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Robert Gauvreau: An Award-Winning Cpa, Supporting Entrepreneurs Advance Their Business With Innovative Financial Solutions

A pioneer of accounting, advisory, and taxation services, Gauvreau Accounting Tax Law Advisory is empowering business owners to improve their financial performance and ultimately grow their business under the leadership of Robert Gauvreau. At its core, Gauvreau was established in 2008 as an entrepreneurial CPA firm that offers innovative solutions to help advance entrepreneurs towards realizing financial freedom.

Robert Gauvreau is the founding partner and strategic leader acting as a business catalyst, an entrepreneur, a coach, a trusted advisor, an author, and an Out-of-the-box thinker. His 13+ years of entrepreneurial journey encompasses expertise in exceeding the financial expectations of entrepreneurs with innovative and proactive solutions.

Before establishing Gauvreau, Robert discovered his entrepreneurial spirt through his experiences working with different companies of different profiles including his first job in the sports retail marking field. He was able to experience for the first time that when he was informed enough to offer a solution that made clients happy and was a win for his company, not only did he receive recognition, but he also became a contributing force to the success of the business.

Later when Robert Gauvreau started University for Business Administration, he realized he would be graduating with 2,000 other people who had the same experience and education as his. Wanting to differentiate himself while staying true to the entrepreneurial mission in the back of his mind, he decided that his strengths in accounting and finance, his natural ability in helping others, and his energy for entrepreneurship created a unique opportunity to enter, energize and make a difference in the accounting industry.

Further, Robert apprised, “When I started working at a global CPA firm, I experienced first-hand how traditional the accounting industry was, which reinvigorated my desire to create something innovative, contribute more to the success of others and go for extraordinary things. It’s proven to be a successful journey so far. In 2008 when I started my own practice, I couldn’t have imagined the impact we would have, or that we would grow to be an industry leader in North America. There have certainly been some great moments and some challenging moments throughout my journey, but to now be here with a team of more than 35 professionals is an incredible accomplishment. The fact that these 35 incredible people are helping so many entrepreneurs fulfill their journey and maximize their impact is proof that we are accomplishing what we’ve wanted so far, with so much more to come.”

A GLANCE INSIDE THE FIRM AND ITS SERVICES

Gauvreau is a renowned CPA firm built to help entrepreneurs advance their business through proactive financial services. It offers accounting, bookkeeping, tax, and other compliance services. Recently they expanded their suite of business professional services (specialized tax, wealth management, and business financing) to offer legal services such as corporate restructuring, real estate acquisition, wills and estates, and more.

Another one of their latest creations is their online coaching program, The Ascent Peak Performance Program, to scale their ability to instill business owners with the knowledge and confidence they need to achieve success. Entrepreneurs can engage this program through independent, on-demand, self-paced courses, or through their Virtual CFO program which consists of group coaching, training, and a personalized business adviser helping map out an entrepreneur’s journey to financial success.

Recently, Gauvreau has been honoured with the 2021 Canadian SME Magazine’s National Award for Best Professional Services for its excellent support and service.

WHAT INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO BE AN AUTHOR?

Robert’s main motivation for authoring The Wealth Entrepreneur, was because his financial advisory services were delivering extraordinary results creating a demand that couldn’t be met through one-on-one consultations alone.

While the one-on-one time with the clients was rewarding, it limited his ability to share his guidance and create more impact in the entrepreneurial community. Creating the book was an economical way to share his financial expertise globally.

“Sharing our Vision to Results Framework in an accessible way not only added massive value to our existing clients but generated awareness of our expertise with the masses”, said Robert Gauvreau.

CLIENTELE & HICCUPS ON THE WAY

Gauvreau’s clientele includes entrepreneurs and business owners located across North America. The way they establish an unbreaking faith with their clients is through ensuring the delivery of quality, value, and trusted services. They cultivate and celebrate a culture in their company that reinforces this founded on their three core values. People. Passion. Integrity.

By continuing to find clients, team members, and partners that align with those values, the Gauvreau team works collectively and collaboratively towards the same objectives and with the same expectations of delivery in mind.

The main challenge Robert faced in his early phases of growth was attracting and recruiting the right people. As a small business establishing itself, Robert and his team were limited by resources to expand the way they wanted to. Additionally, operating in a conservative industry there was the added challenge of finding the right professionals who were willing to leave a secure position at a larger firm to join a small business. As they gained more momentum it became easier to attract and retain the best candidates and scale their capabilities.

FROM THE ROBERT GAUVREAU’S DESK

“The reason we were able to achieve all that we have is because of our willingness to take a chance investing in our team and innovation. Without these calculated risks we wouldn’t have achieved the growth and momentum that we have today. These investments have enabled us to create high-impact, innovative services that distinguish us in the marketplace and allowed us to scale at an accelerated rate.”

“I have made significant investments to work with the best of the best business coaches and communities to learn from their success in areas outside my expertise and industry. Their guidance has been invaluable and the experience inspiring”, said Robert when asked about his support system.

A DAY IN ROBERT GAUVREAU’S LIFE

Robert Gauvreau kicks off every day with a group call together with the entire team to discuss what everyone is working on, any roadblocks, and how the leadership team can support them. His day also includes collaborating with community partners, creating new strategic relationships, helping support the leadership team, completing quality control on ongoing work in the firm, reviewing client acquisition, developing new resources/training, facilitating 1-on-1 or group coaching calls or any number of public relations commitments including speaking at events, podcasts, within online communities or contributing articles to business publications.

FAVOURITE BOOK

Good to Great by Jim Collins

PLANS AHEAD

The future of our business is limitless. Robert’s highest priority is helping the entrepreneurial community be as successful as possible in impacting change in the world. The future growth trajectory continues to evolve and as the firm continues to strive to be the #1 financial expert that entrepreneurs turn to; countless opportunities exist to expand into other disciplines to provide the greatest value possible to the clients.

Robert shared, “My personal goal as a leader is to continue to create a team of the best professionals who share my passion and build a business that I can provide direction to but ultimately operates day-to-day without me. The recent developments that I am most excited about are our expansion into legal services and offering a new collaborative approach between legal and accounting that will add even greater value to business owners. Looking forward to 2022, I am also excited to be hosting our annual Ascent Summit in January that focuses on providing entrepreneurs with insights on unlocking the full financial potential of their businesses.”

FAVOURITE QUOTES

“If opportunity knocks, build a door.” – Milton Berle

“Go the extra mile, there is no one on it.” – Grant Cardone

Top Things To Do In St. Petersburg, Florida.

With more than 260,000 inhabitants, Saint Petersburg is the fifth most populous urban agglomeration in Florida, Pinellas County, on a peninsula in the Tampa Bay connected to the same name on the Gulf of Mexico by three long bridges over the water. St. Petersburg is full of awe-inspiring sights and inspiring activities; some of them are shown below.

Enjoy the magnificent local sunsets and explore Vinoy Park

Vinoy Park is one of the busiest green areas in St. Petersburg. You will certainly find a sporting event to go to when you are in this area. And if that’s not the case, you can console yourself with excellent restaurants!

Enjoy an event at Tropicana Field

For the duration of your trip to St. Petersburg, you must be present at an event at Tropicana Field. You will surely locate a baseball game to go to when you are t Tropicana Field. And if that’s not the case, you can soothe yourself with exceptional restaurants!

Admire the surrealist masterpieces of the famous Spanish inSalvador Dalí Museum

Salvador Dalí is well-known around the world for his luminous description of stuff. The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg has the biggest gathering of these artists’ works.

Explore the expansive campus of Eckerd College

Explore the expansive campus of Eckerd College, a well-known St. Petersburg university. Wander the beautiful beaches of this family-friendly area, and be sure to check out the bustling nightlife spots.

Admire tropical plants and colourful flower beds in Sunken Gardens

There is no shortage of green spaces in sunny St. Petersburg, but the striking Sunken Gardens are something truly special and an example of great artistry. It is not a park-like any other: over 500,000 specimens, including tropical plants and flowers, give life to this exotic attraction almost hidden behind walls covered with climbing plants.

Visit Mahaffey Theater

If you are into theatre, you should visit Mahaffey Theater; your vacation in St. Petersburg will be even more memorable. On the other hand, you will certainly find a sporting event to go to when you are in this area. And if not, you can console yourself with the very active nightclubs!

Museum of Fine Arts

St. Peterburg’s culture reveals itself in art, and the Museum of Fine Arts is the most interesting and eclectic exhibit the city offers. Since 1965, the museum has exhibited works from all over the world. Art enthusiasts can easily spend a whole day visiting its galleries.

St. Petersburg has features to go well with all tastes. Whether you prefer to spend a summer full of outdoor activities, have a romantic getaway or pamper yourself with an unforgettable winter trip, in St. Petersburg, you will find everything you could wish for.

Conclusion: The excellent abbreviation St. Pete is an affectionate way of calling the city by the locals who thus distinguish it from the high-sounding homonymy with the Russian metropolis.

Matthews Healthcare Education is a first of its kind for Illinois’ job seekers

“Matthews” started July 5 th , 1978.

His name was Matthew A Collura he died in February 2002, but the impact of his life would be eternal. Matthew would make an impact on countless lives who never knew him.

It was an important message that we feel at this time needs to be shared. A question that needs an answer. Why? Why did we start Matthews Healthcare Education? Matthew was everything you hope to have in a Brother. Someone that is caring of others, fights for what is right, has impeachable integrity and above all else inspires others without effort. Matthew the boy grew into Matthew the man and embodied everything that was good in a person. He was the best of us, and his life was tragically lost just as it began.

In 2008, Michael A Collura Matthews eldest Brother, finally had the chance to properly say goodbye to his younger sibling. He built a one of a kind training program that, like Matthew himself, embodied everything that was good about people. Matthews Healthcare Education was created, and, in that moment, Matthew was part of Michael’s life again.

Today Matthews is among the first and only programs approved to operate by the Private Business and Vocational Schools Division of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Aside from being just as unique as the man himself, Matthews has set out to develop and deliver a training program allowing its students to obtain real world, high demand and employment ready skills in the health care industry, specifically focusing on the most in demand of our time, caregivers.

The program, now approved by the Board of Higher Education, is the embodiment of the spirit of Matthew and over the past decade plus of operation it has developed a reputation for producing some of the best caregivers in the market. It now readies itself to launch in all 50 states by January 2022!

Matthews Healthcare Education is intended to do good, and it does. It provides training, skills and continuing education at a low cost and fast pace allowing its participants to join a growing job market that is in high demand and with secure income potential.

“This is not a celebration of an achievement for the business. This is a celebration of what has been achieved in the name of a young man that mattered. My Brother, who I miss every day, and who I hope is proud of what has been created in his name.” -Michael A Collura, President Matthews Healthcare Education

Matthews Healthcare Education is on the frontline of rebuilding the local community, the job market and the healthcare system. It is achieving these milestones in the midst of a pandemic. Why? Because Matthew himself cared for people, he would fight for what is right, his integrity was beyond reproach and he inspired. As such, so do we.

More breaking news on Matthews! Now until July 5th, 2022 the entire online catalog and courses offered through Matthews in all 50 States is FREE to everyone and anyone in celebration of the life and inspiration behind this mission and brand.

For more information visit us at: https://matthews.education/

Media contacts: general@matthews.education 877.499.0066

Jekaterina Stuģe: The Trailblazer of Female Leadership in The Beverage Industry

Be it retail, technology, education, social enterprise, or the food & beverage sector, women are trooping out of their comfort zones and emerging as leaders and change-makers. And Jekaterina Stuģe, CEO of the rapidly growing spirits company, Amber Beverage Group, is the perfect reflection of the world’s top-tier leaders. She is one of the rare female C-Suite examples in the beverage industry.

Designated as the Group Chief Executive Officer and Board Member at Amber Beverage Group, Jekaterina is a business leader, advisor, financial expert, and trailblazer. In addition to her excellent ability to manage and develop a global business, innovation is her second passion as she is truly an innovative leader on an everyday basis.

“My first serious job was with the auditing company Arthur Andersen (later Ernst & Young Baltic). At that time, becoming an auditor in an international audit firm was not easy, it was a great challenge and an honour to get accepted into this society,” shares Jekaterina Stuģe. She spent more than 10 years at Ernst & Young, earning a master’s degree in economics and business administration, as well as expanding her knowledge at other educational institutions.

After work for the audit company, Jekaterina Stuģe joined the newly formed Latvian food producer group NP Foods (currently Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Latvija) as Board Member with responsibility for financial management and information technology. It was very interesting period where in NP Food Jekaterina created Shared Service Centre for servicing NP Food subsidiaries Laima, Staburadze, Gutta, Euro Food, and NP Logistics. After almost four years at NP Foods, Jekaterina Stuģe joined the Eco Baltia team as CFO and Board Member.

Jekaterina joined the SPI Group (Parent company of Amber Beverage Group) as the CFO of the Baltic business unit in 2014. She has participated in the development of Amber Beverage Group (further also – ABG) and since that time, she has worked across many parts of the business. While she held the roles of CFO and COO in the Group, she was made CEO in 2020. As an executive, she has overseen the company’s growth and now is set to reach the main ABG goal: to become a €1 billion company over the next five years.

ABG – A GLOBAL PLAYER IN THE BEVERAGE LANDSCAPE

ABG is a leading beverage producer, distributor, logistics provider, and retailer, with over 1400 brands spanning everything from premium vodka and sparkling wines to specialty Mexican tequilas. The company has grown from its original core production business established in 1900, to become a global spirits industry player that, despite the challenges faced by the industry in 2020, had one of its busiest years with excellent financial results reaching almost EUR 31m EBITDA, which exceeds the previous results.

ABG has transformed from a Baltic enterprise into a global organization with world-class infrastructure. In addition to developing and growing the business ABG already maintains, the Group has been active to acquire and integrate several new companies in the UK, Australia, Austria, Mexico, and elsewhere.

“ABG is operating in a highly competitive environment and faces pressure from both local and international spirits producers. This is the reason why ABG is looking to be a widely integrated company through production, logistics, distribution, and retail. We are distributing and developing our own brands like Moskovskaya® Vodka, KAH® Tequila, Riga Black Balsam®, Rooster Rojo® tequila, Cross Keys Gin®, and Cosmopolitan Diva®, but we are also representing third party Brand owners and we are proud with our capabilities to distribute through our own route to markets even competing brands,” adds Jekaterina.

OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES

From local producers to global spirits companies, the Amber Beverage Group faces challenges every day, but the main point, it never stops and finds each day new ideas to be better.

Jekaterina believes that getting used to changes is the biggest challenge in every company. “Thinking of what and how can be changed and done more efficiently is part of my daily life. The main challenge in driving non-stop improvements in such a global company as ABG is to make people believe that they need these changes and convince them to see that as something positive and not as a threat. From my perspective, this is a very interesting process,” she says.

THE BELIEFS AND SUCCESS

“You must always be ready to respond to the most unusual challenges and business opportunities,” reveals Jekaterina Stuģe. She believes that business success is based on continuous development – both at the personal and company level.

“Employees need to be excited! It is important that they want to be on the same team as you because it is impossible to do great things without an excellent team. That is the key to my success. Employees need to be passionate about their jobs, they must want to achieve something more than just work for another day. For that to happen, we as an employer need to offer the opportunity to turn their ideas into reality. The slogan of the Group (in the meantime – also the abbreviation of “Amber”) is – “Ambitious Minds Bring Excellent Results” and I really believe in it,” reveals Jekaterina Stuģe.

THE DRIVING FORCE

“There are two things that helped to reach where I am today. The first one, dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm for the company that I represent. And second, the teams that I have worked with. I’ve always believed that the right team stimulates you to reach the best results possible. The team that pushes each other to the next level is priceless while achieving your personal and also company’s goals,” said Jekaterina Stuģe.

ACHIEVEMENTS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In the past Jekaterina has won several business awards including the Best Female CEO from Latvia of the Year 2020 in the Global 100 Annual Awards, the prestigious Business Worldwide Global Corporate Excellence Award in such categories as The Most Innovative CFO – Latvia and The Strongest Growth Strategy Team in Europe. Finance Monthly Magazine has recognized Jekaterina as one of the strongest financial professionals in the region.

EXPANSION GOALS FOR ABG

The key objective of Jekaterina in her role as the CEO of Amber Beverage Group is to pivot the whole organization by means of an innovation agenda. This includes the development of new products, expansion in new markets and consumer segments, the introduction of the latest technologies in AI and automation, and reinvention of operational and production processes to achieve efficiencies.

Overall, ABG is continuing on its path towards its ambition to become a Top 10 spirits industry player globally. This will be achieved through smart brand building, active management of sales channels, expanding ABG e-ambition, further investment in innovation, focused work on efficiency and effectiveness programs, and capturing new business opportunities.

JEKATERINA STUĢE’S WORDS OF WISDOM

Diversity in the workplace, including gender diversity, makes things better. As simple as that. It works like a law of physics – the more perspectives you have, the more active and creative the workplace dynamic becomes, and as a result – the more efficient the outcomes are. To sum it up – you get better performance. And yet this rule is still far from reality and gender parity remains elusive.

Here, Jekaterina presents an optimistic view. The situation for women in the workplace, despite the entrenched obstacles, has perhaps never been better. That glass ceiling is there, but it is now within the reach to be knocked at and eventually shattered. This is the time for us, women, to dare and challenge and take that ambitious step by saying out loud “Yes, I have the competence and the vision, and I will be the leader!”

CLOSING WITH A QUOTE

“I am a fan of one quote but in a little bit adjusted way. In 1962, Malcolm X, an influential African American human rights activist, said that “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” I would like to offer a version we are using at ABG: “The future belongs to those who invent it”, shared Jekaterina Stuģe.

In The Lead Of Business by Susanne Skov Diemer

As a business leader, you have an important duty and task to protect your company´s people, assets, information and brand reputation. And you must set an example for others to follow – mentally and physically, ethically and digitally, personally and professionally.

Real change happens through people, and real risk management happens via the security culture. It is not just about putting up a fence or install an antivirus system. To lead to and assure the highest – and necessary – security standards and culture, it must be rooted and spread.

The first step towards culture change is a shift in mindset, which means that management and staff need to change their habits. If we define a company culture as shared everyday habits, leaders must take steps to improve these daily habits in order to create a new awareness and a new security awareness culture. The risks and stakes are too high not to do so.

I always know what risks might be ahead for my company, business and staff. It enables me to have the proper mitigation processes in place. They are constantly developing and changing, along with the risks and business world. Tomorrow is a new day with new risks and new opportunities. In the security sector, we always look ahead. We think of the unpredictable too, as new risks are constantly arising, along with new measures being required.

To lead or follow

By being aware of the risks, we can prevent. And we must be proactive and preventative in your mindset and actions and take the lead.

In essence, security specialists are the voice of the inconvenient truth and leaders should be too. We must pay close attention to the importance of listening to people and organizations with other views than our own. It is the only way that we can broaden our horizons, know a fuller picture – and lead in the right direction.

It is easy to follow – maybe too easy – what everyone else is doing, but it does not make you a business – or political – leader. It does not minimize risks to the maximum and it certainly does not secure next year´s turnover and your current business

I encourage people to have or to find the courage to speak up if there is something you do not agree with or have critical information about. It can save your business, your reputation and it can save people.

Ways to lead by example

‘Lead by example’ also means that you listen to the people around you. You see what is going on (and you investigate further if there is something you do not understand). You speak with your staff and with the people around you. Make sure you are available to them when they have something they want to say and share. Show respect – also to people you do not agree with. And have the courage to lead.

By following these simple steps, you become a better leader, make sure that your company is open for a new and better security culture, which at the end of the day – and financial year – can mean a higher turnover and valuation of your company and reputation.

Managing Risks & Risk Management

We do business in increasingly uncertain times. Risks are dynamic and predictably unpredictable. We are more interconnected and technological than ever before. The global business environment is constantly changing and leaders should rise and adapt to this new reality. Risk management should be key from a strategic perspective and a key factor to achieve strategic goals and turnover.

With the world being more interconnected, we are also seeing a strong tendency for communities, people and companies to come together, joining forces and operating cross sector and cross borders. Especially in times of crisis, knowledge sharing and synergy are essential and we all need to take responsibility, professionally and also on a private level. One of my contributions is to democratise my extensive security and intelligence knowledge and crisis management experience gained throughout the past 25 years on the global security scene. I recently wrote the book “Your Urban CRISIS SURVIVAL PLANNER” to share and raise the security awareness, understanding and ultimately improve it. We should all contribute in our own ways and lead by example.

A game of dominoes

A crisis can be seemingly small or even insignificant. However, a crisis always creates a domino effect that should not be overlooked. And a crisis is very likely – directly or indirectly – to have an impact on turnover and human resources, customers and employees both internally and externally, and in the present and future. As we are in the midst of a global pandemic and its domino effect, we have a unique opportunity to prepare for and prevent future crises by learning from the current crisis and experiences.

With crises and crime, there are often hidden costs of chain reactions, many of which are long term. From an increase in insurance premium to operational disruption or destruction, lost value in customer relationship and contract revenue, devaluation of brand, etc. Crises certainly never come alone.

The future now

A lack of awareness of risks and of people’s roles and responsibility as far as preventing and controlling risks, and of ways of using risk data and new technologies and tools, increase the challenges of risk management.

Risk management should play an important offensive and defensive role. It is an important tool to preventatively and proactively assist a company in achieving strategic goals, innovation, and resilience. And a future.

How to Support Employee Wellness and Retain Top Talent During the Pandemic: Nicole Mixdorf

As the pandemic rages on, companies everywhere are scrambling to find ways to support the well-being of their employees. Stress levels are at an all-time high, and employees are experiencing burnout in record numbers. On top of this, turnover rates are climbing as employees seek out new opportunities in a hot job market, a trend coined as “The Great Resignation”.

Everyone knows the tremendous costs of turnover – It’s roughly 150% of someone’s salary to replace them when you factor in recruiting fees, loss of productivity, ramp up time, bonuses for the right candidate, etc. Retaining top talent in this market should be a priority for every business.

Fortunately, both issues can be addressed by implementing a comprehensive well-being program for mental, physical, emotional, social, and financial health. Employees are stressed out, stretched thin, and overwhelmed with the pandemic, which is affecting focus, morale, and health outcomes. Providing resources and tools to support them through this challenging time helps employees feel appreciated, which goes a long way toward job satisfaction.

What to look for in a comprehensive wellness solution

With a multitude of solutions on the market, it’s important to get clarity about the vision for wellness within your business. What is your reason for wanting to implement a wellness program? What behaviors or health outcomes are you looking to change? What kind of culture are you trying to foster that a wellness program can support?

Most companies still have remote workers, making a virtual wellness solution an ideal option for greater engagement. But what should it include? Before landing on a solution, it’s always valuable to gather feedback from your staff to better understand their needs and interests. Have you done a pulse survey to see how your people are feeling and what areas of support they need right now? This is always the best place to begin so that you can find solutions that fit their needs.

After gathering information from your team, reach out to your insurance company and see if they can give you data on your Top 10 health care claims for the year. It’s always a wise strategy to incorporate programming that addresses specific health conditions that your staff is already dealing with. That allows the programs to feel more personalized and relevant.

Do you want wellness challenges? Mental health programs? Fitness programs? Nutrition programs? Inspirational or motivational content? Therapy sessions? Team building activities? Or do you want a comprehensive platform that includes all the above? Narrowing down what you are looking for will guide you toward the right solution.

In general, a comprehensive wellness strategy will incorporate elements of physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial health. The idea is to support the whole person, providing them with access to resources that will help them in all aspects of their lives. You want your people showing up happy, healthy, balanced, and motivated each day. That’s a success strategy to spark greater innovation and results in the business.

Other considerations to keep in mind are ease of use, reporting and metrics, and promotional strategy. You can have the best program in the world, but if you don’t promote it well internally, it won’t succeed. It’s important for leaders to walk the talk. How can they lead by example, demonstrating the importance of self-care? Another element to consider is whether you have the internal resources to design and manage a wellness program, of if it’s easier to hire a wellness consultant to drive the initiatives for you.

Communication is key.

The most important way to keep your employees engaged is by talking to them, listening to them, and helping them feel valued for their contributions. Retain your top talent by reimagining your culture to be one of health, diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and appreciation. Offer attractive benefits, a positive work environment, and greater flexibility. Gather insight from your people as you map out your return-to-work policies. Determine what level of flexibility and responsibility you wish to give your employees regarding when and where they work, keeping in mind that this can be a major factor in their overall job satisfaction.

Employees have been through a lot since the start of the pandemic, which has affected each person in a unique way. We are facing a mental health crisis due to the fear, trauma, isolation, and uncertainty associated with this pandemic that has no end in sight. Don’t shy away from the difficult conversations. Talk about the stigma of mental health as you encourage participation in the wellness initiatives that you choose to provide. Drive well-being into your corporate culture by encouraging walking meetings, or by starting Zoom team meetings taking a few collective deep breaths to release tension and feel more grounded. Your people will appreciate it, and it will help them feel supported in showing up as their best selves each day and doing their best work.

Nicole Mixdorf is the Chief Wellness Officer at Balance by Nature, an award-winning employee wellness company. She was recently awarded as a Top 100 Healthcare Leader in the World, and as Most Influential Woman in Corporate Wellness Services USA 2021. You can find out more about Balance by Nature’s programs at www.balancebynature.com.

The 10 Most Elite Business Leaders to Watch in 2021

Oscar Conde Medina: Orchestrating The Growth Of Foreign Investment In Mexico With Novel Legal Solutions

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit…”

Legem Attorneys at Law is the brain-child of Oscar Conde Medina, an influential leader, seasoned legal professional and inspiring entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience. Under the dynamic leadership of Oscar, the foundation of Legem was established in the Mexican state of Nuevo León on 16 November, 2006 to help empower foreign direct investment in Mexico.

Owing to his invaluable life experiences, Oscar Conde has travelled and transitioned from a young law professional to an established successful entrepreneur in the legal services, providing various life-altering solutions at his own firm.

In February 2005 Oscar Conde decided to start his own firm after having worked 6 years in one of the most important law firms in Mexico. He rented a very small co-working office to continue providing legal services by himself to 2 clients that decided to continue using his services because of his professionalism. One year after, I invited 3 litigator attorneys to become part of the firm. On November the 6th, 2006 Legem Attorneys at Law, SC (“Legem”) was incepted.

Further Mr Conde apprised, “We were together from such date through April 2012 and I continued growing my client portfolio. Due to their different thinking-related provision of services, I decided to continue my path on my own again and bought all of the shares of Legem.”

From 2012 as of today, Legem´s client portfolio has increased exponentially, gathering the most professional attorneys in Mexico, being focused on customer service.

Excellent Legal Advisory Services

Legem was born in 2006 to continue supporting foreign direct investment in Mexico with more than 15 years of experience dedicated to attracting, consulting, and assisting the direct foreign investment in Mexico. Since its inception, the firm is focused on providing excellent legal consulting services which is why international consulting firms have selected it to jointly support them in the business structure in Mexico, as well as to protect the legal interests of these consulting firms.

Legem is a law firm comprised of professionals who specialize in a variety of legal disciplines with offices in the north, bajio, and central Mexico, ensuring the highest ethical, professional, and commercial standards are maintained. Their commitment is to help their clients grow by providing them with opportune legal services oriented towards protecting the client’s personal, economic and commercial interests.

The firm’s areas of practice include Litigation in civil, commercial, criminal, family, administrative, Amparo law and tax law; Counseling which includes corporate, banking, immigration, and real estate law, among others; as well as Compliance covering topics such as money laundering prevention, protection of personal data, anti-corruption, evaluation and management of legal and regulatory risks programs, among others.

Legem is a law firm dedicated to supporting the growth of foreign investment in Mexico with years of experience implementing strategies of business expansion in Mexico. There is a provision of opportune excellent legal services and customer service.

It has national and international business alliances with legal and accounting firms that allow it to offer an integral service to clients.

Legem provides services to clients located mainly in North, Central, and South America; Europe, and Asia. They assist national and transnational companies around the world.

Legem has been awarded as the Foreign Direct Investment Law Firm of Mexico by ACQ5, Leaders in Law, and Global Law Experts for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Recently the Firm has been awarded as Foreign Direct Investment Law Firm of the year by Lawyers International – Legal 100 – 2020 and 2021 as well as been awarded by Latin American Quality Institute for 2020 and 2021 because of the quality and excellence of the provision of services.

The Infusion of Technology

“COVID-19 pandemic introduced a lot of technology to our firm. We have developed internal policies that allow us to work in our offices; from home or any other place. In the end, all of our attorneys have their own activities, responsibilities, and deadlines, so a lot of technology is used in our office nowadays” Mr Conde proudly shared.

Milestones & Achievements

Together with Legem Oscar Conde has been awarded as Foreign Direct Investment Attorney of Mexico by ACQ5, Leaders in Law and Global Law Experts for the years of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Foreign Direct Investment Attorney of the year in Mexico by Lawyers International – Legal 100 – 2020 and 2021; He has also been awarded by Latin American Quality Institute for 2020 and 2021 as Quality Assistance Manager.

Recently (September 10, 2021) Oscar received the “Forjadores de Mexico Award – National Edition 2021. To the Professional – Legal and Social career. A tribute in life to leaders in their respective category, from all over the country, who with their daily work inspire, add value, and have excelled in their environment, as well as impacting socially, being an example for present and future generations.

Favourite Books

Oscar loves to read the classics in his area (Aristoteles, Platón, Hobbs, Maquiavelo).

Expansion Plans

Legem has 4 offices in Mexico, Monterrey, Leon, Aguascalientes, and Mexico City. The team covered all of the countries with these offices now they are open to expanding their offices.

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

The most important asset in a company is employees. Helping them to grow is the most important activity when you are a leader.

When you are planning to do a business expansion you make sure to have an excellent attorney and an excellent accountant. You will need them for sure.

Closing quote

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit…”

Ioannis Giannakakis: A Proficient Legal Practitioner, Delivering Unparalleled Legal Solutions Globally

Striving for excellence since its inception, the G+P Law Firm is a legal advisory firm dedicated to offering personalized legal advice and strong litigation services to its clients. Spearheaded by highly qualified, experienced, and dynamic professionals, Ioannis Giannakakis & John Psomas, G+P Law Firm adds great value to various corporate giants and people around the world. The unique approach followed by the firm has been a key factor driving success for the brand.

Ioannis Giannakakis, the Group General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer of Avramar Seafood Group, can be best described as a go-getter, philanthropist, and visionary who is an entrepreneur par excellence. She is armed with 30 years of extensive experience. Her experience and expertise have landed her in an influential position.

Becoming an Influential Leader

The professional journey of Ioannis Giannakakis started 30 years ago when she qualified in Greece and became a member of the Athens Bar Association. During these years she has worked both as corporate counsel in regulated matrix organizations, usually global companies like Unilever Novartis, G4S, NN but also as a freelance consultant and litigator, especially in civil, administrative, and criminal cases. Her consistent goal was to focus on the clients’ needs, deliver pragmatic and sound legal advice but also keep a hands-on follow-up approach until the task has been completed. His litigation experience has proved valuable in his later corporate experience. This journey led Ioannis Giannakakis through more than 6 industries (insurance, real estate, FMCG, Pharmaceuticals, Security & Investigations, Agriculture & Food Manufacturing), however, a critical distinguisher from other colleagues has been his deep dive and accumulated expertise in the field of Data Protection Cybersecurity and disruptive technologies, which clearly differentiates from other “one-sided” corporate counsels focusing only on their corporate role and career.

A Glimpse of G+P Law Firm

The G+P Law Firm was established in 2018 by John Psomas and Ioannis Giannakakis with the vision to be a legal partner of choice for their clientele. Their boutique Law Firm has absolute specialization in Digital Transformation, Data Protection, Cybersecurity, and Disrupting Technologies, being one of a handful of law firms in Greece with accumulated experience and expertise in the aforementioned subjects.

The firm serves corporate clientele, spanning from very large to very small and medium-sized businesses in Greece and the EU. The team prefer to nurture strong relationships with their clients favouring long collaborations Their consistent client-centric philosophy combined with their pragmatic and business-oriented advice led to a multitude of international awards e.g Data Protection Law Firm of the Year 2021 in Greece by Corporate INTL Magazine, Boutique Law Firm of the Year in Greece, by Advisory Excellence, and many others

The Inspiration

Ioannis Giannakakis has always valued social and private justice as a key balancing factor of all controversies embedded in modern life full of inequality and differences. Her passion for justice led her to study law and become a lawyer but his later acquired passion for Privacy – as a key personal right and value- harshly attacked by multiple factors – search engines, social media, etc- led her to create the G+ P Law Firm with a clear vision the enhancement and protection of privacy of their clients.

While discussing the interesting part about working in legal industry, Ioannis shared, “The fact that every day is different from the other, the sense of accomplishment when a deal is closed but foremost the sense of serving the provision of justice in all aspects of social and economic life”.

Indicative Challenges for the Current Legal Market

The digital transformation of the modern business world, the consequences of the pandemic driving to new business environments ( with telework and employees isolation being catalysts ) the adaptability the constant learning and adjustment of the legal professional, the transformation from lawyer to business legal partner are some indicative challenges for the current legal market.

Edge Over the Peers

When asked the unique factors about G+P Law Firm, Ioannis Giannakakis shared, “The passion with which I pursue my goals, the consistent vision guiding my practice, the combination of vast corporate practice in a variety of industries, which is rather rare for most corporate counsels usually serving for long periods in the same clients combined with my attraction becoming a passion for Privacy, Data Protection and new Technologies that led me to deep dive at the age of 45 in a whole new world and become one of the leading and most acknowledged and awarded Data Protection Counsels in Greece and amongst the 200 top Privacy Professionals in the European Union.”

Difficulties of Young Lawyers in Entrepreneurship

Young lawyers face a variety of challenges. Some key challenges being digital work, use of technology in everyday business life, global mentality in the sense of being a “ universal” legal business partner instead of a local lawyer are some indicative challenges in my opinion.

The Significance of Technology Infusion in Legal

With proper technical education of the modern legal professional living in a world where legal AI started becoming a usual feature in many large legal firms. The use of legal technologies, digital tools, and platforms are part of the date-to-date legal practice and legal professionals need not only be accustomed but actively utilizing the aforementioned tools to improve their practice.

Accomplished Milestones

A series of litigation victories in Ioannis Giannakakis’s early 30s ( 200.000.000 ML drachmas fine annulment when I was with NN, ) the successful closing of a game-changer acquisition of EVGA ICE Cream by Unilever, the smooth transition of GSK Oncology Portfolio to Novartis, the successful design and execution of G4S GDPR Compliance Program are some career milestones of which she is proud of.

Favourite Book

AMNET by Maggie o Reilly

Words of Wisdom

Don’t be afraid to move outside your comfort zone. Try new things, experiment, stay curious. Be consistent, focus on the needs of your clients and try to be proactive in addressing them, be direct and trustful, be curious, and don’t waste time triumphing over your successes. but strive to become better. Don’t be seduced by easy money, social status, and social image. Success is measured only by the feeling of accomplishment that is unique to each individual. Value justice is the ultimate mission of all legal professionals irrespective of age, experience, or status.

Closing Quote

Quote by Albert Einstein, “Try not to become a person of success but rather try to become a person of value.”