wealth & finance business awards 2015

Wealth & Finance International

www.wealthandfinance-intl.com

Allied Wallet Means BusinessWe spoke to Andy Khawaja, CEO and Founder of Allied Wallet, about how the firm achieves such stellar levels of servicefor so many customers.

Best Full Service Fundraising Agency New York

Garner, Adams & Associates, PLLC.

businessawardstwothousand& fifteen

http://www.wealthandfinance-intl.com/

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Copperstone Capital is an investment management firm founded in 2009 with offices in Moscow, Russia and London, United Kingdom. We manage wealth for high net worth individuals and institutions through various hedge fund strategies.

16 Sadovnicheskaya Street, Moscow, 115035, RussiaT +7 495 988 0010F +7 495 951 1410www.copperstonecapital.com

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winner

Best Russian Fund (Since Inception)

2014 Copperstone Capital. All rights reserved.


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Welcome to the 2015Business Awards

The global business market has had to overcome a number of calamities this year, particularly with the European economic crisis causing havoc andleaving many countries fearing for the future of the combined currency.

The panic on the Chinese stock exchange did nothing to help the market, wiping millions off global stock portfolios and bringing one of the world’s largest economies to its knees.

However, despite these issues, there are a number of exceptional businesses, from multinational corporations to rising stars of theirindustry’s future, who have flourished, succeeding in increasing both corporate growth and client satisfaction.

While these professionals are often overlooked, at Wealth & Finance International we believe that their successes and dedication should becelebrated, which is what the 2015 Business Awards are all about.

We are applauding those companies and people who have changed their industry for the better, whether it is through an innovative approach to client interaction, a revolutionary new product or a creative approach to corporate deals. These exemplary businesses and the personnel that keep

the wheels turning are being given the recognition they deserve through this award.

Contents4. Allied Wallet - Best for Customised Payment Solutions

8. Garner, Adams & Associates, PLLC. - Best Full Service Tax & Business Consultancy - Richmond

10. XLN Telecom - Best SME Telecoms Provider – UK

Customer Service Excellence Award - UK

11. Franckel Law - Best for Trust & Dispute Resolution Law - Channel Islands

12. JTV - Best Local Television Channel - Michigan

13. The Scotch Whisky Experience - Best Speciality Visitor Attraction - UK

14. Lighthouse Property Management - Best Management Company - Florida

15. Financial Recovery Technologies - Best for Technology-Based Financial Solutions - USA

16. Colonial WEBB Contractors - Best Commercial & Mechanical Contractors 2015

17. EDPR France - Best in Renewable Energy 2015 - France

18. BCS Global Networks Inc. - Recognised Leader in Video Conferencing Services

19. Fogwill & Jones - Best for Independent Financial Advice – UK

20. Hausfeld LLP - Antitrust Litigator of the Year - UK

21. ClearPath Capital Partners - Sustained Excellence in Wealth Management - USA

22. PK Safety - Best Safety Equipment Supplier - UK

23. Tipps Architecture - Best Architectural Firm – Texas

25. The City of Bellevue - Best Business Environment 2015

26. MilleniumAssociates AG - Best Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year – Switzerland and

Recognised Leader in Global M&A Transactions

27. Accents Salon & Spa - Best Salon Spa in Northwest Arkansas

28. Faircom New York, Inc. - Best Full Service Fundraising Agency - New York

30. Vicari & Associati - Best for Trusts Law & Estate Planning - Italy

31. Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC - Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year - Arizona

32. Frama Ltd. - Best Franking Machine Manufacturer – UK

33. Bambridge Accountants - Best Tax Advisory Firm for Businesses – UK

34. Synseal - Best Windows Systems Manufacturer - UK

35. Accretive - Best for Financial Predictive Analytics Solutions - USA

36. Emerald Data Networks, Inc. - Full-Service Technology Solutions Firm of the Year - Georgia

37. Parklands Group - Best Independent Care Home Provider – UK

38. Urban Interior - Best Interior Designers – UK

39. Newscape Capital Group - Best Investment Advisory Firm - UK

40. Independent Capital Group - Sustainable Investment Firm of the Year - Switzerland


Business Awards 2015

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Best for Customised Payment Solutions

Company: Allied WalletName: Andy Khawaja

Web Address: www.alliedwallet.comAddress: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

As a service available in 196 countries across the globe, Allied Wallet boasts a vast and diverse customer base. Nevertheless, the payment processing solutions they provide are highly customised, ensuring that every client, however big or small, is catered for. We spoke to Andy Khawaja, CEO and Founder of Allied Wallet, about

how they achieve such stellar levels of service for so many customers.

When comparing his online service to traditional financial institutions, Khawaja makes an interesting analogy: “When you work with banks, you pay a first class price ticket to get on a propeller plane; with Allied Wallet, you pay an economy class ticket to fly on a jetliner.”

The reason behind Allied Wallet’s ‘jetliner’- like service is due to the level of customisation which the firm provides for its customers, something that Khawaja has instilled in the company since its inception over a decade ago. “The reason why we are where we are today is because of the loyalty we show to our customers and the customised ser-vices that we provide,” says Khawaja. “A lot of payment service providers and financial institutions build a product designed to accommodate certain people, however if you don’t fit into that category, you will not be accommodated. That’s why, when they find something better, they leave.

“With Allied Wallet, we have built a product that is tailored to fit every single service and every single website. From the smallest online merchant to the largest, we accommodate them in such a way that we can easily tweak our service to improve it and allow them to conduct transactions in any currency and any region in the world. Years ago, we discovered that consumers and business owners are getting tired of generic services. These generic services can often be quite basic, whereas Allied Wallet is the blue label. The real stuff.”

When asked why he considers the services provided by banks to be mere ‘propeller planes’, Khawaja explains that the services Allied Wallet provides cannot be delivered by banks simply because they do not understand the world of online payments. “With banks, you’ll find that a lot of decisions come from a compliance department who don’t understand the business at all,” says Khawaja. “And instead of making the effort to learn and understand it, they would rather tell the customer that they can’t do it.”

Another problem with many banks, according to Khawaja, is their focus on getting as much profit as possible, at the expense of seeing the bigger picture with regards to building up long-term relationships with customers. “With many banks, the only thing they look at is how they can add more fees, such as statement fees, billing fees, late statement fees, late billing fees and any cross-border transaction fees. The list really does go on and on and on!“We’re not saying we don’t want to make money - because we do make money - but we don’t want to make money at the expense of everything else. We’re not going to get rich by charging just one or two merchants, but through serving a large quantity of people. We make a penny here, a penny there, and it all adds up. We simply don’t want to be making thousands out of one merchant because we want them to be in business. If they stay in business, they will never leave because nobody else out there can compete with the prices and service that we offer.”



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With cyber-crime becoming an increasingly hot topic, it’s worth noting that Allied Wallet has always placed the security of its customers at the top of its list of priorities. “Our customers want to be able to sleep like a baby at night knowing that they have money in the bank and nobody has access to their accounts or credit cards. This is something we take very seriously because, obviously, we don’t want anyone to be the victim of fraud or losses.

“Cyber-crime isn’t going to end; it’s like saying robbing banks is going to stop. It’s always going to be like that and the criminals are just going to get more and more advanced so we have to be constantly ahead of the game to make sure that we eliminate all risk and prevent anybody who shouldn’t be doing from accessing our systems. It really is an ongoing battle.”

2015 has been an exciting year for Allied Wallet. In June, the firm announced a partnership with Saxo Payments, a global transactions service provider, which Khawaja believes will present his company with many exciting oppor-tunities. “This really is a great deal,” he says. “Saxo Payments understand the business and see the future of the business, which is why they teamed up with us. For example, we have customers in India and Brazil, and these are locations in which other banks cannot offer foreign exchange on their local currency. If a consumer from that country wants to buy something from a website in the UK, we are able to bill him in his local currency and simul-taneously pay the merchant in their currency. There is no conversion fee. Furthermore, there’s no extra charge on his credit card for buying something in British Pounds, US Dollars or Euros. These are important services that you will find a lot of banks won’t offer.”

As Allied Wallet continue to expand their global footprint, one particularly thriving economy they have their sights set on is India. With India now established as an economic powerhouse, Khawaja believes there are many similar-ities between the region today and China in the mid-2000s. “If you look at what China was like 10 years ago, no-body would want to spend money in that area - now it’s the same with India. People actually think about whether Indians shop online, but they travel a lot and a great number of them have money to spend. We are open to that market and are trying to make these regions more accessible to online payments and able to transact online.”

With 2015 almost over, 2016 will mark the official launch of Allied Wallet’s ‘New Generation’ service. Due to be completed in mid-January, the service will provide a highly customisable platform that can be tweaked by the clients themselves on the merchant side. “New Generation is really unique in that you can tweak it yourself to the way you want it,” says Khawaja. “Instead of sending emails to IT and Allied Wallet, our clients will be able to customise the platform themselves so that it meets their exact requirements.

Another intriguing aspect of New Generation is that it brings the worlds of social media and online payment solutions together. Within this platform, business owners can interact with their colleagues as well as monitor their different offices across the globe all on the one screen. As Khawaja explains: “Take Starbucks or Costa Coffee for example, or any company that has locations across the world. They can log in, they can optimise access for other locations, and even chat online. It also has a voice activated IP so they can call other locations, all from their own laptop or iPad. Let’s say someone has 50 restaurants around the world, this person can log in and see how much business each location has done up to this minute. You can also see who’s running it at that time and chat to them right away, just like making a call on Skype or Whatsapp.”As a company that is constantly innovating, Khawaja is confident that New Generation is something that is truly unique and believes that it is far beyond the reach of any of their competitors. “The New Generation is ahead of its time. If you took Paypal, Square and Stripe all combined, the New Generation would beat them by another five years. Even the gateway we built 10 years ago is still ahead of any other gateway today. So with this in mind, imagine New Generation.”

When asked about the award, Khawaja believes this is a further testament to the success of his company “I have won a lot of awards and it just means that I must be doing the right thing. Because I’m doing good things, I’m being rewarded for it and that’s something I feel good about. I look forward to receiving awards, giving speeches and doing interviews where I can hopefully motivate other people too because I think we all need a bit of a push sometimes.”


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Garner, Adams & Associates, PLLC.

Best Full Service Tax & Business Consultancy - Richmond

Company: Name: Marcia L. Adams

Email: [email protected] Address: www.garnercpa.com

Address: 3781-E Westerre Parkway Richmond, VA 23233Telephone: (804) 740-6036


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Marcia L. Adams from Garner, Adams & Associates, PLLC, whom she joined as a partner in 2010, gave us her thoughts on the award won and how the firm has managed to stay competitive in such a challenging industry.


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I was extremely excited to hear that I won the award and I consider it a great honour. There are many, very good, professionals in this field in the Richmond area so to be singled out in this was is thrilling. I have dedicated my entire career to the Accounting & Tax industry. During this time, I have spent many hours keeping up with the emerging trends in the industry as well as all of the information we need to know regarding the ever-changing tax laws and new financial reporting requirements.

This time has been well spent as it has been of great benefit to our cli-ents, making sure that they are compliant with the law and ensuring that they are provided with every benefit the law allows. The information our firm provides assists them in running their businesses and frees them of the burden of financial and operational reporting and taxes, so they can concentrate on what they do best, running their businesses. The items outlined above and the individualized services our firm has provided to all of our clients have made me and my firm successful in this area.

Our approach is to listen to our clients and determine the areas they feel stress. We take the time to understand their unique situations and determine what needs providing in addition to what they may already be receiving. We have an advantage in this area as we train our staff across the broad array of industries that we serve. The key is effective commu-nication. Listen to the client, determine their needs and tailor services to best satisfy their situation.

One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that we stay at the forefront of emerging developments and trends within the industry. In order to stay abreast of these changes, we subscribe to many periodicals and ensure that our reference materials are always up to date. We spend a great deal of time attending seminars, conducted by well known thought leaders in our industry which is a major time and cost commitment to our firm but one which is necessary and required by our profession.

Staying current with trends also means updating technology and its uses within the industry. Something with is not always easy when the industry falls behind the ‘technical curve’. When QuickBooks online was initially introduced, it was not readily received by our industry. The major concern was two-fold. Many accountants were still concerned about data security as it was stored in large sever facilities across the country. The other problem was the functionality found in QuickBooks Online was not as robust as that found in the desktop version. We have seen major changes in both areas in the past several years.

Intuit has drastically improved the capability of the online product. Many of our clients are now technology savvy and perform some tasks on their own systems while others like the fact that we can securely log into their online system, perform or work, and they can log in and view their finan-cial statements on a real time basis without dealing with paper.

Data safety is not just a technological issue either. To ensure client trust and confidence, we ensure that we hire trustworthy staff and perform background checks and contact previous employers. Our firm has estab-lished procedures to safeguard our client’s data. Since we are basically paperless, this includes multiple layers of security on our computers. When we have source documents from our clients, we make sure they are logged and stored in locked file cabinets until returned. We also have established review procedures where everything produced for our clients is checked and reviewed by a Partner

Though we are a medium size local firm, we have experienced an in-crease in clients due to the growth of the global economy. As pointed out above, we have clients across the United States and Internation-ally. The ability to effectively serve these clients is mainly due to the

rapid improvement in technology, which has torn down all location barriers. However, these benefits do not come without challenges. Tax laws can be drastically different, not just by country but from state to state. This further increases the complexity and necessity of our firm staying current.

Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding counties is a great area to have a firm that provides Accounting, Tax & Business Consulting services. There are many small to medium size businesses and individuals in the area that require our services. The region also is continually recognized as a great place to do business and the area continues to grow. We face the same challenges as other firms in our industry. In order to grow we must inform the public of our expertise, quality and outstanding service.

We run our firm using a family type atmosphere. We treat our employees with respect and we solicit their input regarding ways to make our firm run more smoothly. We also involve them in discussions about future plans for the firm. Though professional, we feel this atmosphere contrib-utes to our employees taking pride in the firm, which translates to their work quality and outstanding service to our clients.

We are striving to continue to deliver outstanding service to our client base as well to continue to grow. The very best way to grow your firm is through referrals from your current clients and by providing them addi-tional needed services. We are also exploring additional service offerings, which we feel will benefit existing and future clients.



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XLN Telecom

Best SME Telecoms Provider – UK Customer Service Excellence Award - UK

Driven by the mantra of, ‘Champion small businesses in every way we can. Treat customers fairly, and strive to find immediate solutions to any issues.’ XLN weighed in on what winning this award means to them and what they believe to be the keys to their sustained success.

Company: XLN TelecomAddress: 21-24Millbank Tower, London SW1P 4QP

Telephone: 0344 880 5939

It’s great to be recognised by the industry for our continued effort to provide the services we do to our customers, and to help reshape and revolutionise our industry. Maintaining a high standard entails that every member of our staff, from CEO and founder Christian Nellemann down, holds to the belief that being the best means that we don’t just compare ourselves within our industry but we compare ourselves to the best in every industry. This means our team know what is expected of them. They know the Company Directors will roll their sleeves up and practice what they preach. This adds to our culture of working harder than the competition, knowing that it won’t be easy but it will pay off with a better experience for our customers. We know that if we treat our customers better than anyone else, they are more likely to become advocates of our busi-ness and recommend us to other small business owners.

We ask ourselves everyday: “How can we make this product or service better for our customers and better than the competition?” As technologies develop and change, opportunities to build a better customer experience open up. We constantly strive to use technology to improve our customer service.

Our industry is extremely competitive. We understand that every customer has a choice, and we are grateful they’ve singled-out XLN to be their sup-plier. It’s an honour to be recognised for putting them first. Our Trust Pilot rating has improved to great with a score of 7.6 out of 10 which far exceeds the nearest competition.

We service over 130,000 small businesses in the UK with phone, broadband, energy and card payment solutions. We lead the industry in two major areas: price, where we guarantee we will not be beaten, and customer service, where we have world class KPIs. It is our understanding of the pressures of running a small business that really makes a difference. Our phone policy is an example of this, we answer the phone within 3 rings and have less than 0.5% abandoned calls and 88% first call resolutions. We know that small businesses simply don’t have the time to sit on hold and wait.

Everything we do is focused on helping small businesses in every way we can. We call them our ‘Heroes of the Economy.’ They drive 99.1% of the UK econo-my, and we know that every pound we can save them is a pound that they can inject back into their business to help it grow.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with 130,000 small businesses, our combined

purchase power helps to create market leading savings. When those savings are added up across all of the essential services we offer, our customers can start to make some meaningful savings compared to the large companies who only focus on one category. It’s our belief that small businesses have been paying too much and receiving poor service for too long. And we want to change that.

Small businesses drive 99.1% of the UK economy, so it’s hugely important that we do everything in our power to support them. We know that every pound that we save a small business, is a pound they can inject back into their business. This helps the business grow, and helps the British economy go from strength to strength. The better the economy, the more growth, and more growth means that customer base can grow, which in turn gives us more purchasing power. It’s a virtuous circle.

London is a perfect base for building relationships and partnerships within the commodities sector and Sheffield has proven an amazingly rich talent pool, helping us grow our team - from service and sales roles, to support roles such as IT, training and HR. We hold CEO updates in both locations so that all employees hear and understand the company’s vision and mission straight from the CEO.

We hold regular employee engagement meetings with staff representatives to understand the needs of our team, and how we accommodate them. This helps to create an atmosphere where we all take ownership and there is no ‘passing the buck’ or giving customers excuses. We are honest and open and encourage our staff to proactively bring new ideas/improvements to the table.

Our industry, outside of XLN, is in constant decline in terms of customer service and overall customer experience. The industry simply does not invest in it. Everyone has a story about how badly they have been treated by their bank, or their broadband provider, or their energy firm. That’s why we’re on a mission to change all that for good.

In the last year alone we have set up an entire new office in Sheffield with new functioning support and sales teams. We’ve doubled the size of our whole team. We intend to build on that in the next 12 months. We have the foundations firm-ly in place. Next year is about growing from strength to strength, looking at every way, no matter how large or small, we can improve our customer experience at every touch point.


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Best for Trust & Dispute Resolution Law - Channel Islands

FranckelLaw, established in October, 2008, is a specialist litigation and dispute resolution firm which draws upon the expertise and experience of Advocate Simon Franckel, to provide quality legal services. Simon Franckel commented on

what this award means for the firm and how it was achieved.

Company: FranckelLawEmail: [email protected]

Web Address: www.franckellawjersey.comTelephone: 01534 871212

First of all, how does it feel to have been awarded ‘Best for Trust & Dispute Resolution Law - Channel Islands’? What do you believe are the reasons behind your success?I am delighted with the recognition the efforts of the firm has been given. Receiving this award means a great deal to a small firm such as Franck-elLaw, which does not have the full weight of a marketing department nor a significant marketing budget, to make sure that the industry knows of our existence and the services we have to offer. This award serves to reflect the recognition of the levels of experience, expertise and of course of the services we deliver for our clients in litigation and dispute resolution, particularly in relation to compliance, insolvency, professional negligence, as well as our core experience in trust and fiduciary law.

Please give us a brief overview of FranckelLaw, your clients and the services you offer?Whilst we represent clients in relation to a wide range of disputes, we specialize in advice and assistance in relation to trust disputes, as re-flected in this award. Our clients are trustees, HNWI and Protectors.

What is your philosophy behind client service? How do you maintain the high standards you set yourselves across your company?Whilst there can be advantages to a larger firm, we firmly believe that in the area of client service we have a real competitive edge. It is our philosophy that the firm’s clients are entitled to high service levels from a fee-earner with whom they are familiar. Our clients appreciate the consistency which we offer in this area. Our quick response times, in meeting our clients’ needs and demands is no small source of pride for those who work at the firm. Existing as a small firm means all of our clients receive a personalised service with lawyers they know and trust and who are more than familiar with what they need from us. This type of consistency can be lost in larger firms who share caseloads regularly amongst a larger staff. We consider this consistency to be a main reason behind our success and client satisfaction.

While working in an industry that is constantly changing, what measures do you take to ensure that you are at the forefront of any emerging devel-opments and trends? As we work in an industry which is constantly changing to address new challenges, I believe we benefit from Jersey being a small jurisdiction. The Jersey Legal Information Board reports on all judgments of any significance. The Royal Court is very busy at the moment. The result is an efficient, regular source of significant trust-related decisions, often of relevance beyond this jurisdiction. We also retain good connections with other firms and professional advisers in other jurisdictions, all in the effort to remain at the forefront of emerging developments and trends, ensuring that our services are always ahead of the competition.

Please tell us a bit more about your region. What are the challenges and opportunities of being based there?As previously stated, we make the most of making our base in a small jurisdiction. Jersey is of course traditionally a trust-focused jurisdiction and changes in the tax treatment of such structures have from that perspective alone diminished the benefit of trusts. Jersey has chosen to take significant steps to redress its reputation as a secret tax haven. This can and does make it difficult for Jersey structures to compete with similar structures in jurisdictions which are, perhaps, less concerned with their international reputation. However, every challenge brings its own opportunity, and Jersey has survived for many years as a significant financial centre by adapting to the changing market forces. I have no doubt that will remain the case.

What does the future hold for your firm? What plans do you have to both maintain and build upon your success?As we look to the future we are certain that FranckelLaw will continue to grow; since we were established, the emphasis has been on steady growth whilst ensuring that we are capable of maintaining the levels of service which our clients have come to expect from us.



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Best Local Television Channel - Michigan

Established in 2000, JTV is a local television station serving Jackson County. Bart Hawley discussed with us the thoughts of the station on being acknowledged with this award and shared his insights into their success.

Name: Bart HawleyEmail: [email protected]

Web Address: www.jtv.tvAddress: 152 West Michigan Avenue

Jackson, MI 49201Telephone: 517-787-8817

JTV is very honoured to have been awarded, Best Local Television Channel in Michigan. Our team consistently works hard to cover the community in a positive light. Every aspect of our content is aimed at the local audience and locally produced. This is what, we feel, allows us to be the definition of what a local television channel should be.

Our staff is small and very productive. While we have been in business 15 years, 75% of our staff has been with us for 10 years or longer. We offer flexible schedules, a comfortable and creative environment, and a huge variety in assignments.

In an industry where awards are revered and coveted, an award like this is very important to our business and industry in general. To be rec-ognised as a business, and for our accomplishments within an industry, demonstrates to our peers the quality and values we aspire to realise in all of our ventures.

JTV was established in 2000 as a local television channel serving Greater Jackson, Michigan. Our programming consists of a daily two-hour local talk show (the only live, 100% local, daily television talk show in the United States); along with several weekly lifestyle programs: Food Circus, Where We Live, The Jackson Show, Global Great Lakes, True Story and Classic JTV.

We can proudly claim to be the ‘World Leader’ in Local High School Sports Television carrying over 200 complete game telecasts annual-ly, covering high school football and basketball. We produce a weekly one-hour high school sports magazine show called, The Locker Room and during football and basketball seasons, we host a weekly highlights programmes.

Our audience has grown rapidly in the past year as the local newspaper and media competitors have practically abandoned local coverage. Our audience is extremely loyal and dependent on our programming. Clients are able to benefit from our responsive audience and get outstanding advertising results. Clients using our video and web services have seen their market share and revenue increase as a direct result of the content creation provided by JTV.

Serving over 250 clients, our advertisers get the results they want as we are able to offer unique, bespoke solutions to each client. As a full production house, we produce, through JTV Studious, corporate training and marketing videos as well as designing and hosting websites. With a full range of marketing, content and advertising products, including still

photography, writing, editing, filming, lighting, web design, ad produc-tion, logo/artwork services and a full range of creative services.The JTV website, JTV.TV, is home to thousands of photos of community events, high school sports, videos and general community coverage. The website is the community’s most visited website and trusted source of local events and entertainment.

With our programming aired on Comcast, AT&T, U-Verse, Cable and WOW!, as well as 24/7 live stream on our website, our channel is avail-able in up to 80, 000 households in South Central Michigan, winning international awards for the quality of content.

At the heart of everything we do is our philosophy of making our clients valued partners. This is how we differentiate ourselves from our compe-tition. Under-promise and over-deliver is our mantra and is at the core of all that we do. Our entire team works closely with our clients and have the authority to act in the client’s best interest.

To stay up-to-date in a digital environment that never stands still we are constantly upgrading our services and equipment to meet the rapidly changing environment in television, web and content delivery. We mon-itor the industry closely. As a small, independent company, we are able to act swiftly in implementing change without board room quibbles. This also allows our company to expand our services to clients outside of our immediate coverage area. Having a team who has worked throughout the United States, we are able to travel to accommodate projects local or further afield.

As a local business, when our community is endangered so are we. For example, our community is a manufacturing (auto-related) community so when the auto industry and financial industry collapsed in 2008, the economy of Jackson was severely impacted. Only recently have we begun to feel the return to the prosperity enjoyed prior to this collapse. Luckily we are centrally located in an area of strong tourism. This allowed us to give back to the community by working alongside the needs of the tourism and hospitality business growing or seeking growth and have aligned our services to reach businesses with specific needs helping them deliver their respective messages.

We plan to continue our growth in providing more community coverage, video production and web design services. Our plans are to grow JTV into another geographic market within the next two years. We will con-tinue to improve our quality and content on a daily basis.


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Best Speciality Visitor Attraction - UK

This unique experience, combining heritage and modern distilling innovation, is the highlight of the Highlands. Tony Dick talks us through the experience and explains what the future has in store for this top tourist attraction.

Company: The Scotch Whisky ExperienceName: Tony Dick

Web Address: www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.ukAddress: 354 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2NE

The Scotch Whisky Experience is a five-star rated visitor attraction located at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. The fully guided tour aims to educate and inspire visitors about Scotch whisky, covering all aspects of production, geography, and appreciation.

From the same building, we also operate Amber restaurant and whisky bar a specialist whisky shop, and a newly refurbished private events suite. Our events suite also hosts Whisky industry events such as the International Spirits Challenge as well as our ‘Scotch Whisky Training School’.

Our guiding philosophy is summed up by our company values Authen-ticity, Passion, People, Learning, Excellence and Fun. We maintain our high standards by consistently setting high goals for ourselves (such as maintaining our Visit Scotland 5 star rating), and meeting them by investing in our team with an ongoing programme of training in both service excellence and product knowledge.

The pace of change in our industry has increased in recent years with a widening geographic customer profile, technology advances and greater customer expectations of product choice and experience. To stay at the forefront within Scotland’s tourism sector we proactively anticipate these changes through ongoing and targeted market research and have invested heavily in recent years to deliver a 5 star product in line with market demands.

We have managed to achieve this objective, and our customer profile has seen growth in all geographic areas in recent years, with the most significant growth being seen from the BRIC countries and our major European markets.

By increasing the scope of tours on offer and range of products in our shop we have been able to match customers’ expectations effectively, generating profits which have been re-invested as part of a rolling investment programme.

However the main factor to our success is that we differentiate ourselves from our competitors. Unlike many museums and attractions, we offer a guide-driven experience that ensures a highly personal educational encounter for each visitor.

Many of our fellow Scotch whisky attractions (understandably) focus on the promotion of a single brand or portfolio, but our unique posi-tion in the industry means we can promote the sector as a whole in a remarkably even-handed fashion, making us an ideal first stop for whisky novices.

Another differentiating factor is our commitment to welcoming inter-national guests. The tour is translated into 15 languages, and we have touch screen information in 20 languages.

We differ from many organisations, not just in our sector, in the training we provide for all members of the team. Distillery visits, regular team tastings, our Whisky Training School, and regular monitoring and in-house training results in a team with an immense wealth of enthusiasm and knowledge to pass on to our visitors.

We also believe we are unique in our use of many different types of media and learning styles to convey whisky information. Very few venues could combine a light-hearted barrel car ride with a the viewing of a historical collection of worldwide significance and result in a coherent experience, but sound knowledge and a passion for Scotch whisky is the common thread running through everything.

We are delighted to have been received this award and credit our success to having a compelling story to tell. We began by matching an innovative idea to a gap in the market, and that spirit of innovation has remained in the business to this day.

Within the company awards such as this create a sense of anticipation and excitement and a great morale boost, and in the wider industry the success stories of the award-winners hopefully inspire other businesses to further enhance Scotland’s excellent tourism product.

There are exciting times ahead for our firm, as 2015 draws to a close. Following a record-breaking seven years of uninterrupted growth in both visitor numbers and revenue, our Board of Directors is carefully consid-ering the possibilities for expansion of the business. Further develop-ments to open up new business areas on our existing site are imminent, and feasibility studies are currently being conducted into potential whisky related business opportunities elsewhere.

The Scotch Whisky Experience



14

Best Management Company - Florida

Lighthouse Property Management is a team orientated property management firm specialising in delivering personalised management solutions tailored to individual situations. The firm’s Vice President of Marketing Kristin L. Fourie outline’s

the company’s unique approach to property management.

Company: Lighthouse Property Management, Inc.Name: Kristin L. Fourie, V.P. of Marketing

Email: [email protected] Address: lighthousepropertymanagement.netAddress: 460 N. Tamiami Trail, Osprey FL. 34229

Telephone: (941) 460-5560 ext 207

At Lighthouse Property Management, we take a better approach to man-agement than the rest. Our founder and CEO, J. Lloyd Keith, pioneered the Full-Service TEAM Management Plan, which delivers the most comprehen-sive and personalized Association management solutions available in this industry. He started up Lighthouse in his home in Osprey in 1991.

Since then, we have grown from one office to five satellite locations, so that we can better service to the over 155 associations we serve. Because we offer a team of professionals to service every one of the associations we manage, we are able to bring comprehensive coverage and support to boards of directors.

Within the base team we offer a Full-time licensed manager who works with his or her own Administrative Assistant. The assistant handles the day to day operations, so that the manager is able to be onsite, in the field, attending to the needs of the property. In addition, the association receives an accountant, who produces the monthly financial. A full time collections clerk handles any collectables due to the association, while the A/P-A/R clerk provides invoice management as well as the collection of dues. Working behind the scenes is our V.P. of Operations, who oversees the management team, checking in with the directors on a regular basis. The Executive Program Director works with the assistants to provide consistent training and efficient practices. Our Human Resources Director oversees the function of association employees, as well as health care and payroll submissions. The Director of Marketing keeps sales up, as well as providing associations with marketing materials that promote property projects. Finally, our I.T. Manager maintains our company and association websites, while also addressing our technical issues.

Through our vast experience we have developed policies and procedures we refer to as “The Lighthouse Way.” It’s a way of investing in people in our community, producing valuable results that far out-weigh a monetary gain.

At Lighthouse, our mission is to provide exceptional customer support with honesty and integrity. Communication is the key. We listen because we care about the needs of our clients and we are committed to delivering the highest quality of customer service available. Our design is built upon teamwork. We give our clients the support of a management team, who Follow-up with solutions that work. We build relationships with clients based on trust. We live in the community we work in, so we have an Investment in the properties we manage and the people who have trusted us to enhance the value of their homes. Our reputation is the cornerstone of our success; serving the tri-coun-ty area for 25 years. In order to maintain these high standards, we have a few safety nets in place to ensure maximum performance: Our V.P. of Operations works closely with the management teams in order to ensure the proper level of service is delivered to our clients. Our philosophy is to ‘inspect what you expect.’ Quarterly surveys are handed to our boards of directors, giving our clients the opportunity to weigh in on our services.

Working within an ever evolving industry such as ours requires means we have to keep ahead of emerging trends by constantly keeping ourselves informed. Each year we analyse our current progress. We investigate trends in our industry, following reports from top leaders, companies & magazines, such as Wealth & Finance International.

However the most important aspect to our approach is that we understand that one thing is always constant: how we treat our clients. In order to ensure the best in client care, we understand that our employees are the front line to our clients, so we want to support them in the highest degree possible. Whether that means increasing benefits, enhancing our bonus program, providing additional training and increasing communications, we do so in an effort to show our appreciation to those who are doing the work.

It is our approach to client care which sets us apart from our competitors. Our unique TEAM Service Structure ensures clients receive the best possible service from our firm.

Each one of our properties receives a TEAM of professionals to guide them through the complexities of Association Management. No other management company offers this type of support. Of course this level of service is costly, however, we keep our fees low, because we are committed to our clients and we are invested in our community.

An additional benefit of this structure is that because our philosophy is team oriented, the atmosphere within our company is relaxed. Knowing an employee can reach out to a team member at any time for support, helps us achieve overall success in our work performance. In fact, after the Annual Staff Conference (ASC) this year, employees rated ‘team support and work environment’ as a 5 on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best and highest score) on the survey. Each year our Conference gets bigger and better.

Currently, all of our satellite offices are at full capacity. In the future, plans have already begun to look for additional office space. The first location sought after is the Lakewood Ranch area. Since Lighthouse supports the Lakewood Ranch Alliance and partners with them in many events, we hope to spread the Lighthouse name there, and plant some roots in that lovely area! We will also be expanding our Longboat Key offices. This is another key area of interest as we are committed to this community while also serving of mem-bers of the LBK Chamber. Our team structure is working well for clients and we are implementing new staff, procedures and check points to ensure that we maintain that high level of customer service. Numbers do not drive our success, rather, it is the ability to continue to deliver the best customer service available that steadies our growth.

Lighthouse Property Management


15

Best for Technology-Based Financial Solutions - USA

Christopher Higgins outlines how his technology based financial services firm, Financial Recovery Technologies, has overcome a tough financial climate to become top within the industry.

Company: Financial Recovery Technologies, LLCName: Christopher Higgins

E-mail: [email protected] Address: www.frtservices.com

Address: 200 River’s Edge Drive, Suite 300, Medford, MA 02155

Telephone: 339-674-1021

Financial Recovery Technologies is honoured to have been awarded ‘Best for Technology-Based Financial Solutions”. It truly is a reflection of the investments FRT has made to enhance our technology and hire the best talent in the industry.

Awards such as this are a great reflection of the hard work and commit-ment organizations like FRT have put in to become prominent members of the financial industry, and as such FRT is proud to receive this award.

Our firm is a technology-based services firm that helps the invest-ment community identify eligibility, file claims and collect funds made available in securities class action settlements. Offering the most comprehensive range of claim filing and monitoring services available, we provide best-in-class eligibility analysis, disbursement auditing and client reporting, and deliver the highest level of accuracy, accountabili-ty and transparency available.

FRT is the provider of choice for leading hedge funds, asset managers, investment managers, pension funds, mutual funds, sovereign wealth funds, global custodians and regional banks.Because our clients are the most important people in our business, FRT views customer service as a top priority and it is an element of FRT’s company values. Each FRT client is assigned a dedicated account man-ager to serve as the go-to person for any and all inquiries. Our account management and client service teams are proactive in their interaction with clients, so that we can best understand and address their needs. We maintain the high standards we set across the company by regularly reviewing our process and analysing the best ways to maxi-mize our client service.

FRT distinguishes itself from our competitors through our commitment to improving our technical infrastructure, best in class customer service and being thought leaders in the industry. By going to great lengths to truly understand our customers’ business and to deliver the most com-prehensive solution to satisfy the client’s needs we ensure they remain loyal to us and refer new clients to our business.

Although our clients are vitally important, it is also imperative that our employees remain dedicated to providing our exacting standards. With this in mind FRT has made a significant investment in hiring the smart-est, most knowledgeable employees. It is this commitment to human talent that keeps us ahead of the curve. Every employee is dedicated to continuing their understanding of the industry.

Internally our culture is very collegiate. We routinely challenge one another while sharing ideas and concepts to help better ourselves and those around us. While everyone at FRT approaches our duties with pro-fessionalism, we like to foster an academic feel and keeping employees engaged. Monthly, we have companywide social events so that cross functional groups can get to know each other better, from both a profes-sional aspect, but personally as well.

Additionally, FRT is a thought-leader in the class action recovery industry and routinely investigates, researches and publishes information regard-ing emerging developments and trends.

Recent international economic issues have provided us with a number of challenges. In regards to the global securities litigation arena, much has changed in the last five years. Global developments have caused FRT to expand its reach and devote more resources to understand what’s happening outside of the United States.

Overall the growing global reach of securities litigation has been the most prevalent trend in FRT’s industry. Many jurisdictions across the globe are implementing or considering the implementation of mechanisms similar to that in the United States in order to address securities fraud and help inves-tors recover damages from securities litigation and class action settlements.

With regards to the future, we are committed to the future of the company and the industry as a whole. We have challenged ourselves to become the premier resource for securities litigation and class action settlement recovery information and services.

Financial Recovery Technologies



16

Best Commercial & Mechanical Contractors 2015

Colonial Webb is one of the largest commercial, mechanical, and electrical contractors in the Mid-South, specializing in Construction, Service, Industrial Refrigeration, and Manufacturing. The firm provides service to customers ranging from

small businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Company: Colonial WEBB ContractorrsWeb Address: colonialwebb.com

Address: 2820 Ackley Ave, Richmond, VA 23228, United States

Telephone: +1 804 916 1400

Headquartered in Richmond, VA, the firm’s subsidiary companies in Virginia, DC, North Carolina, and South Carolina can build, service or retrofit systems for virtually any type of building – from schools and mu-seums to high-rise office buildings and hospitals – even industrial plants that manufacture everything from potato chips to computer chips.

Additionally, Colonial WEBB are a part of Comfort Systems USA, provid-ing them with nationwide scope which gives their customers a distinct advantages over our individual local competitors.

Between them the two firms share best practices, ideas and technology to give clients better project quality, performance and safety. And with the exten-sive work history of Colonial Webb’s subsidiaries, the group forms “centres of excellence” to guarantee success on any project, no matter how what size.

The firm is prides itself on its connections, which provide them with access to a wide range of experience and machinery.

ColonialWebb is a Mid-South leader of superior construction, installa-tion and service of building mechanical systems. Our unparalleled and extensive range of capabilities, technical expertise and industry experience make us the valued partner for facility managers, owners and contractors alike. As a Comfort Systems USA company, we are strengthened by a nationwide network of mechanical contractors prepared to build, service, or retrofit any commercial or industrial mechanical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Electrical, Plumbing, Water Solution, or Process Piping system.

The firm’s services can be broken down into a three categories. These in-clude construction, with the fir working on both Design-Build or Plan and Spec, aiding clients from the design phase to construction with qualified professionals, quality products and an experienced contractor team.

In addition the firm provides a range of building Service and mainte-nance services, helping clients after buildings are open to design and implement a maintenance schedule to keep the systems operating at peak efficiency and prolong their service life.

Finally the firm supplies retrofitting services for when systems age and become less reliable or energy-efficient. Colonial WEBB are able to recommend and install upgrades and replacements that will help their clients to keep long-term operating costs down.

Dedication to safety is paramount to the firm. We aspire to be the most respected mechanical construction, building services, and industrial refrigeration provider in our markets. We will respect and take care of each other and our customers, work hard, stay safe, have fun, grow revenues and earn a reasonable profit by living our Core Beliefs.

Our Core Beliefs: Care is at the foundation of our beliefs. We demon-strate care through our commitment to:

Safety: We look out for ourselves and each other. I have the courage to make safe, smart choices every day. I care for myself and others and speak out when something isn’t right.

People: Our people and the values we share define our company and set us apart from our competitors.“I act with integrity, passion, respect, and high standards of quality and ethics. I honor my commitments and am accountable for my actions and decisions. I seek ways to better myself, my team and my company. I treat people the way I hope to be treated.”

Customers: Our customer relationships are built upon the solutions we provide, the manner in which we deliver, and the journey we create. “My daily actions influence our customer relationships. I am responsible for creating a positive customer experience.”

Collaboration: We build trust and create the best solutions through the collective efforts of our team members, customers, and suppliers.“I collaborate with others to ensure both internal and external customer needs are understood and their goals are achieved.”

Community: We are connected to the communities we serve.“My community is a better place to live because of my actions. I donate my time and volunteer my talents, energy, and resources to strengthen my community.”

Environment: We are stewards of our environment.“I find ways to reduce energy use and help our customers reach their sustainable goals. I challenge myself to protect our environment and to be conscious of its welfare.”

With these principals and their industry partnerships, the firm can con-tinue to build upon its current success in the future.

Colonial WEBB Contractors


17

Best in Renewable Energy 2015 - France

EDP Renewables is a Spain based international firm specialising in developing innovative new solutions for the produc-tion of renewable energy. Frédéric Lanoë offers us an insight into the work they do and their impressive position within

this competitive and growing market.

Company: EDPR FranceWeb Address: www.edpr.com

EDP Renewables, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world’s fourth-largest wind energy producer. With a sound development pipeline, first class assets and market-leading operating capacity, EDPR has undergone exceptional development in recent years and is currently present in 12 markets (Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Spain, the US, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, the UK, Romania and Mexico).

EDPR France, our main subsidiary, currently supplies 340MW via 170 wind turbines located throughout France, making it is among the largest operators in the market.

EDPR also holds a 43% stake in a consortium with Engie (formerly GDF Suez), which holds 47%, and Neoen Marine, which holds 10%, to develop and built a 500MW off-shore wind farm at Dieppe and Tréport and another off the islands of Yeu and Noirmoutier.It is activities such as this, alongside our intensive work operating a number of wind farms, which puts EDPR is at the forefront of wind farm operation. In fact, the load factor of our facilities is one of the most stable and significant in our sector.

As an operator of wind farms, we have numerous responsibilities. We need to make sure we produce electricity of the best possible quality and as seamlessly as possible. We also need to engineer projects that are a benefit to the local communities, while respecting the local environment. To achieve this, we are mindful of the following three elements: “walk the talk” since it builds trust, which is a must for long-term projects like ours, “value all employees at all levels” since it is the team that makes the difference and “have a genuine approach to continuous improvement”.

In addition to our work with wind farms we are also closely studying the floating wind power tender launched by the French Government as the company is among the pioneers of this technology worldwide.In order to stay ahead in this rapidly expanding business envi-ronment, we ensure that we are our internal pricing and markets department and new business development teams are continuously scanning for opportunities worldwide. In France, given my current position as President of the French Wind Power Association (France Energie Eolienne), I am in a privileged position to be able to promote the benefits of shifting to renewables.

All of these factors have given us unique insight into our market. In the renewable energy arena, we are observing some key trends that are crucial to take into account. The first of these is the enormous growth of the installed power capacity in emerging countries. Wind power and solar energy have become competitive thanks to the support scheme implemented among OECD countries. This is now translating into benefits for many countries which recognise the ease and effectiveness of renewable solutions.

Additionally, we have observed that there is a certain degree of con-fusion in Europe as many countries have used the pretext of the eco-nomic crisis to cut back renewable energy compensation schemes. We do not believe, for example, that it is positive to cut back on wind power, a sector led by high-growth companies in Europe, while con-tinuing to subsidize massively polluting energy sources.Our firm has a commitment to the development of off-shore wind energy has made us a reference company in the sector on a global level, and we are keen to build on this going forward, partnering with other firms to investigate new means of providing this.

EDPR France



18

Recognised Leader in Video Conferencing Services

BCS Global Networks is a worldwide provider of managed video conferencing, telepresence and visual collaboration services. BCS Global’s innovative videoconferencing and telepresence solutions enable rich, real-time interactive video

collaboration that allows participants to connect seamlessly from their desktops, mobile and tablet devices, home offices, boardrooms or telepresence suites. The company owns a fully deployed global B2B video exchange, which enables users

across the world to meet instantaneously regardless of their video system, network provider or type of connection.

Company: BCS GlobalName: Clive Sawkins

Email: [email protected] Address: www.bcsglobal.com

Address: Headquarters – UK Keypoint, 17-23 High Street, Slough,Berkshire, SL1 1DY, United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 (0)1753 705 400

BCS Global Networks promotes connectivity with its range of video conferencing services. CEO Clive Sawkins gives us an overview of the firm’s work.

We were thrilled and honoured to receive this prestigious award. It’s fan-tastic to be recognized for our hard work and contributions to the video conferencing services market.

Personally I believe this award says a lot about BCS Global and the culture we have built. From our humble beginnings in a small office, to becoming a global provider of managed video services, this award is a testament to all our employees and their contributions to our success.Our corporate culture revolves around our people. It’s paramount to en-sure our employees are respected, engaged and involved so they remain dedicated to providing our customers with the best possible services and products. We continually recognize our employees and help them grow professionally through ongoing training and team-building programs, as well as employee recognition awards that honour employees for their success and contributions. We also have leadership programs that empower decision making and problem solving. And, to further demonstrate BCS Global’s commitment to exemplary service, each new customer gets a welcome letter from me, the CEO, with my personal contact details.

BCS Global’s vision, which is displayed on every wall in our company, is linked to our performance management system. It is monitored in our all-hands meetings and updated in my monthly all-employee video clips. We also use social media to update all employees on our performance.

Customer care is equally vital to our corporate culture and we take it very seriously. BCS Global offers an industry-unique, 24/7, white glove video conferencing service. We are well aware that because we deliver collab-oration over video, we are only as good as the last experience. We pride ourselves on our best-in-class service; and our mission is to maintain it.In order to stay ahead in this fast-paced industry and constantly evolving

marketplace, BCS Global works closely with our partners and custom-ers to ensure that the latest, greatest technology and features are fully developed, adopted and utilised. This inclusive approach is critical as we continue to build on our success internationally.

Growing globally is not without challenges, particularly breaking into the North America market. However that challenge has also become an opportunity. Earlier this year, BCS Global acquired Minnesota-based Vid-eo Guidance, which became a wholly owned subsidiary while retaining the respected Video Guidance name and brand in the U.S. The merger has created a formidable, cloud-based global enterprise that links BCS Global’s capabilities in Europe, North America and Asia with Video Guid-ance’s in North America.

Over the past 12 months we have seen a number of exciting oppor-tunities with the explosive growth of cloud-based video. Therefore, we are focusing our efforts on the interoperability between systems, which continues to be a key issue within the video collaborations market.

BCS Global’s strategy for the future revolves around strengthening and growing our company, particularly in the tough North American market. We are working closely with our newly expanded team to build a bigger and better company, featuring the next generation of technology in an ever-changing industry.

As CEO, I am extremely proud of our talented and dedicated employees, as well as our strategic partnerships that allow BCS Global to continue to meet the unprecedented demand for comprehensive video collaboration and visual services.

Clive Sawkins, CEO BCS Global Networks Ltd.

BCS Global Networks Inc.


19

Best for Independent Financial Advice – UK

Fogwill & Jones brings a wealth of experience into their work, providing clients with independent financial advice. One of the firm’s Directors, Margaret Abrahams, tells us how honoured the firm are to have won such a prestigious award, and

gives us an exciting glimpse of what the future has in store for the company.

Company: Fogwill & Jones Asset Management LimitedName: Mrs Margaret Abrahams (Director)

E-mail: [email protected] Address: www.fogwillandjones.com

Address: DeVere House, 4 Acorn Business Park, Woodseats Close, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 0TB

Telephone: 0114 2588899

We are very honoured and flattered to have been chosen by our clients to receive this prestigious award and would like to thank everyone involved. Having worked in the financial services sector for over 30 years and still closely working with clients who joined us at that time; we believe our success is due to the close relationships we have developed along with the time and care we take in ensuring that each client receives a personal and tailored service. In most cases, our clients’ children and grandchildren have also become clients themselves and we are able provide relevant solutions to their individual requirements, whatever age and financial circumstances they may have.

Over the years we have developed our services from being Inde-pendent Financial Advisers to a more holistic Wealth Management company. Our clients can now access our full discretionary service for their investment portfolios, as well as detailed inheritance tax planning including trusts and protection. Our sister company also provides in house tax accountancy, lasting powers of attorney and will instruction as well as estate administration. As you can probably gather form the above, our clients receive a truly unique service. This can remove the need, in some instances, for working separately with a solicitor, accountant and financial planner. With our service, you will have only one point of contact to guide you.

Our Service Charter ensures that our clients are kept regularly informed of any legislative changes; their allowances such as NISA, income tax and capital gains tax are fully utilised on their behalf if they wish and their investment portfolios are managed and monitored on a regular basis. Throughout our entire organisation, communication is key.

Industry awards such as these are important to individual businesses as they are independently given and demonstrate the satisfaction of our clients. We understand that there is more to a relationship than merely advising or managing a portfolio, and it is our goal to provide a lifetime of financial and taxation support.

Regardless of what stage of their financial lives our clients may be in, we will work with them to legitimately mitigate the various taxes that can apply as they get older, such as Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax. Our dedicated team are committed to making our

clients’ financial planning as straightforward as possible in an honest, friendly manner.

We would also like to add that we treat all our clients the way we would expect to be treated by providing value for money. Perhaps this is through taking away the hassle of dealing with complicated finan-cial issues, or possibly from advising on the most appropriate solu-tions for their needs, potentially saving them money on unsuitable products. No matter how we add value, Fogwill and Jones pledge to maintain a commitment to a personal, friendly service.

In order to stay ahead of the game, we work hard to keep up to date with legislative changes and making sure our clients are kept informed. A website has been developed to ensure we have internet presence along with Twitter and Facebook pages – we realise that younger people require communication in a different format to their parents and ensure that we meet their needs.

At present, the situation for firms like ours is getting a lot brighter. The UK is emerging from a period of unprecedented economic crisis. In order to ensure we do not expose our clients to any unnecessary risk, we continuously review our clients’ investment portfolios and actively make changes as market conditions dictate. This provides both new and existing clients with reassurance in our management abilities, which has enabled us to continue, retain and attract new business in times of both adversity and prosperity.

In the future, we are keen to recruit another adviser to ensure continuity of service and gradual expansion. As we offer such a unique all round ser-vice, we are confident that our company will continue to prosper and that our clients will continue to receive a very bespoke and personal service.

Over the past 12 months, there has been a rise in demand for finan-cial advice, which follows major government reforms to the retire-ment income landscape. Rising property prices and the proposed introduction of a new main residence nil rate band for inheritance tax has increased the awareness of inheritance tax planning matters. The industry and government policy is in a constant state of change and it is our job to stay abreast of such changes and ensure we keep our clients informed and meet their needs as required.

Fogwill & Jones



20

Antitrust Litigator of the Year - UK

Hausfeld LLP work across the field of litigation, from anticompetitive conduct to large scale disputes and develop global litigation strategies. Edward Nyman discusses the firm’s philosophy and what the future holds for the firm.

Company: Hausfeld LLPWeb Address: www.hausfeld.com

Address: 12 Gough Square, London EC4A 3DWTelephone: 020 7665 5000

In the past year, not only has Hausfeld won the Global Competition Review’s “Litigation of the Year” Awards, it has also been ranked as the top law firm in competition litigation by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. Increasingly recognised as the top in its field, Hausfeld has gone from strength to strength as the number one choice for claimants.

Hausfeld lawyers have, throughout their careers, consistently applied forward-thinking ideas and creative solutions to the most vexing global legal challenges faced by clients. As a result, the firm’s litigators have developed numerous innovative legal theories that have expanded the quality and avail-ability of legal recourse for claimants around the globe that have a right to seek recovery. We understand the cost of litigation and the constraints on in-house legal budgets. Accordingly, we have developed unique and flexible engage-ment structures in which we share the risks of litigation with our clients.Andrew Bullion is a founding partner of Hausfeld and brings two decades’ experience of successfully litigating complex competition, securities derivative, and other matters on behalf of corporate claimants and defendants. Andrew has represented some of the world’s most recognisable undertakings in proceedings in various jurisdictions.

Hausfeld ranks among the world’s top claimants’ firms. Renowned for our skilful prosecution of complex litigation, we represent businesses, organisations and in-dividuals – in both Europe and the US – in the areas of antitrust and competition law, financial services, consumer protection, human rights and mass torts.

We have achieved this using experience, which has helped us create a reputation in the market which has meant that we are often able to resolve these claims through negotiations, thereby avoiding the need for time-consuming and costly litigation.

Our commitment to positive client outcomes is manifest in the large sums we regularly invest in client matters prior to any payment. As pioneers of alterna-tives to the standard billable-hour relationship, we have developed unique and flexible engagement structures that enable our clients to pursue recovery of damages without costs risk or any up-front investment or financial resources.

Antitrust knows no borders; neither do we. We take on and succeed in claims that are at the cutting edge, raising complex and novel issues in respect of jurisdiction, applicable law, quantification of damages and contribution liability. At Hausfeld we are innovative in the way we pursue claims, the legal issues we run and how we go about resolving claims without the need for litigation or protracted litigation.

Despite limitations of the current legislative and procedural framework, Hausfeld’s pioneering litigation strategy has not only enabled companies to join together to pursue claims arising from competition law infringements, but most importantly, recover substantial amounts in damages. Moreover, we constantly take part in the debates – in the US, UK and Brussels – in relation to reforms seeking redress and access to justice for claimants.

As the economy continues to improve, large companies are more aware than ever that, if they are found guilty of cartel on abuse of dominance activity, the issue of compensation will be on the table. Antitrust infringes understand the need to find a solution – hoping the problem will go away is even less a wise defence strategy than it was two years ago. Many businesses have extended their data retention policy to gear up for bringing or defending damages claims. Many consider it to be part of a company’s corporate responsibility towards its shareholders to pursue these claims. For example, German corporate law obliges the management to seek compensation for the company where they know it is due and can reasonably be obtained. Thus it is now the exception that a theoretical private enforcement action does not become one in fact.

Presently, most European competition damages claims are brought in England. DBAs, CFAs, ATE insurance and specialist litigation funders have all played a key role in the development of London as a competition litigation hub.

These are the types of businesses and funding arrangements that create opportunities for law firms like Hausfeld to take on many types of viable competition law and financial services claims. The main challenge is obviously growing competition from other conflict-free clamant law firms, in particular US firms, which now have the appetite to test the European legal market. Of course our firm has diversified, and will continue to diversify, regionally as necessary for the service of our clients present and future.

Looking to the future, for myself and Hausfeld, our plans are simple: to con-tinue to improve, to expand, and diversify, to increase our client offerings, but also retain a leading position which was hard-earned.

In the past year, not only has Hausfeld won the Global Competition Review’s “Litigation of the Year” Awards, it has also been ranked as the top law firm in competition litigation by both Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500. Increasingly recognised as the top in its field, Hausfeld has gone from strength to strength as the number one choice for claimants.

Hausfeld LLP


21

Sustained Excellence in Wealth Management - USA

ClearPath Capital Partners is a San Francisco-based boutique wealth management firm serving innovators, entrepre-neurs, and high-net-worth individuals in the Bay Area and around the country. The firm explains how they have come to

such success and what the future holds for the company.

Company: ClearPath Capital PartnersWeb Address: http://www.clearpathcapital.com/

Address: 222 Front St #3, San Francisco, CA 94111, United States

Telephone: +1 415-682-6900

ClearPath crafts and delivers innovative solutions for the unique wealth management needs of successful executives, entrepreneurs and high-net-worth families. The deep expertise and experience of our team helps these families by establishing a clear and seamless all-inclusive wealth management plan. We deliver integrated, inno-vative and customized solutions designed to help our clients secure, protect, and grow their wealth.

Our clients are typically entrepreneurs, founders, executives, and the tech elite driving the new economy. For successful entrepreneurs, financial complexity does not diminish with liquidity events. Rather, complexity simply transitions from business-related financial deci-sions to an entirely new array of personal financial decisions.It is our strong focus on putting our clients first that sets ClearPath apart from our competitors. This focus has allowed us to find unique wealth management strategies, such as the early sale of clients’ stock to late stage venture capital.

We firmly believe that a successful wealth management strategy needs a strong foundation of communication. As such we have creat-ed a service to help our customer achieve this.

It is called the Client Access Portal, which serves as a one-stop global view of our client’s entire financial picture – from accounts we man-age to accounts held at other institutions.

Using the tool clients can view bank balances; outside retirement or investment accounts; and private equity and personal assets. The portal also functions as a library to store financial plans and reports giving an on-demand snap shot of where our clients business is currently and where it is heading at any time.

Despite our success we have faced a number of challenges, partic-ularly with regards to hiring new staff to help us continue to expand our business. Growing rapidly as we have, it can be a real challenge to attract, recruit and hire top talent. We spend an enormous amount of time and energy looking to add to our team and to maintain a great culture and work environment.

Looking to the future it is our aim to become the leading force in wealth management and provide premier comprehensive wealth management for entrepreneurs located in tech epicentres around the country.

ClearPath Capital Partners



22

Best Safety Equipment Supplier - UK

As a family owned business PK Safety UK has been supplying industry both locally and nationally for nearly 30 years, obtaining extensive knowledge and expertise within the field, recognising the need for reliable delivery of quality products

at competitive prices.

Company: PK SafetyWeb Address: www.pksafetyuk.com

Address: Dragon House Pontcynon Industrial Estate, Abercynon CF45 4EP

Telephone: 01443 741999

As a family owned business PK Safety UK have been supplying indus-try both locally and nationally for nearly 30 years, obtaining extensive knowledge and expertise within the field, recognising the need for reliable delivery of quality products at competitive prices.

This experience has taught the firm a lot about their clients’ business, and they understand that has become vital that wide-ranging stocks of sup-portive products are available for rapid distribution either to their premises or direct to site.

As such, the firm believes that working as part of a team (Together Everybody Achieves More) is paramount in order to achieve our goals. PK Safety UK is built around two core assets, its people and its products.

In order to ensure their employees are dedicated to providing such services, the firm encourages their staff to take pride and have a sense of belonging, which is reflected in the company’s culture. Living the values we have created ensures a delivery of customer service excellence.

This culture is what drives the firm to strive for a healthy organisational/ corporate culture in order to increase productivity, growth, efficiency and reduce counterproductive behaviour and turnover of employees. PK Safety UK takes the implementation of this culture very seriously, as they believe that this is central to ensuring that every member of their staff works towards achieving the high standards they pride themselves on.

“Every organisation has its own unique culture or value. Organisational/corporate culture is the collection of relatively uniform and enduring values, beliefs, customs, traditions, and practices that are shared by an organisations members, learned by new recruits and transmitted from one generation of employees to the next.

“Corporate culture governs the way the owners, management and employee’s think, feel and behave. More importantly, value is the cultural glue that holds the organisa-tion together and determines the success of a company/business. Therefore, value is foundation to which an organisation should build their business upon.

“Remember a culture is present throughout every organisation/business, whether or not it has been designed or formed on its own. Therefore, the imple-

mentation and management of a culture is essential in order for the business/organisation to be driven in the right direction and to align with the corporate brand image. More importantly, having core values to any business is essential but there must be perimeters in place to allow personal differences of style.”

In addition to their corporate culture, the firm takes its social responsibil-ities very seriously. PK Safety UK is committed to the highest standards of social responsibility across their global supply chain and insist that alongside themselves all of their suppliers provide safe working condi-tions, treat workers with dignity and respect, and use environmentally responsible manufacturing processes.

The firm values everyone who interacts with their business: employees, suppli-ers and customers. Therefore the firm constantly monitor their working condi-tions to ensure the compliance of regulations and standards are adhered to.

Environmental responsibility is another aspect of their social contri-bution, and PK Safety UK work hard to minimise the environmental impact of their operations and products. Their efforts include working to reduce waste and packaging of their products and lower the emissions produced during the manufacturing and distribution processes.

Charitable contributions also play heavily within the firm’s corporate culture to ensure that they support the wider community. “For many years we have been committed to supporting charities that have public benefit, we support initiatives to help people develop in their communities and protect the planet.

“The management team are dedicated to supporting charitable events and actively encourage employees to participate. We aim to donate 1.2% of pre-tax profits annually and continue on the path of charitable success.”

Looking to the future, the firm’s mission is to grow their core business and become a leader within the market. This drive is firmly focused on customer centricity and generating life time value for the firm’s employees, suppliers and customers.

Additionally the firm is looking to remain focused on delivering high standards of customer care and generate value and broaden the scope of their business to constantly deliver strong sustained growth by aiming to always be innovative and adaptive and insure their trade upholds the firm’s core value and strategy.

PK Safety UK


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Best Architectural Firm – Texas

Tipps Architecture, Inc. is a family run business providing a range of services to wide variety of customers. Jerry Tipps talks us through the business and gives us an insight into what the future holds for the company.

Company: Tipps ArchitectureE-mail: [email protected]

Web Address: www.tippsarchitecture.comAddress: 1004 Prairie St # 290, Houston, TX 77002,

United StatesTelephone: +1 713-228-1700

Tipps Architecture

Tipps Architecture is proud to be a family business. We are located in Houston, Texas where we have invested our lives and careers in building a vibrant, diverse community. Our firm provides full architectural services primarily to the commercial markets. These services include site search assistance, site investigation and due diligence studies, conceptual design services, architectural and interior design, construction documents, construction management and administration and post construction and occupancy phase services.

In addition to this we are also really big on branding—both internally and externally— and for our clients that is important. We began in the hospitality industry back in the early ‘90’s providing concept develop-ment and design-build services to large nightclub properties. Restaurant and bar design remain important to us as a part of our overall portfolio which includes hotels, retail, office, medical office, mixed use projects, education, multi-family and religious facilities.

As a company we are dedicated to providing our clients with personal service at the principal level. Most client contact is through either my son, Jared, or myself directly. We stay constantly involved with our clients through the entire project cycle.

Our project delivery focus is on fidelity to our client’s facility and financial goals for their projects. Over ninety percent of our work is with long standing repeat clients. New clients are typically through referral, be-cause clients value our belief that our personal attention to their projects helps insure that they get what they want when they need it.

Internally, our focus is on high quality documentation that reduces surprises and additional expenses during the construction phase of the work. Every aspect of the project is reviewed and approved by Jared or myself. This gives us the ability to insure a high quality product and service is consistently delivered.

In order to connected to the local community we are actively involved in the local business and architecture communities and are a part of the development of emerging trends in this region.

We like to stay in touch with the community we operate in because a large part of our firm’s culture is defined by our location. What is widely known about Houston is that it is at the heart of the oil indus-try. What is lesser known is that it is also a canter of technological development in space, biotechnology, general science and medicine supported by a large industrial backbone. It is an extremely diverse city with every race and nationality represented in abundance. International economic trends mirror Houston’s own. We have seen a period of accelerated growth over the past three years, and are hopeful it continues.

In addition we also keep up to date with global issues, both in and outside of our industry. We are avid readers, and study what’s going on in the rest of the world, and incorporate ideas that we see and like into our projects here. As well as this we also provide multiple training opportunities throughout the year for our staff, and invite vendors in on a regular basis to make presentations to staff on emerging products and technology application.

Looking to the future, our client base looks set to continue to grow. We take our cues from our clients and work in the directions they are headed. We believe that our continued emphasis on building and main-taining strong relationships with our clients as important partners in their success, while delivering high quality design, documentation and service delivery will help us succeed with them.

In addition to this we have recently redesigned our website, and feel that this will allow both current and potential clients to see our information and contact us in an easier manner.



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Best Business Environment 2015 – Bellevue Nebraska, Building for Business

Larry D. Burks profiles this dynamic and exciting city and explains how it has come to win such a prestigious award.

Company: City of Bellevue, NebraskaName: Larry D. Burks, ICMA-CM, MPA, CED

Email: [email protected] Address: www.Bellevue.net

Address: 210 W. Mission Ave. Bellevue, NE 68005Telephone: 402.682.6632

The City of Bellevue Nebraska’s Engineering, Public Works, Planning and Permitting Departments work very hard to make development easy and timely while simultaneously, Bellevue’s expert staff work equally as hard at ensuring the safety and quality of life for our citizens by insisting the integrity of our rules, regulations and policies are upheld.

French for “beautiful view,” Nebraska’s first community has a growing and diverse economy and is located on the eastern edge of Sarpy County, which is the fastest growing county in the State of Nebraska.

The City’s population is 5% younger than the state average and the average household income is 5% higher. More than 25% of the population are college graduates. The low crime rate, low unemployment and low cost of living, cou-pled with award-winning schools and modern health care facilities make the community very business and family-friendly. With miles of biking and hiking trails, dozens of parks with playgrounds and sports fields, there is always something to do in Bellevue.

The City’s infrastructure of well-maintained roads, communications facilities, access to transportation centre and list of incentives provides an ideal atmo-sphere for business opportunities.

Bellevue is also home to Offutt Air Force Base and the newly constructed headquarters for STRATCOM. Defence contractors are seen throughout the area and Offutt AFB has a $1.3 billion dollar per year impact on the area’s economy. This is a great benefit to the community.

Bellevue is a major part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Statistical Area. Our region was identified by several publications as the best area to withstand the recession and Nebraska was listed #3 on Forbes list of 2015 Best States for Business.

Our philosophy can be seen in our Mission Statement:“Provide exceptional customer service . . .” are the first words. The four words translate into actions, as anything we can do at the City of Bellevue to help a business project or new development get completed faster, or enter the market quicker, without treading on our organizational integrity. Team Bellevue will do their best to accomplish necessary tasks as quickly as possible saving business-es and developers time and money.

In order to achieve their Mission, Bellevue’s management team is continuously seeking out new and innovative methods of doing business in a more efficient and effective manner. Continuing education is required for nearly all personnel

in management positions and continual developmental growth provides addi-tional opportunities for organizational preparedness.

Our city’s leadership and management has stressed a future focused leadership approach by implementing performance management, succession planning, strategic planning and fiscal conservatism. Citizens and businesses in Bellevue benefit from improved efficiencies and added value for their tax dollars. This strategy has already achieved tremendous growth for the city in the interests for industrial, rail serve sites. Thus, Team Bellevue has identified multiple sites in the Bellevue area where rail serve businesses could be located which will help assist further future development.

Bellevue’s leadership has made great progress and looking further into the future, great growth is predicted. Team Bellevue will continue to work with area professionals and plan development for the incentivised areas. Within our city, quality of life, convenience, opportunity and affordability are key characteristics to business attraction, expansion and retention. As we move into 2016 we will continue to build on key characteristics and ensure they are maintained for years to come.

The City of Bellevue

(From left to right)Larry D. Burks, Assistant City Administrator Rita Sanders, MayorMike Christensen, Chief Building OfficialChris Shewchuk, Planning Director



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Best Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year – Switzerland andRecognised Leader in Global M&A Transactions

MilleniumAssociates AG is an independent international M&A and Corporate Finance Advisory firm based in Switzerland and the UK. Founder Ray Soudah discusses with us how the firm has come to win two highly prestigious awards.

Company: MilleniumAssociates AGName: Ray Soudah

Web Address: www.milleniumassociates.comAddress: Kreuzstrasse 54, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland

Telephone: +41 58 710 47 00

MilleniumAssociates AG

Founded in 2000 and owned by its partners and management, Mille-niumAssociates are uniquely positioned within the Corporate Finance market to offer independent and non-conflicting advice to our clients.

Our Entrepreneurs and Corporates Practice specialises in supporting corporates and entrepreneurial business owners all over the world for their M&A needs, while our Financial Services Practice focuses on trans-actions for the global financial services industry, in particular the global wealth, asset management, private banking and private equity sectors.

The company’s fully dedicated team of M&A and Corporate Finance specialists are currently involved in variety of advisory assignments, supporting a number of international, regional and domestic clients with their global expansion or divestment strategies, as well as consulting for organisations seeking to determine their ideal strategic options including partnerships, alliances and IPO or debt raising plans and arrangements.

We are proud to have one of the broadest professional networks world-wide, including institutional and private investors.

Over recent years we have augmented this with a number of similarly independent and un-conflicted global strategic partnerships in the key growth regions of the world that strengthens our coverage locally and regionally and complements our service offering.

As our clients trust us with a vital aspect of their business we take client service very seriously. Our clients value our independence and lack of conflict as well as our ability to create tailor-made solutions for them. Our local, regional and global experience also enables us to understand and uphold our client’s requirements whatever the size or nature of the project, irrespective of sector or geography.

Although we are headquartered in Switzerland and simultaneously have a FCA EU passportable approved subsidiary in London we, like our clients, are not restricted geographically. Our international network of investors coupled with our global strategic partnerships means we can

support our clients’ needs whatever their location or area of interest. This flexibility is valuable to our clients as their work is not restricted geographically, so we have to ensure we are not either.

As the global economy continues to improve, our firm is observing both investor and business owner confidence growing on a selective basis for at-tractive investment opportunities in a significant number of regions globally. In addition to this we are experiencing a steady increase in the number and volume of M&A transactions, which is a good sign of economic recovery.

This recovery is a good sign, but has also meant an increase in competi-tion in our industry, a new firms move in. There are many factors which differentiate us in the market place; we more than complete with the larger firms in our expertise, global reach and investor network enabling us to manage the most complex mergers, acquisitions or disposals of companies as well as supporting any IPO or bond/capital market needs, however our continuing independence and lack of conflicts, professional network and nimble abilities allows us offer totally impartial advice and be creative in finding the most appropriate strategic solutions.

In addition to this we have a unique culture within our company which helps define the work we do and set us apart from our competitors. We are entrepreneurial company at heart, so whilst there is an excellent foundation in corporate finance and over 200 man years of collective M&A experience, we also see matters from all sides and understand our clients’ needs and values. This deep understanding makes every transaction we work on personal to us and inspires us to strive to achieve the best possible outcome for the client.

MilleniumAssociates has always had one of the broadest professional networks worldwide, including institutional and private investors, and we work hard to maintain and develop this network, ensuing we understand their evolving strategies and demands.

Looking to the future we will strive to continue to augment our network of global strategic partners to ensure we can offer industry and geographi-cal expertise whatever the transaction.


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Best Salon Spa in Northwest Arkansas

Accents Salon and Spa is a full service salon providing a variety of hair care treatments as well as well as spa services including manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and waxing.

Company: Accents Salon & SpaAddress: 1120 S Walton Blvd

Bentonville, AR 72712Phone: 479 271 8300

Accents Salon & Spa

Accents Salon Spa Aveda lifestyle .

Accents has been voted best Salon Northwest Arkansas. Located just three minutes from Walmart World Corporate Headquarters in the beauti-ful South Walton Suites Building.

Our highly educated, passionate team will totally rejuvenate you during your experience! We will educate you use self care at home with the help of our 96 to 98% natural plants and flowers Aveda products! Our Aveda hair color pigment is 97% naturally derived.

Please visit our website accentssalonspa.com to review all services offered.

Voted Best of the Best 11 years .

Accents Salon Spa Aveda Lifestyle



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Faircom New York, Inc.

Best Full Service Fundraising Agency - New York

Company: Faircom New York, Inc.Name: Corinne Servily, PresidentEmail: [email protected]

Web Address: www.faircomny.comAddress: 12 W. 27th St., 13th Floor, New York, NY 10001

Telephone: 212-727-3876


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Faircom New York is an international fundraising and marketing agency that works with non-profit organiza-tions of varying breadth, depth, mission and size. We speak to the firm’s President Corinne Servily, who gives

us an overview of the firm’s recent projects and tells us what the future has in store.

Established more than 20 years ago, Faircom New York is committed to helping charitable organizations extend their reach through integrated and innovative approaches. While most firms work with non-profits in just one area of fundraising, Faircom New York is equipped to work with organizations through all channels, including print, digital and face-to-face. Our in-house integration enables us to grow with programs as priorities and strategies evolve. We can seamlessly address multiple avenues for engagement, making Faircom New York unique amongst other agencies in that we are a “one-stop shop” for fundraising.


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Our mantra with regards to client service is that we are always available. We have clients around the country and around the world, meaning that we must be ready to adapt and utilize a combination of phone, email and face-to-face meetings to maintain consistent communication. We know that there is no substitute for sitting down across the table with some-one to brainstorm and strategize, so we also make a point to see every domestic client on a quarterly basis, and at least once or twice per year for international clients depending upon their travel schedules, distance and budgets. As we are a boutique agency and work in cross-departmental teams, there is always someone available who is completely aware of a client’s status and who can provide help at a moment’s notice.

But, we also realize that getting to know clients on a more personal level can be the key to productive working relationships, fostering openness, camaraderie and dialogue. As such, we have regular informal gather-ings both on and off-site, encouraging staff to get to know each of our clients in a less formal environment. We believe that by having a personal connection with colleagues and clients, a healthy and friendly collegial work environment is created. We are proud of the level of partnership and collaboration that this allows us to bring to our work with our clients – mak-ing a difference for local organizations in New York City like the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, as well as large international clients like TechnoServe.

As a long-time partner of Faircom New York, Inner-City Scholarship Fund, working as part of the Archdiocese of New York, services hundreds of thousands of children living in some of the poorest neighbourhoods of New York City. And, as with many other non-profits, they see revenues slow considerably during the month of April. Indeed, industrywide, this month is soft for fundraising in the United States, due to the overlap with tax season. Many organizations will even elect to not pursue any fundraising mailings at that time – a practice of which we typically agree.

However, for Inner-City Scholarship Fund, holding off on a revenue-gen-erating opportunity was not an option, because their students rely on the generosity of others to provide educational opportunities. We worked with them closely to determine how to maximize returns using their most powerful asset – a prominent religious leader in the New York metropolitan area who could give voice to the organization’s needs and entice donors to give. Incredibly, this was one of their most successful campaigns of the year, with untold benefit to the impoverished communities served by Inner-City Scholarship Fund.

While a newer client, the international development organization TechnoS-erve has quickly become indicative of our approach to integrated strategies to bring fundraising initiatives to the next level. TechnoServe utilizes busi-ness solutions to tackle poverty in the developing world – creating lasting impact and change in communities by empowering enterprising people to build competitive businesses, farms and industries. The organization joined us with a robust direct mail program already in place, but their communica-tions channels across the print and digital spaces had very little to do with one another. A disconnect in messaging can of course lead to a fractured identity, which is detrimental not only to brand awareness but also fundrais-ing returns.

Building from this, we saw great potential in growing revenue by integrating the digital space with their offline messaging, both to generate new revenue online and to increase revenue from offline donors who were presented with a cohesive brand message on all channels. Even more, we looked outside of our initial scope of work with TechnoServe to uncover innovative opportu-nities to develop brand awareness, including new approaches to content marketing and social video that allow TechnoServe’s message to break through in a crowded non-profit field.

Beyond our integrated work with domestic-based clients, Faircom New York leads the market in fundraising and communications for interna-tional clients entering the American market. We work with each on spe-cific targets of building awareness and support here in the United States, often at a very high level. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach for these clients, we utilize our expertise in the United States to provide each organization with a market analysis relevant to their mission and goals. This is more than a simple investigation of competitors as we dig deep to examine potential donors amongst high net worth communities, foundations and corporations, eventually building to a tailored fundrais-ing strategy capitalizing upon potential opportunities. We supplement this with executive coaching and background support throughout the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of relationships, including cre-ative content development.

Understandably, such a global client base demands that we work around the clock and in multiple locations – truly engaging in fundraising without frontiers. Thus our team is integrated across offices in New York, Paris, Geneva and soon Hong Kong, with other country offices led by fundraising authorities Antoine Vaccaro and Christophe Bec. By being present in these capitals of fundraising – historic, as well as emerging, in the case of rising Asian philanthropy – we ensure that our collective finger is on the pulse of our clients’ audiences. This enables us to provide the highest quality of service to our clients for having face-to-face discussions closer to their homes, as well as equipping us to organize fundraising events wherever the market is strongest.

Whether our clients are domestic or international, large or small, we are only capable of maintaining our value by staying on the cutting edge of the industry. As we look to the future, we know that the industry will con-tinue to move quickly and constantly evolve as technologies shift. With growing economic constraints on households as well as a consistent rise in the number of non-profits in the market, the amount of money that individuals have to give is increasingly precious, and in high demand.

As such, our learning and professional development never stops, with staff from multiple country offices attending and presenting at sev-eral national and international fundraising conferences each year to keep abreast of industry trends. This is supplemented by out-of-office seminars and courses for staff, as well as a broad library of online and print publications covering the many sectors of non-profit fundraising. We also understand it is essential that our clients are aware of the latest trends and metrics, and so we create industry analyses to be distributed internally and externally, built from industry benchmarks but informed by our close eye on the results and data of our own campaigns. Importantly, each and every analysis is informed by our collective experi-ence working with and listening to the more than 100 clients in our portfolio. Day and night, we learn about their internal operations and fundraising priorities and endeavour to learn everything we can about their missions and programs outside of our contracted scope of work. It is only through a deep knowledge of each organization that we are able to provide thoughtful and unique strategies to increasing their footprint in the fundraising industry – and thereby propelling them to provide incredible services in their fields. Looking to the future, Faircom New York continues to meet the challenge of being flexible in order to succeed. As we have in the past, we will grow, adapt and evolve to the changing market. Indeed, we were once focused entirely on direct marketing through print, but saw many years ago the need to expand our services – maturing into the multi-channel agency you see today. Whatever the future brings, Faircom New York will rise to meet the challenge – empowering our non-profit partners in the process.



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Best for Trusts Law & Estate Planning - Italy

Vicari & Associati is an experienced and dedicated asset management firm which specialises in asset protection and estate planning.

Company: Vicari & AssociatiName: Andrea Vicari

E-mail: [email protected] Address: www.vicariassociati.com

Address: Via A. Manzoni 25, 20121Milano

Telephone: 39 0289013102

Vicari & Associati

The firm assist mainly private clients who include professionals, entrepre-neurs, business leaders, traders, artisans, intellectuals. This brings the firm into contact with a wide variety of estates from businesses, to privately owned estates or even inheritances.

These clients want to preserve and protect its assets from creditors, making it impervious to marital affairs, make sure it is used to cope with all the adversity that could be envisaged in the course of their existence, adjust the allocation in favour of loved ones at the time of his death, avoid it because of family disputes.

This heritage is organized by the firm, in order to ensure their conservation and transmission for generations and protection from external aggression, us-ing the most sophisticated and efficient legal instruments, with the experience of their lawyers and notaries.

Although they deal with a wide variety of clients and estates, the firm has a very defined area of expertise.

“We do not deal with asset management or investment advisory but we organize the assets in order to ensure its preservation for generations and protection from external aggression, using the most sophisticated and efficient legal instruments.”

Despite operating with a high regard for modern rules and regulations, the firm’s vocation for the organization and planning of heritage has roots far back in time.

“In the mid-nineties, in Italy, the trust was an instrument unknown to many. Andrea Vicari, a founding member of the Vicari & Associati, driven by the desire to deepen the theoretical and technical profiles of the trust went to the United States, where he earned first a master (Harvard), and became Doctor of the Juridical Science (Cornell), specializing in this discipline.

“When, in 2001, the first group of Vicari & Associates was formed, these experiences form the foundation of professional practice today. Since that time, many problems were addressed, many solutions made estate planning, many innovative applications of the trust developed, many of our successes in

cases relating to asset protection structures in the courts and to the arbitration national and International. “

“The trust law remains a pillar of our practice, so that Andrea Vicari has contributed to the drafting of the first law in Italian on trust, that the Republic of San Marino (2005) and the full and reform (2010), which was extender with Prof. Maurizio Lupoi, collaborating in the drafting of the Constitutional Act for the establishment of the Court for the trust and fiduciary relations of the Republic of San Marino.”

In addition to their work as top estate planners the firm is also an authority within this industry, and members of the firm regularly contribute to the global knowledge on the subject through publishing articles on their workThe firm also has a library in which there are about 5000 volumes, including the most authoritative texts English, American, South African, Australian and New Zealand, as well as Italian and French, the last century, in terms of comparative law of trusts.

There are monographs, magazines, treaties, commentaries, legal encyclopae-dias, Italian and foreign, dealing with statutory instruments of heritage protec-tion, but also to protect creditors in the face of technical protection, the right of inheritance and gift tax and company law, tax law, as well as higher studies regarding issues related to generational transfer of wealth and business. On 31 January 2014, the catalogue of the library, now part of the National Library, has officially joined the national catalogue OPAC SBN. The online catalogue currently contains thousands of volumes but will need a few more months to complete the entry process.

The firm has grown significantly since its inception, and has now become an award winning leader in both its market and its region.“Over time, our practice has led us to expertly handle all the tools of articula-tion of the heritage, developing, with awareness, a unique working method in the Italian experience.

“Stopping to reflect on progress made, we realized that this has led us further than we had set: aspired to be the best experts of the trust, we have become engineers Heritage, experts in organization and estate planning.”


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Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year - Arizona

It is not hard to find a lawyer in Arizona, but to find a multi-award winning, well-intentioned attorney with a proven track record of winning for his clients, now that is a rare commodity. A.J. Mitchell fits this description well and these were his

thoughts on winning, awards and cases.

Company: Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC Web Address: www.ajmlawoffice.com

Address: 14555 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 170Scottsdale, AZ 85254

Telephone: (480) 595-6800 – Tele

Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC

“It is undoubtedly a high honor to have been awarded Arizona’s Personal Injury Law Firm of the Year: 2015” for assisting clients in navigating the of-ten complex legal waters that exist in virtually any claim and ensuring that clients have everything they need when seeking a resolution or preparing for trial.

The Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC is dedicated to client success. Focusing on personal injury law, the firm is able to assist injury victims during the most difficult time in their life. They remain compassionate yet focused. Whether it is an auto collision (car, truck, motorcycle, bike, pedestrian), a trip and fall, a construction accident, animal attack, or medical malpractice, the Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC fights zealously and effectively to resolve most cases short of trial.

“I like to make a difference in people’s lives,” and indeed he does. With his skill set and knowledge of the legal system pertaining to personal injury law Mitchell always embraces the chance to apply his skills to protect cli-ents from the challenges presented during the troubling times which follow an injury. Battling a large, faceless insurance company can be daunting. Mitchell knows, ““It’s a David versus Goliath battle every time. After a client has been injured and before a client hires an attorney, the insurance company attempts to get a statement immediately. Usually, the quicker the insurance company gets a statement, the better it is for the carrier, because injuries often take some time to fully manifest.”

Mitchell graduated with high honors from the University of Florida in 1998 with a degree in ¬finance. He went directly on to law school at California Western School of Law, where he received a scholarship and earned a position on the trial team. Mitchell began practicing personal injury law after losing his own sister to a trucking accident some years ago. With an in-depth understanding of the emotional and logistical challenges that occur with injury clients, shortly after his own family tragedy, he opened his own practice focusing primarily on personal injury law.

With his vast knowledge of personal injury law and the facts of a specific case at his disposal, Mitchell can rebut the contentions insurance compa-nies make knowing that they will try to get a release signed by the injured party as a matter of urgency, in an endeavour to avoid paying further

costs. Aware of the possibility that further health problems may arise for his clients, problems for which they should be entitled to claim, Mitchell is always prepared.

The Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC stands behind its work. In the extremely rare event the client is unsuccessful, the Law Office of A.J. Mitchell, PLC never charges any fee or costs to the client. And, Mitchell always discount our contingency fee when he is successful. Unlike other firms, the Law Office of A.J. Mitchell does not dish your case off to a new associate. Every case is handled directly by A.J. Mitchell, who has nearly 15 years of experience as an attorney. He has handled seven figure cases and five figure cases with personal attention to each one. “The reason for practicing personal injury law is that I want to play a role in shifting the paradigm of the personal injury attorney from the unscru-pulous, ‘ambulance-chasing’ attorney, to the honorable personal injury attorney that enhances the lives of the clients I serve,”



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Best Franking Machine Manufacturer – UK

Headquartered in Switzerland, Frama is an international company providing solutions for the secure handling of sensi-tive and financial data. Lenny Wood from Frama was available to explain the challenges to the industry and why winning

an award like this means so much.

Company: Frama Ltd.Name: Lenny Wood

E-mail: [email protected] Address: www.frama.co.uk

Address: 15 Limes Court, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 8EP

Telephone: 01992 451 125

Frama Ltd.

In a very competitive industry, it is a great feeling to have been awarded, ‘Best Franking Machine Manufacturer’ over our closest and in most cases larger competitors. Having always been a very agile company, we are able to make changes to our services quickly, responding to market forces efficiently and consistently to meet or exceed the demands of our customers. Additionally, our values of no hidden charges, Swiss build quality and commitment to aftercare win us new plaudits every day.

Established for more than 40 years, it is always gratifying to win an indus-try award as they are a very important part of our brand awareness efforts and help to paint a favourable picture of the company. Industry awards like these also allow us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.

Being a part of a Swiss organisation, Frama UK prides itself on high quality and attention to detail in all things. This is the mind set of our employees and is applied to all levels of the business. This approach works very well with both our customer base and prospects alike.

As a global company based in over 50 countries worldwide, close monitoring of the global economy is a must and an upturn in the world economy is always welcome. When the Swiss National Bank sudden-ly announced that it would no longer hold the Swiss franc at a fixed exchange rate with the euro, we did have a challenging time. However, some small tweaks here and there we weathered the storm and have been able to move forward.

Our hardware and software applications are used in a broad spectrum of applications worldwide. Global management and flow of postage funds be-tween logistics service companies and postal authorities are offered along with the use of Frama technology in the taxation and finance industries. Our top vertical markets are with solicitors, local education and accoun-tants, generally any industry producing a large amount of physical post.

We pride ourselves on delivering the highest levels of customer service before, during and after every sale. To this end we introduced the Fra-macareS customer service promise. Our members of staff are regularly trained on customer service, satisfaction and retention to provide a fantastic customer experience.

Frama are well known for innovation, bringing a number of firsts to the franking machine industry. Most recently, Frama were the first franking manufacturer to bring a full range of Mailmark™ machines to the market earning several industry awards in the process.

Frama also introduced the SMARTER Franking plan to the franking industry two years ago. This plan provides customers with everything they need to purchase maintain and run a franking system, all wrapped up in to one easy payment. Everything is included; machine cost, full maintenance, ink, delivery and installation. In addition, Tariff updates and re-crediting fees are also covered by the plan, a first for the franking industry and an initiative that keeps customers coming back.

With the increase in electronic communication, physical mail and the handling of documentation is evolving. Frama have identified this trend early and is taking positive steps to diversify our product portfolio.

Frama will continue to service the franking machine industry, but is already looking at a number of digital products to cater to the increasing need for digital document handling solutions.

Frama UK is based in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. As a part of a world-wide company and services the whole of the UK, we do not experience any particular disadvantages from this location although being in close proximity to London does provide some benefits in regards to being close to central government and a wide range of UK business head offices.


33

Best Tax Advisory Firm for Businesses – UK

A multi-award winning London Practice, Bambridge Accountants is located in the heart of Covent Garden and specialis-es in providing accountancy and tax advice to the creative industries.

Company: Bambridge AccountantsE-Mail: [email protected]

Web Address: www.bambridgeaccountant.co.ukTelephone: 020 3757 9290

Bambridge Accountants was established in 2010 by founding partner Alistair Bambridge who noticed a gap in the market for accountants who understood the complexities and demands of the creative industry but could also speak their language.

Alistair Bambridge states “the ability to listen to a client and understand their unique circumstances, whilst consistently providing clear and insightful advice, is what we believe distinguishes Bambridge Accountants from our competitors. We pride ourselves on being a knowledgeable and understand-ing company that offers a high quality and efficient service to all of our clients, unrivalled by other companies of our size.”

Dedicating his practice towards supporting creative individuals, Alistair provides expert advice in areas including creative industry tax relief and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme for clients who are looking to develop their own technology. Not even a decade since inception, within the last five years, Bambridge Accountants have experience exponential growth as it gains respect and accolade for its tax advisory service to the creative community.

Proud of his firm’s accomplishments and growth founding partner Alistair Bambridge commented, “Bambridge Accountants started five years ago with one client, today we have over 700. We are delighted to have won the award for ‘Best Tax Advisory Firm for Business’ and to have been recognised by the Wealth and Finance Business Awards for our hard work.”

Looking to the future and expansion of the company Alistair offered that, “We have ambitious plans to grow and expand our practise over the com-ing year but are committed to ensuring that we maintain our high standard of personal service which we pride ourselves upon and which our clients expect and deserve.”

In the last year Bambridge Accountants have also expanded their services to provide expatriate tax services for Americans living abroad. “The interaction of UK and US taxes is something we have found to be of growing interest of our clients.” Alistair continues. “Within our small practice we now have an expert team of tax advisers and IRS enrolled agents who have extensive experience in the field of expat tax preparation.”

Undoubtedly one of the keys to their success is how Bambridge Accountants blaze their own trail with regards to operations. “Rather than following the industry-wide practice of charging clients on an hourly basis we offer compet-itively priced fixed rate and task based billing for all of our services and work with clients to find an accountancy and tax strategy which fits their individual needs. This allows us to instil comfort and reassurance, which is greatly valued by our clients” Alistair comments.

Specialising within the creative industries, Bambridge Accountants pre-dominantly work with actors; however, over the years they have seen their client base increase to include directors and producers within both film and television as well as professionals within other performing arts fields such as musicians, dancers and artists.

While the preparation of both UK and US personal tax returns is the mainstay for the company Bambridge Accountants also offer services for companies including the preparation of company accounts, bookkeeping, VAT returns and payroll services.

With clear plans for growth, Bambridge Accountants can also boast about its client satisfaction record with a recent survey showing that 95% of clients would use them again and over 87% recommend their services to others, Bambridge Accountants are willing to take a bow for their recent awards, but stand ready to perform again.



34

Best Windows Systems Manufacturer - UK

Founded in 1980, Synseal is the UK’s fastest growing and most dynamic window and conservatorysystems manufacturer.

Company: Mark SchlotelName: [email protected]

Web Address: www.synseal.com Address: Common Road, Huthwaite,

Nottinghamshire NG17 6ADTelephone: 01623 446207

Synseal remains fully independent and is owned by the people who run the company on a day-to-day basis, following a successful MBO in February 2010 and is ably led by Chief Executive David Leng. The man-agement team drive Synseal’s commitment to provide the best products, at competitive prices, with unrivalled support and interaction with its fabrication customers.

David Leng is passionate about the company’s mission statement: “Our business vision is to be the UK’s first choice supplier for window, door and conservatory roof fabricators; providing good value, good quality products and services that meet the needs of their businesses, ensuring that all our customer partners can be winners in today’s competitive marketplace.”

Company staff numbers have grown from 450 people in 2012, to in ex-cess of 1,200 employees which includes a specialist team to implement business improvement initiatives.

The team is headed by Business Improvement Director Andy Killick, who is continually seeking ways in which customer services might be improved, including the all-important OTIF (On Time In Full) complete consignment delivery measure, with smooth integration of both new-ly-acquired and existing business operations to optimise efficiency and working practices.

The Nottinghamshire-based business is noted for its innovative engineer-ing, effective marketing, and excellent customer service and satisfaction. Synseal regularly achieves top ratings in benchmark surveys of fabrica-tors’ views of their suppliers’ product quality and service performance.

Numerous industry awards testify to Synseal’s commitment to be the best in all areas of its business. The firm believes that this is the most effective way of remaining a market leader and recent accolades for sustainable environmental efficiency as well as their B2B ventures prove that not only are they earnest in their attempts to remain the best, they are also committed to making a positive impact on global society.

Delivering dynamic sales growth and operating profit in excess of 10% each year while operating in a highly competitive market is a major achievement for this highly focussed home improvement systems technology provider. Synseal is successful because all key operations are completely managed under the company’s control, from processing of the raw materials that are mixed to formulate the extruded PVC-U profiles which form the core of the business to the fleet of 40 logistics vehicles that now deliver an ever-expanding range of innovative products to their fabricator business partners – all of which offer margin-rich opportunities and impressive “affordable style” benefits along the entire value chain: from fabricators to professional installers and ultimately the purchasing UK homeowners.

Core Synseal products include three 70mm PVC-U window suites: Leg-end, Shield and SynerJy, an Evolve range of specialist fabricated and CE

marked products which includes vertical sliding sash, patio doors and bi-fold doors, and market-leading conservatory roof systems in both PVC-U and aluminium including the best-selling Global roof which for sizeable wide-spanning projects can be supported by SkySpace portal frames.

Recent trading years have seen sales turnover increase steadily by both organic growth and prudent acquisition. The timeline shows a progres-sive sequence of business development initiatives:

• In November 2011 Synseal acquired a large regional insulated glass unit (IGU) producer to create Global Glass and further extend customer choice, in addition to joint-developing glass and frame solutions to optimise energy efficiency and performance. Global Glass Huthwaite now specialises in production of high quality sealed units for windows and doors.

• In May 2012 Synseal added again to its brand portfolio with the ac-quisition of K2 Conservatories including Celsius performance glass. Global Glass Blackburn was subsequently established as a centre of excellence for roof glass sealed unit manufacture.

• In April 2013 Synseal Registered Installer (SRI) business support was launched in association with sponsoring fabricators to assist verified installers to retail Synseal products to UK homeowners.

• In July 2014 Synseal acquired the business and assets of Prospect Inc. Ltd, trading as Systems Glass, to create Global Glass Wigan and add a third IGU manufacturing facility to expand and strength-en glass supply operations serving northern regions of the UK.

• In November 2014 Synseal acquired the trade and operating assets of the Litchfield Group’s UK window & trade extrusion and door businesses, formerly known as LB Plastics Ltd and Manse Masterdor Ltd, and established the renamed Sheerframe Ltd and Masterdor Ltd as wholly-owned subsidiaries of Synseal.

• In November 2014 Synseal also launched WarmCore aluminium folding sliding doors, featuring innovative “warm aluminium” framing technology, which signals an exciting new chapter in the company’s dynamic 35-year history.

• In April 2015 Synseal launched Celsius solid roof, ideal for both ret-ro-fit or new applications to create modern and thermally-efficient building extensions that can be used 24/7, 365 days a year.

• In June 2015 Synseal launched a range of Masterdor Benchmark GRP composite residential doors, designed to appeal to UK homeown-ers and be easy for Trade retailers to sell and install with confidence.

Synseal is a member of the Glass & Glazing Federation incorporating the Conservatory Association and an associate member of the Home Builders Federation. Looking to the future the firm intends to continue improving upon its impressive success.


35

Best for Financial Predictive Analytics Solutions - USA

My fellow Accretive team members and I talk to business and technology leaders from many of the world’s largest banking and financial service institutions every week. And one of the biggest questions on every executive’s mind is,

“How do we prepare for and avoid major disruptions to our business and operations?” These disruptions may be caused by external risks, like the economic meltdown of 2007 or competitive threats like Bitcoin, as well as internal failures that

may be caused by numerous factors including poorly designed or aging infrastructure.

Company: Accretive Technologies, Inc.Web: acrtek.com

Address: 330 Madison Avenue, Sixth FloorNew York, NY 10017

United States of AmericaPhone: +1 (888) 572-2135

Email: [email protected]

The institutions we talk with comply with the latest regulations, analyze terabytes of big data, use predictive analytics, and receive frequent risk management reports from all the silos of their organization, but uncertainty remains and grows uncon-tained. As our world becomes more global and technological advances accelerate change, the window of opportunity to take corrective actions when problems arise is shrinking and risks are rising.

Endless amounts of time and resources are dedicated to the task of risk manage-ment, but everyone knows that the biggest threats to their business plans will be some new chain of events or unexpected surprises—none of which will be predict-ed using conventional wisdom or current predictive analytics technologies and so management will be caught completely off guard when the next crisis hits.

It’s these unknowns that keep banking and financial executives awake at night—wondering how to prepare for and steer their institutions clear from that which they cannot predict. And that is precisely why Accretive is called and where our conversation begins, because Accretive provides a revolutionary solution to this age-old risk management challenge.

We use big data, predictive analytics and machine learning technologies to predict future events, just like our competitors. But unlike our competitors, we do not rely solely on historical data or statistical models—we use advanced mathematical em-ulation to predict and prepare for new and never experienced events. And we are able tie together all the interconnected internal and external structures of a system to see if changes to the system will create any unexpected or undesirable impacts on the performance or cost of a system—whether the system be a settlement exchange network or the global operations of retail branches.

Accretive’s predictive analytics solution, X-Act® OBC Platform, prepares executives to make better risk management decisions by pinpointing the source of potential problems and detailing the preventive actions that should be taken to ensure the continuous efficiency and cost effectiveness of operations.

Everyone is curious to understand how we can do this and I must admit that some-times the solution to our problems have unexpected origins. During my doctorate work in the 1970s, I discovered how to solve complex mathematical problems, like the three-body problem of Sun-Moon-Earth that were believed to be unsolvable by Isaac Newton and other scientists who followed because the gravitational influ-ences of three or more bodies over time could not be accurately solved using the previously proposed mathematical formulae.

The three-body problem of Sun-Moon-Earth is an eloquent expression of dynamic complexity whereby the motion of planets are perturbed, by the motion of other planets and vary as a function of time. I found that a three-body problem could only be solved by a sequence of highly advanced mathematical formulae.

My scientific contributions were initially used by the European Space Organization to accurately predict and maintain the orbits of satellites. Later as the Chief Technol-ogy Officer of First Data Corporation, I found that business and IT systems present modelers with many of the same challenges that we faced in celestial mechanics. This is because most modern systems are dynamically complex—meaning system components are subject to the interactions, interdependencies, feedback, locks, conflicts, contentions, prioritizations, and enforcements of other components both internal and external to the system in the same way planets are influenced differ-ently over time by the gravitational pull of other planets.

Despite a company’s wealth of experience, mature risk management practices and deep domain expertise, sometimes the organization will be caught off guard by an unexpected risk or sudden decrease in system performance. This is because current risk management practices pretend that systems are static and operate in a closed-loop environment. As a result our risk management capabilities are limited to known risks within unchanging systems. And so, we remain heavily reliant on perception and intuition for the assessment and remediation of risk.

Risk management is commonly defined as the identification, assessment and prior-itization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities. However, we as citizens, businesses, governments, environments and world economies have suffered from a number of disasters in the recent past that have greatly deflected us from our intended goals. Many of these disasters have appeared as surprises and their impacts have been significant. In retrospect, we can observe that the people in charge of risk manage-ment in these cases were either unaware of the risk or did not correctly quantify it.

The recognition of Accretive’s X-Act OBC Platform as ‘Best for Financial Predictive Analytics Solutions – USA’ by Wealth and Finance International is encouraging. It shows that we not only have the right solution to address this growing problem of predictability in risk management, but also that we offer a unique solution that is greatly needed by banks and financial institutions today.



36

Full-Service Technology Solutions Firm of the Year - Georgia

Emerald Data Networks, Inc. is a data technology firm that has been acting as a trusted technology partner to businesses across the US since 1989.

Company: Emerald Data NetworksWeb: www.emeralddata.net

Address: 5064 Roswell Rd # 102B, Atlanta, GA 30342, United States

Phone: +1 6783023000

Emerald Data Networks is a trusted provider of full-service, enterprise-wide technology solutions to businesses throughout the Southeastern United States that depend on technology to achieve business objectives. The firm provides these organizations with voice and data solutions, technology roadmaps, project planning and management, and advisory services that are delivered in an honest, ethical and reliable manner.

Technology can create competitive advantage or limit growth. Emerald’s ulti-mate goal is to make sure that its clients are using technology that helps them serve customers better and compete more effectively.

Working directly with the client, Emerald creates a plan to make current systems work better and to determine what new technology may be needed, whether that is VoIP, network solutions or computer system security. This im-proves Emerald’s customers’ ability to operate more efficiently and effectively.

With a top-notch team of certified engineers, project managers and experi-enced business professionals, Emerald ensures that clients are fully supported throughout the process of upgrading their technology.

Because of this approach, Emerald clients often don’t have to change the way they do business to accommodate their new technology. The breadth and depth of the firm’s experience enables them to fit newer technology into their client’s current systems and support the goals they have for their companies.

One of the services the firm specialises in is Data Solutions. Emerald assesses the client’s current situation, establishes a roadmap for implementation, applies solutions carefully to prevent glitches, and trains employees on the new system.

Another service that the firm provides is the installation and management of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). With VoIP, voice travels across the same network as data. Customers dial one number and the system finds the user, whether on a PDA, cell phone, laptop or a remote office phone. Emerald works closely with the client to ensure its VoIP system creates a solid return on investment for the business.

The firm has already received a number of awards for its services, and in fu-ture will endeavour to build on this success and provide their clients with a full and comprehensive service that meets all of their business technology needs.

Emerald Data Networks, Inc


37

Best Independent Care Home Provider – UK

The award winning Parklands Group is one of the largest independent care home providers in the north of Scotland with care homes across Moray and the Highlands. Ron Taylor talks us through the firm’s dedication to their work and their

pride at winning this prestigious accolade.

Company: Parklands GroupWeb: www.parklandsgroup.com

Address: High Street, Buckie, Moray AB56 4ADPhone: 01542 836000

Here at Parklands Group we are very proud, honoured and flattered to have been awarded the best Independent Care Home Provider in the UK 2015. We strive to be as person centred as we can and ensure that we look after our people – our strap line is “our family caring for yours” – and it is great to be recognised for this dedication.

An award like this recognises the effort, care and support of the company and hopefully highlights the very real challenges that the care sector faces in the years ahead.

Parklands was formed in 1992 by myself, Managing Director, Ron Taylor. The first Parklands Care Home was purpose built in 1993 and the group now has nine locations throughout the North of Scotland. Each location is embedded and integrated into the communities in which they operate.

All of our staff comes from within a five mile radius and over 70% have been with us for over 10years. We do not use agency or overseas staff. We offer residential, nursing, respite, day care and convalesce care.

Our philosophy is to get to know our residents as well as possible – the detail is vital. We are process driven and create an audit trail wherever we go. We maintain our high standards by documenting and listening to the need of our residents. Working in an industry that is constantly changing, we need to ensure that we listen to the needs of our residents. Good communication channels from the top down are also vital if we are to remain flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our client base.

The global economy is constantly changing and with digital networks, more and more information is becoming readily available. We therefore need to be selective when using technology and apply the areas that work best for us.Parklands were born and are growing in the Highlands of Scotland. Operat-ing from a central site, we control 9 other satellite locations. The challenges are many – particularly around transport networks in rural economies where there is very limited public transport. The area has recently been covered by high speed fibre optic broad band which makes communication easier and almost instant.

We strive to set ourselves apart from our competitors by offering significantly better terms and conditions of employment. We pay the living wage, offer all of our staff a pension of 4% and have an Investor in People Company since 1996. We operate our own training school and offer our people career devel-opment in rural economies where employment opportunities are limited.

Our culture is positive, open and transparent. All of our staff know that they are supported in their role. As Managing Director, I personally meet every member of staff annually as part of a joint performance review, to ensure all 500 of our staff are up to speed with our philosophy and are satisfied in their roles.

The future for Parklands is bright, with two new homes opening in 2016 and two further acquisitions in the pipeline as well. The business of care in the caring business is a nonstop affair, with new challenges appearing daily and we aiming to stay ahead of that change constantly.

Parklands Group



38

Best Interior Designers – UK

Armed with unique insights into our customer’s lifestyle, our award winning design team create dream kitchens that provide ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’.

Company: Urban InteriorAddress: 27 - 33 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA

Website: www.urbaninterior.co.ukEmail: [email protected]

TRANSFORM YOUR HOME AT URBAN INTERIOR

At Urban Interior, we invite every customer to undertake a ‘Lifestyle Question-naire’ to evaluate and identify their unique needs. As part of this, we’ll also arrange a visit to their home to see your existing kitchen. We need to see if the family leaves its car keys on work-surfaces, if kitchen roll and mail compete with toasters and coffee percolators, adding even more clutter.

Working with our clients every step of the way for a solutions-led answer, the result is kitchens that exceed all expectations, both visually and from a perfor-mance point of view. No less important than the kitchen is the bathroom. Your very own oasis of tranquillity where you can unwind, relax and pamper your body after a hard day at work, or energise it each morning. So, whether you dream of a deep Jacuzzi to end the day or a bracing multi-jet high perfor-mance shower to wake you up, Urban Interior will make your dream a reality. As well as designing a bathroom that works on a functional level, we’ll ensure it ticks all the aesthetic boxes too, presenting you with a range of ceramic and glass tiles in myriad colours that embody your personality.

Finally, we recognise that adding a new kitchen or bathroom to your house is an expensive outlay. For this reason, at Urban Interior, we like to ensure it’s an investment too. By working with the world’s leading and most aspirational brands, the kitchen or bathroom you buy will add real value as well as lasting pleasure to your home.

Urban Interior


39

Best Investment Advisory Firm - UK

Newscape Capital Group is a specialist investment and advisory firm providing first class products and services for institutional and intermediary clients.

Company: Newscape Capital Group LtdAddress: 86 Jermyn Street

London SW1Y 6JDOffice: +44 (0)20 7024 4810Fax: +44 (0)20 7024 4811

Email: [email protected]

Established in 2008 in the wake of the financial crisis, Newscape has grown into a diversified investment management, capital markets and advisory boutique with an institutional infrastructure and a growing pres-ence in the UK and Europe as well as further afield in Australia and Asia.

With core specialisations in portfolio construction & multi-strategy in-vestment, Newscape employs an absolute return philosophy to produce above average risk adjusted returns alongside the principles of transpar-ency, simplicity and accountability.

The firm operates an absolute return philosophy and expertise in global fixed income, strategic multi-asset investing and global equities, provid-ing a range of financial solutions to Institutional and Intermediary clients.

Newscape’s management team have an average of over 20 years’ experience in the investment industry, with successful track records of producing above average returns across a range of strategies.

The firm employs a partnership approach with clients and industry counter-parts in order to ensure the maximum effectiveness and success of its invest-ment strategies, model portfolio services, and risk management solutions.

Newscape’s ultimate aim is to preserve and enhance the real value of clients’ capital. This goal is achieved through an active, transparent investment process that focuses on fundamental analysis of markets, companies and securities in order to create high conviction, concentrat-ed, total return oriented portfolios.

The firm believes that markets are not always efficient, and that opportu-nities exist particularly for investors who are able to adopt an uncon-strained approach, and focus on medium or longer term outcomes.Therefore their team always search for investment opportunities where prices reflect general expectations that differ significantly from theirs and where they believe that their views, research and understanding better reflect the most likely outcome.

By constantly searching for investments with such favourable odds, the firm finds that they can dramatically increase the probability of achieving superior long term returns.

In order to achieve this, risk is managed by creating portfolios that incorporate sufficient risk premiums to protect the value of capital under a range of possible scenarios, and by purchasing assets at a significant discount to their intrinsic value in order to provide a margin of safety against future uncertainty.

Newscape Capital Group



40

Sustainable Investment Firm of the Year - Switzerland

Independent Capital Group AG is an asset management and investment advisory firm with offices in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland.

Company: Independent Capital Group AG Website: www.independent-capital.com

Address: Gottfried-Keller-Strasse 5 CH-8001 Zurich

Telephone: +41 44 256 16 16 E-mail: [email protected]

Independent Capital Group AG was established in 2005 by Dr. Mirjam Staub-Bisang, her brother, Roman Staub, and Prince Michael of Liechtenstein with the purpose of delivering excellence in investment management. Over the years, the group has developed their propri-etary approach of Pragmatic Sustainable Investing and established the com¬pany as a leading authority in sustainable and responsible investing.

Independent Capital Group’s core competencies are investment man-agement and advisory, including the management of investment funds, real estate investments and family office services. Their varied client base includes institutional investors and high net worth individu¬als as well as their advisors. The company is regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

With their approach of Pragmatic Sustainable Investing the company strives to maximize long-term risk-ad¬justed investment results by integrating sustainability criteria in the investment process across asset classes, free from ideologies. Sustainability criteria relate to environ-mental, social or governance issues such as waste of natural resources, energy efficiency, pollution, labour conditions or corruption and the related risks and opportunities for corporations and governments.

The firm’s risk assessment process focuses on indemnity, reputation and policy risks and the related financial consequences. Opportunities address megatrends such as growing populations in the developing vs ageing societies in the Western world, urbanization and resource efficient technologies. By incorporating these factors the firm ensures that their clients receive top quality investment products which have significantly lower risk than other products which do not factor in these issues.

Independent Capital Group

http://www.independent-capital.com

mailto:info%40independent-capital.com?subject=

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