can be just as essential, if not more significant, than the facts of a particular issue. This is why good leaders don’t simply focus on the points. When a choice must be made, they weigh all the options.

Not in touch with their inner motivations and desires

A lack of self-awareness can make it challenging for business leaders to inspire others. It is essential to know how to tap into your source of inspiration to motivate your employees.

Give no meaning or importance to what they are trying to express. 5

The current economic climate necessitates a bold, intentional strategy. Because they have a clear sense of how their work contributes to the greater good, employees are more likely to be motivated by a sense of purpose in what they’re doing.

Insufficient effort to learn about the individuals and what drives them

A combination of this and the prior error can have the greatest impact on employees. It is a lot easier to know what motivates, inspires, and engages employees if you spend some time getting to know them. To avoid making assumptions about other people, it is crucial not to assume that their goals and drivers are comparable to your own.

Rather than focusing on the long-term goal, focus on the short-term.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture when you’ve got a lot of short-term chores to complete. These are vital in monitoring and progress, but they might drive corporate executives to focus on the urgent rather than the important.

Forget that it’s a long-term process, not a one-time problem.

For many people, a task is perceived as a measure of success rather than development because of error number 7: the performance of that work. To keep employees motivated and engaged, the process of sharing and receiving feedback must be a constant one.

Be someone they’re not by pretending to be someone else.

It’s challenging to get the most out of others if you try to change yourself to achieve what you want from them. On the other hand, leaders must be agile and adaptable to meet the needs of different people and situations. As a result, effective leadership is a delicate balancing act, in the same way that a chameleon continuously adapts to its environment yet never loses its identity.

There’s no fire in my belly for this.

The subject, what needs to be done, or what leaders are attempting to accomplish can all inspire a person’s passion. The infectiousness of a leader’s passion and energy is a powerful motivator for their followers.

An Industry Veteran Is Walking the Unique Path to Success leading PJP Investments Group, Tapan Vaidya

Tapan Vaidya, a passionate, innovative, and veteran in the industry and on Caterer Middle East Power 50 List 2020, is currently spearheading the growth of PJP Investments Group in the role of CEO with his own investment. PJP is the owner-operator of Papa John’s in the UAE & Saudi Arabia.

In his 35-year long work journey, across the Middle East & India, Tapan has been associated with the development of hundreds of restaurants across these markets with brands including Papa John’s, Chili’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Outback Steakhouse… it is a long list. Tapan also founded Talli Turmeric® – a hugely popular polished casual dining brand serving authentic Indian food from across Indian regional cuisines, celebrating Turmeric’s position in the Indian culinary landscape, in South Mumbai, India. This October, Talli Turmeric® will soon launch in Dubai in a virtual format through a partnership with cloud kitchen unicorn Kitopi. Currently focused on developing and expanding Papa John’s in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Tapan is keen to give back to the industry from his deep knowledge and hands-on experience. With the current crisis that the industry has now faced for over a year, Tapan has dug deep to bring new insights and creative solutions in handling his business, and he is a successful versatile leader. In academics, Tapan has done BSc in Mathematics from St. Xavier’s College & a Business Diploma from NMIMS, Mumbai, India.

A Glimpse of PJP Investments Group

PJP Investments Group owns and operates 62 Papa John’s restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, with strong expansion plans to build 110 restaurants by 2026. PJP has recently signed on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and opened its first restaurant in Riyadh last month. The development plan includes 100 restaurant openings in 10 years.

While talking about his consumer base, Mr Vaidya said, “Consumers of all ages and nationalities are our customers – that is the power pizza enjoys as comfort food. Quality of ingredients and operational execution in our restaurants are two key elements that contribute to our success. These are not easily achieved, there are processes in place to systematically achieve these two on a daily basis, every day.”

The Inspiration behind the Initiation

Tapan Vaidya waited at tables in a local restaurant during his university days and that experience made him fall in love with the restaurant industry, the trigger was the instant appreciation of a great effort. You serve great food and provide excellent service to a dining guest; you receive an instant reward in the form of a Tip. Simple start of falling in love, but has taken him on a roller-coaster-like exhilarating ride in his career.

Hurdles on the Way

The PJP Investments Group grew from one restaurant in 2005 to 62 restaurants today. This did not happen without teething problems, in fact, the problems grew exponentially large each year as the company struggled to ensure various elements were aligned with the objectives, including recruitment, training, supply chain, striking the right balance between menu price and cost of goods sold – this list is long. However, the team stayed focused on getting the quality of ingredients right and ensuring flawless restaurant operations. This helped them make customers happy and they kept coming back.

A Day in Tapan’s Life

“I wake up early at 5 am every workday and head off for my main physical as well as a mental exercise – half a round of Golf at Emirates Golf Club. I avoid the Golf Cart and walk the course. After a shower at the Club, I drive straight to my office for a day full of excitement. Once a week I would usually have a session with new joiners. I insist on spending a half-hour with them to talk about our Vision, Mission and Values. Then there are the weekly Trade Meetings where the entire management team comes together to discuss last week’s performance”, asserted Tapan when asked about his daily routine.

“Every day, I personally spend time with our operations team from across all emirates, to discuss each feedback received from our customers, negative and positive. A customer who sent in negative feedback is informed and won back while customers who sent in positive feedback are thanked well”, he further added.

The Support System

Consistent focus on the quality of ingredients used and the passion to make every customer return is what has helped Tapan and his venture grow consistently. Papa John’s has a great brand promise of Better Ingredients Better Pizza and they stay true to it at all times, never compromise on quality. And this does not escape customers’ notice.

The visionary insists that the teams in restaurants focus on ROC and not ROI! ROC is Return of Customer – that each team member must focus on taking great care of each transaction, each customer in such a way that the customer only thinks about coming back to Papa John’s!

“If we take care of ROC, then ROI will take care of itself”, said Tapan Vaidya.

Growing through the Pandemic

“At the height of the pandemic at the end of March 2020, when we were facing the closure of half our restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, I took the decision of not letting a single team member go. I knew the restaurants will reopen once the pandemic subsides, but where will we get trained personnel from? Who will make our customers return, if not our trained teams? I am happy and proud to confirm that we not only lived up to not letting any job go to COVID, but we started recruiting even more employees to fuel our expansion, with over a dozen restaurant openings since then”, Mr Vaidya proudly shared.

Favourite Book

My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

Future Roadmap

The future is very exciting! PJP Investments Group has 62 restaurants in the United Arab Emirates, with over 10 locations in the pipeline. The company is expanding fast, it will exceed the target of 110 restaurants by 2026. Recently, they have just opened their first restaurant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia very successfully – all set to exceed their target of 100 restaurants by 2030.

Features in the Crown

International Franchisee of the Year in the global Papa John’s system for 2014.
Tapan Vaidya was named in the Power 50 in F&B in the Middle East by the prestigious Caterer Middle East Magazine for 2020.
He was appointed to the Advisory Board of Dubai Restaurants Group (DRG), patronised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. DRG is the voice of the restaurant industry in Dubai.
He was awarded RetailME Icons Award 2021 by Images RetailME.
Featured by The CEO Magazine in their June 2021 EMEA edition.

A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs

Use your instincts to make a decision especially when in doubt, your instincts have been more accurate since time immemorial, and second is a simpler truth easier said than done, ensure your revenues exceed your costs – you can do that if you make your customers return.

Favourite Quote

Have No Men in your team rather than have Yes Men in your team!

A Combination Of Inspiration, Innovation, And Expertise: Meet The Accomplished Legal Practitioner, Henzie Healley

Responding to the pressing need for a platform where lawyers can join and serve their clients, without taking the stress of running a sole business, an accomplished and skilled lawyer, Henzie Healley has launched Mezzle in the Middle East with her esteemed business partners Mel Kang and Raj Sumal, who also launched Mezzle in the UK. Henzie is a common law qualified lawyer living in Dubai but servicing clients from all around the world.

She studied Business Management in Canada, before going on to study law in New Zealand. She qualified with an LLB with Honors in New Zealand and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2014. She then moved to Dubai in 2014 after being offered a permanent role at an international law firm she interned for during her school vacations.

In 2019 Henzie founded her own legal consultancy and simultaneously, started an organic paint company both of which have been hugely successful and have grown very quickly. In 2021 she merged the Abu Dhabi legal consultancy with a UK firm, rebranded, and is now a partner in, and Managing Director of, Mezzle Middle East.

Mezzle, all set to Disrupt the Provision of Legal Services

Mezzle Middle East is a legal consultancy that is seeking to disrupt the provision of legal services and the way that lawyers conduct their business. Providing a platform through which lawyers can join and continue to service their clients, without having to worry about the endless non-billable hours taken up by admin and running a business solo.

Mezzle allows lawyers to join a global brand, have the support that they need to provide the highest level of service efficiently and effectively to their clients while having the freedom to enjoy life and be their own boss.

Clients & Corporate Ethos

Mezzle Middle East services clients from all over the world, having started predominantly with a focus on start-ups and high-growth companies, it has since grown to include many SMEs, large international companies, and family offices in the UAE.

Mezzle is a technology-focused law firm that provides clients with the best possible service. Here is a team of legal experts who strive hard to ensure each project gets done right, fast, and efficiently. The team is always looking for new ways to improve their services, whether it be through technological advancements or process improvements.

The Driving Force

God played a huge role in getting Henzie Healley to where she is today. From the beginning, when she started the company, they never had any problems getting clients. Big names wanted to work with them, and they would receive calls out of the blue from people they had never heard of, that wanted to help them grow their brand, promote them and use their services.

Further the leading lady apprised, “We have many people to thank for our success including Yann Mrazek and the team at MH/Q, Greg Shippee/David Linklater and the team at Re/Think, Pratik and the team at Sanctuary, Tasawar Ul Haq, Preston McIntyre (one-man army), Sherif El Hennawy and the team at Plug & Play, Zille Rehman and the team at Astrolabs, Rosheen Ngorima (founder of Neeps Consulting), Maxime Casinelli (owner of MCG), Leo Garcia (Women’s Investment Empowerment Forum), and a mystery Mr X (who would like to remain anonymous, but knows who he is) and all of our clients that have supported us along the way.”

The Phenomenal Team

When asked about her team Henzie shared, “One is also only as strong as one’s team and we have been blessed with a phenomenal team at Mezzle. Everyone that is a part of the Mezzle team, is genuinely committed, pitches in, and works hard as a team. A special shout out to Shameeg who has helped me significantly along the way, my family, who invested in me and all pitched in when things got really busy (my mom, my dad, and my stepmom – literally, I would not have been able to do this without you), my friends who were always happy for me and stayed friends with me even though I was too busy to see them (and still helped me with all kinds of things which needed to be in the media when I could – Kohl & Rouge), and Khader who pushed me to start the business and supported me all the way.”

Creating a more Balanced & Equal Industry

The legal system is changing. COVID has shown people that so much more can be done remotely, and money is no longer the most important thing to work for. Traditional law firms are becoming a thing of the past. There’s never been a better time to join the movement and help create something new: one that works for you, not against you.

Henzie stated, “Everyone loves money, don’t get me wrong, but a lot of people are seeing that freedom from a desk is way more valuable. In my opinion, companies need to be more flexible, understanding what is important to people and realising that not everyone’s the same. They should embrace technology and be open-minded to new ways of doing things”.

Favourite Book

The Efficientpreneur by AK.

Future Roadmap

Henzie Healley is most excited about the possibilities that Mezzle provides and how it can change people’s lives. It gives lawyers freedom, freedom to work for themselves, earn a good living, but also make more time for the important things in life and loved ones. Mezzle is the way of the future. It’s what every lawyer should strive for. Life is short and time is precious. Time spent is time that one will never get back… it should be rationed and used wisely. Mezzle is for people who are tired of the old ways.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

“You can do it! We live in a society that tells people they can do anything and achieve anything. Some think that’s wrong and breads entitlement or too much emotional sensitivity, but I truly believe the sky is the limit. If you put your mind to it and have God supporting it, you can do anything”, advised Henzie.

“While many women have found it challenging to enter the workplace and have encountered various obstacles, I don’t want to offend anyone, but I have never felt that my gender has been a hindrance to my success in the workplace or in the legal sector. Quite the opposite actually. I believe both men and women in this industry can achieve equal success”, she further added.

Favourite Quote

“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more days to do the things you wanted. Do it now”.

Farah Emara, Young Inspiring Entrepreneur Focused Towards Disrupting the Agri-value Chain with FreshSource

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

Quote that describes the mindset of the inspiring young entrepreneur Farah Emara, CEO, FreshSource, a great initiative to streamline the fresh food value chain through the use of data and technology. The 30-year old leading lady, Farah is passionate about entrepreneurship, value chains, and getting rid of unnecessary inefficiencies. With her co-founder, Omar Emara, they are the brains behind FreshSource Global, they launched the firm in January 2019.

The inception that happened just three years ago, grew into a strong innovative platform. FreshSource is currently disrupting the Egyptian agriculture industry by streamlining the value chain through technology. It is the region’s first platform for fresh produce, transforming the lives of producers, businesses, and consumers. As of now, the firm is working with many established businesses in the country with a belief that the level of service it provides is what makes them loyal to FreshSource. Because of their outstanding contributions and innovative solutions, Farah and her venture were honoured with the Digital Agriculture Award of the year by the World Bank and the IFC. They were also awarded the Mashrou3 Amal award by MBC.

Further, the leading lady apprised, “An idea, no matter how unique or great it is, is just an idea. Determination, perseverance, and transforming your setbacks into comebacks is what will build a truly successful enterprise. We work hard to prepare our team and our company for exponential growth and always make data-driven decisions for our strategies. We are building a strong team with a solid foundation and processes in place that will enable us to transform the Egyptian agriculture industry.”

The Inspiration behind the Initiative

Omar and Farah grew up in the agriculture industry and it was always a passion for them. At the time she was working in P&G and Omar was in London. Farah had a background in FMCG and Omar in Finance and Technology in Goldman Sachs London. They always knew that they wanted to start something that will have an impact on their country. They started researching the industry and uncovered immense inefficiencies that exist in the value chain. Through their research, they found that an average of 45% of crops are lost before hitting store shelves due to poor harvesting, transportation, and storage. With an exponentially growing population, greater stress is being placed on food security. Producers are not getting their fair cut due to middlemen and businesses are overpaying for their crops making prices extremely high for the end-consumer.. So, they launched FreshSource to revolutionize agriculture in Egypt and transform it through technology.

Major Hiccups & Support on the Way

The agriculture industry is always very risky and dynamic, so challenges are how to withstand some of the changes that were caused by the global pandemic and how to build a foundation that can strive.

While talking about her support system, Farah happily said, “My co-founder, Omar, is the number one reason I am where I am today. He provides unparalleled support and a great direction for FreshSource that has made it possible for us to achieve what we have.”

“To create a More Balanced and Equal Industry, Always focus on the female representation in the workforce, if you are not tracking it then odds are you have an extremely low number of females in your team. Without this diversity, companies are missing out on so much, from Sales to Operations”, she further added.

A Day in Farah’s Life

She wakes up at 7 every day as the fruit and vegetable industry is one that is most active in the mornings. She begins her day by checking the communication channels with the team. After that, she gets up and walks her two beautiful dogs, Mocha and Yogi. Then she goes to the gym at Gezira Club to get some morning endorphins and grabs a coffee. After that, she either goes to the office, meets with investors, farms, or cold storage facilities depending on the situation.

Favourite Source of Inspiration & Education

A podcast- Startup Theory.

“I love Startup Theory and I recommend all entrepreneurs listen to it. Being an entrepreneur can sometimes be a lonely journey. I am lucky enough to have my brother with me, but other sole founders don’t. They need to get the message that obstacles will always arise and sometimes doubting yourself can be more detrimental than the actual issue you are facing. We usually only see the tip of the iceberg on media platforms of startups raising millions and it usually looks so easy. However, each startup is going through its own pains, and keeping your headset in the right direction is what will make you sink or swim”, Farah apprised.

The Future

The young woman believes that blockchain will have an immense impact on the value chain of food. This has already started happening and will only continue to transform the industry. Agriculture accounts for 40% of the global workforce and represents 6.4% of the entire world’s economic production. Getting food from farm to table is an extremely complicated process with a lot of intermediaries. People are oblivious to what has been sprayed on the food they are eating or how it has been handled. Using blockchain to promote the traceability of food will have a transformative impact.

Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

You must be aggressive, while it may be uncomfortable for some people to be assertive and it might not come naturally, unfortunately, it is seen as a sign of weakness by investors and other stakeholders. So, if you want to get far, you must be determined and assertive.

Top 10 Innovative Business Leaders to Follow in 2021

Jeremy Denisty: Nurturing The Business Growth With Comprehensive Consulting Solutions at Scopernia

Founded in 2011, Scopernia has been connecting with big and small enterprises, offering them a sneak peek of what’s next and help them flourish in an evolving world under the guidance of Jeremy Denisty. Scopernia is the brainchild of two visionaries, Dado van Peteghem and Jo Caudron. They founded this company 11 years ago and Jeremy took the helm in 2020 as the Managing Director.

Personifying an amazing, hardworking, organized, inspiring, optimistic, and self-motivated individual who diligently transverses the path to achieving, Jeremy holds great expertise and extensive knowledge because of his continuous dedication.

The 30-year-old business leader was born and raised in Belgium, and he grew up walking on the path of artistic life. Jeremy started acting lessons when he was 4, was a child actor as main characters in French feature films from 2005 up until 2019, worked as a radio host, and in some TV programs.

Besides his involvement in the media, Jeremy continued his studies and ended up getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Sciences and 2 MSc in International Management and Management Sciences. His first business professional experience was at Procter & Gamble in France, working on Pampers.

At the end of his studies, Jeremy decided to put his artistic life aside and had the opportunity to join Henkel, P&G, or Unilever. He chose Unilever and spent 5 amazing years at Unilever as a Sales & Marketing Manager in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.

Jeremy and his wife always wanted to move abroad, so when she had the opportunity to transfer to Dubai at the end of 2019, he quit his beloved Unilever job and they moved to Dubai. The day Mr Denisty landed in Dubai he met Scopernia’s Founding Partner, Dado Van Peteghem. One week later he started working as an Engagement Manager. 5 months later, in the heart of the COVID crisis, Jeremy took the lead of the office with a clear strategic plan in mind for the Firm’s future. And, the plan was successful, they tripled their revenues in one year.

Scopernia, Making Organizations Future-fit and a Force for Good

At the core, Scopernia helps people transform and grow faster & better in a complex and fast-changing world. Concretely, they help public and private organisations solve complex problems to:

Optimize their core business to accelerate growth
Transform their business ideas into a reality
Find new revenue streams
(Re)Define their Organization of the Future
Target Gen Z through Gaming with Scopernia Gaming

A lot of consulting companies claim they do all of that What really sets Scopernia apart is how they do it:

By focusing on: involving employees, stakeholders, customers in the process
Through innovative methodologies
By co-creating the solution with the client
By making it fun and engaging for all involved, creating faster buy-in and ownership
By focusing on the implemented impact

“Our vision is to change the way strategy & management consulting is being done, and help clients across industries grow, whether they are not sure how, don’t have the people, or don’t have the time”, said Mr Denisty.

What Inspired Jeremy to be an Author?

Communication and playing with words have always been something Jeremy enjoyed and felt comfortable with, from his early days in his acting career.” When he understood the force for good it could be in business, it pushed him into writing.

Clients & Unbreakable Faith

Scopernia serves every organization with more than 100 employees. By design in the region, since the company got here through a massive transformation project with the Chalhoub Group, they tend to have more clients in Luxury, Retail, and Consumer Goods.

List of 10 current and past clients:

Chalhoub Group, the organization itself as well as many of their portfolio brands individually: Faces, Lacoste, Tumi, Level Shoes, etc.
Trafalgar Luxury Group (distributors of Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Chopard, and many other luxury brands in the Middle East)
Mapyr (leading distributors of baby gear brands in the Middle East)
Sprecher Berrier Group of Companies (distributor of perfume brands)
Unilever Middle East
GlaxoSmithKline
HSBC MENA
BNP Paribas
Engie Mescat
Aliaxis (global leader in water and energy solutions)
Cartamundi Group (worldwide leader in card and board games)

While discussing how he assures the faith of the clients, Jeremy apprised, “We have 0 compromises on delivery quality and our clients know it. We are 100% reliable, strive to deliver above expectations, always, and consider ourselves as advisors rather than contractors. That mindset is a standard in our organization. On top of that, we don’t price based on hours spent but fixed on the value created.”

Hurdles on the Way

When asked about his initial challenges, Jeremy Denisty said, “The primary challenge was to re-think who we were going to serve, helping them solve which problems. We re-focused our organization on business growth and transformation (what it was initially founded on) and managed the pivot with success.”

The Driving Force

Here are the 10 things that so far worked out for Jeremy Denisty and led him to where he is today.

Having focus: single-minded focus will put you closer to your goal(s)
Be curious: be open-minded and learn new things every day
See the world through others’ eyes: search for new perspectives, whether it is to innovate or to empathize
Strive for perfection: never settle for average, details matter and will make a difference
Be loyal and operate with integrity: great leaders will want you at their side, trust unlocks everything
Hard work is easy: be disciplined, commit to yourself and what you can accomplish.
Live multiple lives: be open to new opportunities, pivot, change, add, and subtract
Don’t let failures take you down: they are part of the process, they exist to make us better, smarter, and more mature.
Leverage every skill you have: what do you do better than 99% of the people you know?Figure it out, leverage it.
Love, and be loved: nurture relationships, listen more than you talk, be truthful, thankful, and genuinely happy for the success of others

“On top of that, I’ve had the chance to be trusted by amazing mentors. Dado Van Peteghem in particular, our Founding Partner, has put his trust in me to lead this office, and I am very thankful for that”, shared Mr Denisty.

Favorite Book

Made to Stick by Chip & Dan Heath

Future Roadmap

Jeremy Denisty is focused on building a niche boutique consulting firm with exceptional people, delivering unparalleled quality of work. He believes in changing the way consulting has been done for the last 50 years.

Besides, in the coming 3 years, he would also like to open a pro-bono vertical with a dedicated team, helping social and purposeful entrepreneurs & businesses to grow in the region.

Awards & Milestones

Jeremy proudly shared, The first book, Written and published by our Founding Partners, “Digital Transformation: A model to master digital disruption” (2012) is an international bestseller sold in more than 55 countries.

And, Scopernia’s Founding Partner, Jo Caudron’s last book “The World is Round: An optimistic master plan for the transformation of business and society” (2020) has won a Management Book of the Year award.

It was published the day the lockdown started, and it appeared most transformations that he had thought of for the next 10 years happened in 10 days because of COVID.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

Reach out and get in touch with female entrepreneurs that are a bit further in the journey. Don’t go at it alone, there are many brilliant entrepreneurs out there, reach out, get support, share your ideas, listen to others that have done it, don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Favourite Quote

“A plan without execution is the slowest route to victory. Execution without a plan is the noise before defeat.”– Sun Tzu

What It Takes to Be a Legal Professional and Who Makes It

As our legal system has become more and more pervasive in our daily lives, a career in the legal field is one of the most exciting and fulfilling options available. Regardless of how modest or significant our rights are, we need legal advice and guidance to protect them.

Lawyers and other legal professionals must know how to succeed for a client in an information era where individuals are aware of their fundamental rights and duties. In addition to a sense of accomplishment and job satisfaction, a successful law career that serves clients’ interests can also lead to a substantial income.

Law is becoming a more popular career choice for young people who aspire to be as successful as the lawyers and professionals they admire. However, not everyone who sets out with lofty expectations succeeds. So, what are the most critical characteristics of a successful legal career?

A person who “thinks in a specific way,” according to Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich, will be successful in life, plain and simple. As a result, let’s have a look at the traits that highly effective lawyers share. It is possible to succeed if you do these things in the same manner as a successful lawyer.

To be successful in any legal position, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Communication

The ability to communicate effectively is an absolute necessity for any lawyer. Your writing, speaking, and listening abilities all go under the umbrella of communication skills. When working in the legal field, one must interview everyone from witnesses to clients to obtain any relevant information; not only that, but he must also examine that material on a variety of fronts to verify its authenticity. To succeed in a legal career, you must endeavour to improve your communication and listening abilities. Investing time and money in improving your communication skills will always pay off.

Rational and Empathic:

Lawyers need to be able to put themselves in their client’s shoes and empathise with what they are going through, both emotionally and rationally. I’m not saying to be empathetic, only to be aware. Sympathetic is the opposite of condescending. Being able to empathise with your client’s predicament is an important part of your job. As my mother used to say, “Control your life with reason,” a legal expert must have a rational mind and clear thinking.

Thinking beyond the box:

Lawyers must locate and offer their clients the best options available. In most cases, clients find themselves in a battle with a rival. Breaking deadlocks in the legal system can be done through inventive methods that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.

Specialized Knowledge

The legal profession requires a high degree of specialised knowledge, especially true for those who wish to practise law. Suppose you want to be a top legal expert. In that case, you must not only be knowledgeable about the legal aspects of your company, but you must also be knowledgeable about the business itself. “A hundred men with weapons cannot steal as much as a lawyer with his words,” as the saying goes. To choose the appropriate words and phrases, one must be knowledgeable. To make a powerful and winning argument for a case, you must know every detail of the oil sector; similarly, for every client, a legal expert must have an extensive understanding of every detail involved with a client’s activity.

Confidentiality

Legal ethics require that you keep your client’s information private at all times. If you ignore this fundamental element, you won’t be able to succeed in the legal field. The most important duty of a lawyer is to protect the privacy of their clients. Confidential information is gained by attorneys, paralegals, and legal receptionists, all of whom must keep it private. Losing a client’s trust can be deadly in any legal situation, which is why the attorney-client privilege must be respected at all costs.

Commitment:

“A lawyer would do anything to win a case” is a joint statement. Regardless of the type of law practised, dedication is a prerequisite for success. Clients in the legal field demand only one thing from their lawyer:’success,’ and to achieve it, and one must be dedicated to the task at hand. It’s only 40 per cent of what they do formally and 60 per cent of what they do unofficially that makes the difference for the most famous and well-regarded people in the legal profession. To be successful in the legal field, one must spend a lot of time researching and creating all of the essential paperwork. The key to success in a legal career is perseverance; one must be willing to labour for long periods.

Diplomatic:

“He is not a lawyer who can’t take two sides” is a correct statement. If you’re in the legal profession, there are no friends or foes; you have to speak the right things at precisely the right time. Additionally, being diplomatic improves your entire personality, especially among individuals who disagree with your views; this is a necessary skill in any legal career. If you want to succeed in a legal career, you need to be diplomatic.

Persuasive

Everyone in the legal profession should be convincing, whether a lawyer, attorney, paralegal, or legal assistant. It takes a great deal of ability and practises to persuade a judge, jury, or even a client to agree with your point of view. ‘ To succeed in legal careers, you must learn how to persuade your clients because they don’t pay you for a good night’s sleep.

Patience

Patience is a virtue you’ll need to master if you want to be a good lawyer. If you don’t get what you want the first time around, don’t give up. For your clients, you’ll have to write and draught motions one after the other. It takes a lot of patience to work as a lawyer. You are waiting for your case to be called at the courthouse. Waiting for the outcome of appeals to be announced. For those in the legal profession, it is well-known that – “You either learn to wait, or you just grow old before your time.”

Finally, a love of arguing is a must.

All lawyers love arguing with one other and even with their clients and associates; it’s just a fact of life in today’s litigious society. As a lawyer, you must have a strong desire to win, not only at work but every day, and if you’re a formidable opponent in the courtroom, you’ll do well.