The 10 Most Admired Business Leaders to Follow in 2021_Profile

GILLES HERARD: A Professional and Thoughtful Leader, Providing Tailored Funding Solutions At CCMB

Envisaging the need of organizations and developers looking for Funding and Professional Assistance in a diversity of projects, industry veteran, business leader, and visionary, Gilles Herard joined Capital Corp Merchant Banking in the early 1980s and thereby entered the Merchant Banking world.

Born in 1952, Mr. Gilles Herard belongs to Montreal, Canada. In the 1970s Mr. Gilles Herard joined Manufacturers Hanover Corporation of New York as Senior Credit Analyst. At the time, Manufacturers Hanover was considered one of (if not the) most important commercial banks worldwide, counting among its clients the world’s top 500 companies.

The visionary began his career in Banking in 1972 with the Toronto Dominion Bank (Canada), where he attended highly specialized classes in administration and credit, and became a Fellow of the Canadian Bankers Institute. He subsequently obtained another degree from the University of Central Florida in Mastering Skills of International Trade. In academics, Mr. Gilles Herard holds a University Degree in Administration and a degree from the Canadian Bankers Institute.

In the early 1980s, with 10 years of experience working for world-leading banks, Mr. Gilles Herard joined Capital Corp Merchant Banking and thereby entered the Merchant Banking world. He has since further developed the international boutique financing market, weathered recessions and various tumultuous industry storms, and remains a successful, trusted, and in-demand resource in complex financial structuring of private projects worldwide.

More about the Firm

Capital Corp Merchant Banking is part of a Group that was formed over three decades ago to meet the growing needs of organizations and Developers looking for Funding and Professional Assistance in a diversity of projects. CCMB offers the Award-winning comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to help the clients obtain the funding they need for their project. Capital Corp is very different from anyone else in the industry in that they do not charge any Application Fees, Review Fees, Meeting Fees, Stand-by Fees, Pre-Due Diligence Fees, nor any other type of up-front fees; in fact, they charge no fees whatsoever until such time as Capital Corp is ready to commit to the project.

Clientele & Corporate Ethos

Capital Corp Merchant Banking can stimulate optimal performance for its clients. Their success has come from their culture, which strives to foster the same values that help any business succeed: Hard Work, Common Sense and Integrity. What’s more, they have always stayed true to the original vision: providing our middle-market clients the same Tailored Solutions and Funding Packages in International Project Financing by way of Equity Funding and Debt Financing. “Our word is our bond, simple as that. As such, our clients come to us from all kinds of industries: real estate, technology, pharmarceuticals, biotech, film/entertainment, tourism, healthcare, waste management, energy, manufacturing, and more”.

Hiccups on the Way & Supporting Factors

“The challenges for us are always the same as for everyone else – the health of the markets, and socio economic conditions. Although working in a variety of industries makes us flexible, it also means that we are affected by not just one industry’s market cycle, but really all market cycles. So, we need to stay vigilant and very well informed at all times”, said Mr. Gilles Herard while talking about his major hurdles.

Hard work and determination are always the foundation to build upon – but what has been absolutely critical in building up Mr. Gilles Herard’s reputation and renown has been to master the craft of project finance structuring and engineering, which Mr. Gilles Herard has worked his entire career to become.

Creating a more Balanced and Equal Industry

“There are a few critical factors that would promote such an industry and that are what we continue to stick to in our own organization: diligence, respect and courtesy, attention to details, and listening carefully to what our clients say so we can show them that we understand”, state Mr Herard when asked about his opinion on creation of a balanced and equal industry.

Favourite Book

Mr Herard does not read novels, but he reads to learn something about History, Religions, and the people that lived in different periods and left their mark in history as it has always been his passion. He has also read the biographies of all the popes (from the first one to recently elected Pope Francis), he has read the Koran, and the Torah, and several other religious books, so as to better understand the followers of those religions and their religious traditions.

Future Roadmap

People will always need someone who can think outside-the-box and deliver results, which is something Gilles Herard and his team have particularly excelled at over the decades they have been in business. What remains is for them to stay focused on that, where many other companies in the industry ended up distracted or spread themselves thin and expired. Their sustainability is based on persistent consistency and they plan to keep it that way.

Awards & Milestones

Mr Herard has been consistently, consecutively awarded in Orlando’s Business Hall of Fame for International Financial Consulting since 2009. Other awards include Gamechanger of the Year in 2017 by Acquisition Finance Magazine, Best International Financing Firm, Marquis Who’s Who, and CCMB obtaining a 2020 award as part of the 50 Leading Companies of the Year by the Silicon Review.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

Unfortunately, the financial services industry is still dominated by men, and for any woman to enter into this arena the challenges are mind boggling – but as with any other industry, this one too needs and can benefit from the involvement and perspective of women, so my advice is to not give up and go for it!

Tara Fennessy: EVER PASSIONATE LEADER, ACCELERATING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR BUSINESS GROWTH SINCE 1995

The art of leaving everyone you speak with, inspired and confident to walk through their battles towards their goals and vision, is rarely possessed. UK-based Tara Fennessy, Managing Director of Leadership Skills Training, is a Leadership Master Coach and Award-winning Trainer who specialises in helping leaders elevate their impact, influence, and leadership skills to unprecedented levels that accelerate business results, build stakeholder relationships, and enhance personal and professional reputation.

Tara Fennessy, the lady behind many businesses’ and leaders’ growth, is an Author, Trainer, Speaker, Facilitator & Consultant. Kick-starting her career as a coach and consultant, Tara became Managing Director of Leadership Skills Training Limited in 2001 with a vision of “Best Bespoke Global Leadership Training and Coaching Consultancy’. In this two-decade-long journey, Tara has provided training and coaching to organisations globally and gained ample experience that helped her in taking LST to a higher altitude globally, virtually and digitally.

Tara Fennessy has shown her potential as an empowered business woman and her contribution to the business world has been an inspiration for everyone. As the Managing Director, she manages the business from a strategic level as well as being a lead coach and leadership trainer to the clients. Her book the Leadership WOW Factor -3 Secrets to Elevate your Impact, Influence and Career earned her ‘Best International Leadership Coach’ in 2019.

“My ethos is that when leaders know their message and can be their message, transformation happens at all levels for individuals and organisations. Our strap-line ‘Helping leaders have the WOW factor’ -is the philosophy we are committed to delivering to our clients!” says Tara Fennessy.

She loves to speak to organisations and leaders looking to become their best version and future-proof leadership skills and influence across the business. She is ardent and passionate about leadership development and the value it brings to organisations, teams and individuals, both culturally and commercially.

POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCELERATE GROWTH

Leadership Skills Training is an award-winning global expert leadership training, coaching, and consultancy provider to senior leaders and teams within large and medium organisations. The firm that was established 35 years back, is at the forefront of the leadership development industry and recognised as one of the most experienced consultancies. Here are the three major offerings by the firm:

Training:

Leadership Skills Training is at the forefront of the training industry. Here, their delivery methodology is embedded with personality and punch – giving clients a better understanding of their new best and how to lead with impact in their roles and environment. The whole team of LST is highly experienced and skilled in leadership qualities, which are passed on to the clients through immersive learning and delivery to create fearless leaders who have the energy, self-belief and clarity of thought to engage, enthuse and inspire that cascade into every future interaction.

Coaching:

The leadership and impact coaching experts at LST, whether they are consulting, coaching, mentoring, or training, can tailor all or any one element of the WOW Wheel to suit your organisation’s needs. In the past five years alone, the team has coached over 2,000 senior professionals across major global corporations from professional services firms to manufacturers and retailers, giving us unprecedented insight into what matters most for businesses and their leadership.

Consultancy:

Leaders drive culture, culture drives behaviour, behaviour drives performance and performance drives results. Created for leaders and their teams, the consulting service starts you on the journey to becoming future-fit to lead your business in this changing world with the future in mind. The team aims to unleash the power of the collective, leverage strengths whilst drawing in customers, colleagues, and communities.

THE BUSINESS SUCCESS

For Tara Fennessy, success is about making a difference! She says, “There’s nothing better than seeing the results my clients achieve when they trust themselves and in turn others trust them. What’s more, I am really proud that the legacy of my clients’ time with me not only enables them to lead effectively but helps them to do the same with future leaders.”

As a leadership and communication consultant, she actively works with leaders to help them know their message and be their message, so they build credibility and trust for themselves and the organisations they represent. She is passionate about inspiring self-confidence and self-belief in people through their ability to lead with clarity, confidence, and courage, and this is how Tara Fennessy sees her progress.

THE CLIENT PORTFOLIO & SUCCESS MANTRA

The clientele includes Tesco, Ernst & Young, PWC, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Cabinet Office, Accenture, JCB, Lacoste and many other renowned brands. The impressive client portfolio is testimony to the vast experience Tara Fennessy can bring to every project and the results they can achieve. Many of their clients acknowledge what impresses them the most is how the team bring fresh new energy into their methodology, conveying personality and punch into leadership development- they facilitate them to elevate their impact, influence, and leadership skills to accelerate business and personal objectives, and ultimately empower the clients to have the ‘wow’ factor.

Leadership Skills Training works with clients on a totally customised approach to provide their best leadership development experience. No training is prescribed, although of course there are common themes. Key for the team- and what makes them so successful – is that they ensure the impact is measurable through a change of thinking, feeling, and action, with a direct result across the three key pillars: clarity, confidence, and courage.

JEWELS IN THE CROWN

AI’s 2019 Leading Adviser Awards Leading Leadership Training and Coaching Consultancy of the Year
AI’s Global “Best of the Best in Training & HR 2017
Business Excellence 2018 Award “Training Consultancy Firm of the Year

Antonis Gavrielides: Far-Sighted Business Leader Antonis Gavrielides is Successfully Spearheading the Eurofast International Ltd

With over 15 years of extensive experience in leadership and management, Antonis Gavrielides is the Deputy CEO of Eurofast International Ltd. He has demonstrated leadership strengths and a proven ability to manage multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment with critical deadlines. Mr Gavrielides has been working at Eurofast for the past 11 years, initially as the Group Internal Auditor from the Cyprus office (HQ), subsequently as the Country Manager and currently as Director responsible for the General management of the office in Greece and the Payroll and Employment Division for the whole Group.

Antonis Gavrielides is highly motivated and fully committed with strong project management and analytical skills. He is well-organised and works well independently as well as collaboratively in a team spirit. He is also well-versed in strategy and has a proven ability to implement practical and innovative solutions to problems.

Eurofast International: Creating Historical Presence in the Global Market

Eurofast International Ltd is a Regional Business Advisory Organisation employing local adviser’s in 23 cities in the emerging markets of South-East Europe & the Middle East (SEEME). The team of advisors is capable of efficiently addressing all client needs in one single meeting, using one single language for all the countries in the region. Eurofast’s main services are 1) Tax & Transfer Pricing, 2) Payroll & Employment, 3) Accounting & Compliance, and 4) Advisory & Corporate.

The clientele includes multinational companies and organizations which are very demanding. To ensure the unbreakable faith of their clients the team always tries to be one step ahead of them. They identify the problem, and they implement innovative instant solutions. What’s essential for them is the client to realize that they do not see him as a temporary source of money, but they aim to create a bond that will last in time.

Eurofast has over 42 years of historical presence in the global market, counting numerous awards and accolades. Most recently, for 2021, the awards “Top 10 Payroll Provider of the Year” by CioLook and “Transfer Pricing Advisory Firm in South Europe” by Corporate INTL Magazine, were received.

Shortly, Eurofast is planning to enter a new era, combining the experience of the past with the expertise of the present to create a more challenging and innovative approach. During the pandemic, the Eurofast team faced many challenges, which they have proudly overcome. New ways to communicate the services and approaching the clients were invented. The future holds plan on expanding the Group portfolio using new technologies and growing their professional family with new talents in new jurisdictions.

The Inspiration behind the Initiation

In the early stages of his career, Antonis Gavrielides said he did not have a precise idea of what he wanted to do professionally. The most important for him was to educate himself because he truly believes that any type of knowledge gives you the chance to develop yourself.

Following the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Mr. Gavrielides was not afraid to take the risk and he started to work hard in his field. He realized that for him work is like a project. He wants to create something and after the finalization and the assurance that everything is working well, he seeks for a new challenge, a new project which will give him the opportunity to learn something new and advance himself and his skills.

Hiccups on the Way

The primary challenges that Antonis Gavrielides and his team had when the company grew were not to be disoriented from their vision and to choose colleagues who can understand it and are able to suggest ways to progress towards the primary goal it. Another ongoing challenge is to maintain the high quality of services they provide in different countries, cultures, and mentalities as Eurofast is a multinational organisation and they aim hard to be the top choice of their clients and the number one Cypriot company.

From the Deputy CEO’s Desk

“All of us who want to see this industry evolving must be supporters of a fair play competition. Furthermore, we must lead our employees, appreciate their skills and efforts, and promote equality for everyone. In addition, cooperation between companies and why not even between competitors could create a new more balanced industry”, asserted Antonis Gavrielides when asked about his views contributing to a more balanced & equal industry.

He further said, “My parents always encouraged me and supported me to make my own decisions by relying on my own strength, and allowed me to fulfil my dreams. My career mentors and especially Mr. Christodoulos Damianou, owner of Eurofast Group, gave me the opportunity to grow and develop my skills as he trusted my ideas since day one and gave me the honour to evolve and contribute to the development of a such an outstanding organisation. Last but not least, I believe in the power of luck and the good timing that followed me during my professional years and worked as a support system for my success.”

A Day in Antonis’s Life

Antonis’s day begins at 08:00 a.m. in the morning. Preparation of the daily routine and at 08:30 a.m. in the office. Meetings, calls, teleconferences, urgent matters, brainstorming, and discussion with colleagues till 05:30 p.m. After work, he gets to have some time for himself. He usually spends time at the gym, which works as stress-relieving. Antonis Gavrielides enjoys cooking for friends and shares a laugh along with a good glass of wine. The night routine always includes preparation for the next day and some good night’s sleep.

Favourite Book

Since Antonis Gavrielides is a food lover, he enjoys reading cooking books or stories of people whose occupation is cooking. A book that he recently read and really inspired him was ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Antony Bourdain. He is fascinated by the combination of products that appear unmatched and turn out to be amazing results. He believes the same applies for the industry since it requires everyone to combine and adjust to different cultures, different people, and different legislations so as to achieve a positive outcome.

Favourite Quote

“Our Aspirations are our Possibilities” by Victorian English poet Robert Browning. It truly reflects my belief that high expectations always precede high achievement and when you want something a lot, aim for hard work and life will reward you openly.