Umbrex

A Case Study on Strategic Growth Eric Zanin shares a case study on a 3-year global growth strategic plan for American GDS Global. QUESTION A Global Distribution System (GDS) company was faced with technological disruptions, resulting in a decrease in transaction fees primarily attributed to disintermediation The client approached us to gain clarity on market evolutions and explore strategic alternatives to reposition their company RESULT Market overview: new competing channels and players, trend within the hospitality market Business adjacencies (business models, services, and offer) and strategic options 3-year strategic and financial plan including organic growth, acquisitions, and partnership initiatives Access the full case study: https://lnkd.in/gxKJfFfs

Opportunities in the Philippines Mike Z. shares a quick update on catch-up week in the Philippines. Phenomenal catch-up week with Philippines Taipans :) (local business oligarch)Rich Caballero, REB, IRM, CIPSEmerson Jonson The Philippines is straight-up killing it right now. It's like Manila is Shanghai 2.0, but with its own unique flavor. Over the years I travelled between China and Philippines, I see Manila is Shanghai 2.0, but with its own unique flavor. the dynamic, thriving, booming and opportunity-rich market that was once in Shanghai 2009. If to share opinions on the areas for improvement, the below three (which are also areas for opportunity) come across my mind:  1. Efficiency =>from banking service to payment in the supermarket, the waiting time is way too long, huge potential for digitalization;  2. Traffic congestion =>This age-old issue yet needs immediate solutions, infrastructure can't be improved overnight but to make commuters easier and cheaper will save billion$ in lost productivity; Read the full post: https://lnkd.in/gAp7cWjx

How to Lead in a Virtual World Zahra Abdullah, PCC, MBA, Ph.D. Candidate shares an article that offers five tips on how to lead with authenticity in a virtual world.  A recent study showed that employees reported a more positive attitude and improved wellbeing from working remotely. Interesting, right! Here are some tips to make remote work highly engaging. 1.     Conduct a Daily Check- in with the team. a.     Be empathic, vulnerable, and willing to share personal stories and how you feel. b.     Install hope and positivity for the day c.     Set expectations and deadline Read the full list: https://lnkd.in/g9jZc8A2

Umbrex is pleased to welcome Konstantin Stoyanov, CFA. Konstantin is a strategic CFO and a former Boston Consulting Group (BCG) consultant, investor, and divisional CFO with a track record in creating finance teams, driving growth and profitability for startups and established businesses. Konstantin brings over two decades of experience in financial modeling, fundraising, strategic planning, with excellent inter-personal and cross-functional collaboration skills. As a recent example, Konstantin developed the Finance function for a 150-member team including accounting, FPA, and strategic planning, enabling doubling of revenue and turning to profitability in 18 months. He lives in Connecticut, enjoying access to NYC, water, and mountains. Konstantin is passionate about helping high-potential businesses anywhere in the world achieve their full potential.

How Behavior Informs Performance Bart Vanderhaegen defines the difference between behavior and performance and why it matters. "'It's the economy, stupid' was the famous phrase used by Bill Clinton in the presidential campaign of 1992, when he was running against president George H.W. Bush. He used to phrase to convince the public that it was the economy, not foreign policy or other topics, that really mattered for the country. He went on to win. In business, it's the behaviour that matters. The reason: Performance is what it is, because people do what they do (=i.e. the behaviour) Whatever you try to impose or inspire as a manager, it's the (resulting) behaviour, and only that behaviour, that will proof whether you were right or wrong. And that's because it's behaviour (and only behaviour) that determines the actual impact of what you wanted to "get done/ implemented". Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gtB53UfV

Umbrex is pleased to welcome S Abdul Razeed. Abdul spent over eight years with McKinsey & Company as an Operations Team Lead, where he excelled in managing teams and driving cultural transformation. Following his tenure at McKinsey, he served as an Agile Operations Coach at Roche Pharma India, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing business operations through agile methodologies and cultural change initiatives. Abdul now runs Consultant Partners, a small research and design firm based in Sulthan Bathery, India, that caters to consultants by providing end-to-end research, data visualization, and strategic presentation services. His unique value proposition, "Research to Design," ensures that clients not only receive enhanced presentations but also regain valuable time by outsourcing their research and analysis tasks. Passionate about transformation and continuous improvement, Abdul is eager to collaborate on projects that involve design, research, and operations management. 

The Future Customer Segment for the Gaming Industry Social gaming, consumer segments and connection beyond gameplay are explored in this article from Ashwin Sathe to demonstrate why businesses outside of the gaming industry should focus on these specific consumer segments. "As gaming continues to influence the entertainment landscape, companies outside the gaming industry are recognizing the value of engaging Millennial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha audiences. These consumers are not just active in gaming; they are influential in their purchasing decisions and have significant spending power. Here’s why businesses, even those adjacent to gaming, should prioritize these customer segments. Connection Beyond Gameplay: Social gaming offers more than just entertainment; it provides a platform for interaction and community building. For Gen Z and Millennials, 40% say they socialize more in games than in real life, reflecting the shift towards digital spaces for social interactions. Technological Affinity and Access: With 69% of Gen Z and 73% of Gen Alpha preferring gaming on mobile devices, the integration of advanced social features in mobile games meets their tech-savvy expectations and enhances engagement in their peer groups. The Need for Inclusion and Achievement: Gaming mechanics that promote competition and social recognition cater to younger gamers' desire for achievement and inclusion, driving deeper engagement and loyalty." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gJZx8fHd

Creativity in the Future of Work Gerardo Alvarez-Franyutti explores the future of work and identifies the skills that AI may not replace.  "I recently read an excellent book called Life Scale. It talks about the changing nature of work in light of tech-derived distractions, advances in artificial intelligence and the ability to work remotely with anyone in the world. The book brought back memories of my time in college. My undergrad was in Chemical Engineering, which involved work on difficult problems requiring the search for technical information and the execution of complicated calculations.  At the time, we would venture into cavernous library halls searching for arcane volumes that glossed with endless tables of chemical constants. We would then pore over technical manuals that elaborated on the complex thermodynamics, which would lead to the structuring of simultaneous differential equations. Finally, we used numerical analysis methods in order to solve them: we programmed the algorithms on our calculators or coded in Pascal and tapped into Excel, which would take hours to come up with answers. The latter would sometimes buckle under the intense workloads. It was very hard, complex work that made us distinctive. Today, students look for constants on the internet, input the equations into a program like MathLab, and presto: problems that were previously fiendishly difficult are now almost a breeze to solve. The ingenuity required to find information and calculate difficult math problems is now a commodity." Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/gd37yccP

Can America and China be Friends Again? Shankar Ananth shares a recently published video that explores the relationship between China and America. Access the video, Can America and China be Friends, here: https://lnkd.in/gRYWWNDY

Humans in the Future of Work In this video, Charles Reed Anderson explores the role of the human in the future of work. “I gave the opening keynote at Singapore's Future of Office Place Summit on 12 October, 2022.  During his presentation, I explain why our current Return to Office strategies are destined to fail, and what companies need to do to reverse the trend.  I also explain our lack of focus on driving positive Human Outcomes in the workplace led to the Great Resignation and the current global talent shortage. To conclude the presentation, I look at the impact technology, and Digital Twins in particular, will have on the Future of Work - and what we need to do to drive the adoption.” Access the video: https://lnkd.in/gJrNdsBp