The micro-cap company, with a market capitalisation of just USD 47.6 million, is struggling financially. As the company moves toward commercialisation of its DeepView System, a proprietary artificial intelligence-driven burn wound assessment device, analysts expect it to post a sales drop in the current year, based on InvestingPro data.

“Vince brings a unique set of leadership skills to his new role, combining a background in law, accounting, finance and operations management supported by a strong vision for the Company’s future,” said Dr. J. Michael DiMaio, Chairman of the Board of Spectral AI.

Vincent Capone joined Spectral AI as General Counsel in March 2022, became Chief Financial Officer in February 2024, and was promoted to a member of the Office of the Chairman in October 2024. The Office of the Chairman handles Spectral AI’s day-to-day operations in addition to supporting clinical development efforts.

Vincent Capone previously served at KPMG LLP, apart from holding other leadership roles, such as partner in the corporate and securities practice at Reed Smith LLP and President of a New York-based private equity fund focused on life sciences and technology companies.

Meet Vincent Capone

Vincent Capone started out studying accounting at Pennsylvania State University: numbers, spreadsheets, and the usual grind. Then he attended Temple University, where he earned a law degree and an MBA.

He kicked off his professional life at KPMG as a CPA. However, Vincent Capone didn’t stick to crunching numbers forever. Soon enough, he was in corporate law, at big firms like Morgan Lewis, then a partner at Reed Smith. He mostly worked with tech and life sciences companies.

Then arrived the next step: private equity. Vincent Capone somehow went from lawyer to president of a New York-based fund investing in tech and life sciences. He started making decisions about companies instead of just advising them. Risk, strategy, growth, everything was in his court.

Vincent Capone joined Spectral AI in 2022, originally as General Counsel, handling legal matters, contracts, and governance. Then he picked up the CFO’s role. And now, in 2026, he’s the new CEO.

Image Credits: Spectral AI

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Matt Sattel succeeds John Gentry, who passed away at the beginning of 2026. Gentry spent 12 years at OpenX, including six years as the company’s CEO, where he guided the omnichannel supply-side platform through challenges like the disruptive entry of header bidding (a programmatic advertising technique that assists publishers in offering ad inventory to multiple demand sources simultaneously before calling their primary ad server) and evolving privacy regulations.

John Gentry, who also served the firm as its advisor and President during his 12-year stint, helped OpenX Technologies shape its long-term vision while building a culture grounded in integrity and performance. Gentry reportedly worked closely with Sattel for over four years, mentoring and preparing the latter for the company’s leadership mantle.

OpenX has also consolidated its position as an independent omnichannel supply-side platform (SSP) and a global leader in supply-side curation, transparency, and sustainability. What makes the company unique is its ability to power advertising across CTV (Connected TV), smartphone app, mobile web, and desktop, using the in-house 100% cloud-based tech stack.

“Matt is the ideal leader to take OpenX forward. One of John’s greatest gifts was his ability to recognise and nurture exceptional leaders. In Matt, he saw immense talent. He and Matt worked hand in hand to build OpenX over the past few years. John had the utmost confidence in Matt. The board and I share that confidence. Matt understands what our customers need, and his strategic acumen, market knowledge, and operating rigour perfectly position him to lead the next phase of OpenX’s growth,” said Tim Cadogan, Chairman of OpenX’s Board.

Sattel, upon his appointment as the OpenX CEO, remarked, “John believed deeply in supporting and mentoring those around him. He helped prepare me for this moment, and I’m grateful to the board for the trust they’ve placed in me. My focus is on building upon the culture he established and delivering best-in-class technology that drives strong performance and business outcomes for our clients.”

A CEO Who Understands The Ever-changing Ad-tech World

Matt Sattel studied marketing at the University of Florida, earning a Bachelor of Business Administration. After that, he pursued a course in Data Analytics for Business Professionals from the University of Chicago. He completed the degree at a time when the digital advertising world was showing signs of becoming more data-driven and technical.

Before joining OpenX, Sattel worked at London-based MiQ, a company that serves as a programmatic media partner for marketers and agencies. He started his career in the venture’s sales department before eventually becoming Senior Vice President and Head of In-Housing for the business. Through these roles, he gained the opportunity to work closely with brands navigating the complicated shift toward programmatic advertising.

Matt Sattel also held roles at Samba TV, Speakr, and xAd, gaining experience from different corners of the advertising ecosystem, including TV analytics, influencer marketing, or mobile location data. After joining OpenX Technologies, he worked his way up from sales leadership to Chief Revenue Officer, to President, and finally to CEO in 2026. The company now has a CEO who is part revenue strategist, part operator, and most importantly, a product of the ever-changing ad-tech world.

OpenX and innovation go hand in hand. Throughout the 17 years of its existence, the company has emerged as a trusted partner of over 200,000 premium publisher domains and over 100,000 advertisers. When it comes to making the industry sustainable, OpenX was the first adtech company to be certified as CarbonNeutral and third-party verified for achieving its SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) Net-Zero targets.

In July 2025, OpenX introduced “OpenXSelect,” an advanced supply-side targeting and curation platform for brands and agencies. The next-generation solution enables buyers closer to the supply to take full control of their inventory quality, activate targeting at scale using a wide range of data parameters like audience, behavioural, attention, and sustainability, before optimising targeting- and curation-related performance through a streamlined, intuitive interface.

In fact, OpenX has been redefining supply-side curation practices since 2018, the year it launched “OpenAudience,” a first-of-its-kind solution for data partners powered by the ad industry’s first supply-side identity graph. The innovation set a new standard for activating audiences directly on the supply side, apart from setting new standards of data-driven curation.

Then, in January 2026, the venture launched OpenXBuild, a software suite tailored to provide advertisers with unprecedented real-time control over ad performance, reach, and insights. Through this, OpenXBuild now offers a new way to leverage first-party data and deploy proprietary logic in real time to build high-performing, secure advertising solutions.

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If you’re looking to elevate your leadership skills without breaking the bank, this list highlights affordable and free AI-led courses tailored to diverse needs. These programmes are designed to help leaders stay ahead in a rapidly evolving technological environment.

Here are some affordable and free AI-led courses for leaders to up their game without spending a fortune, so you can see which ones suit your needs.

Google’s AI For Everyone

The search engine giant’s free course introduces the basics of AI, making it ideal for business leaders who want to grasp the potential of artificial intelligence without prior technical knowledge. Offered by one of the world’s leading technology companies, the course reflects its mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible. The company is also known for pioneering innovation in AI and democratising technology through free resources and tools.

AI For Leaders By Great Learning

This free course gives executives and managers a basic understanding of the business applications of artificial intelligence. With a focus on professional and higher education, “Great Learning” is a global education company that offers a variety of programmes aimed at preparing students for roles that are ready for the future.

Elements Of AI By The University Of Helsinki

The well-known free course “Elements of AI” aims to demystify AI for both leaders and novices. The oldest and biggest academic institution in Finland, the University of Helsinki, works with MinnaLearn to provide accessible, interesting content for a variety of audiences and to advance AI literacy.

AI For Decision-Making By Udemy

This affordable course focuses on useful tools that leaders can use to incorporate artificial intelligence into their decision-making. Udemy is a global online learning marketplace that links educators and learners by providing flexible, reasonably priced courses in a wide range of subjects to help students advance their skills and accomplish their objectives.

Generative AI For Leaders By Coursera

An introduction to generative AI and its uses in leadership is given in this course. To provide online courses, specialisations, and degrees, Coursera collaborates with top universities and institutions. It seeks to provide top-notch education to students everywhere, encouraging lifelong learning and professional advancement.

The post Want to AI-proof your career? Check out the list of affordable leadership courses appeared first on International Finance.

The energy he had poured into helping his friend Sam Altman reclaim the CEO seat at OpenAI left him energised but restless. Alone in his San Francisco home over Thanksgiving weekend, he began typing furiously, not about OpenAI but about Airbnb.

For years, Airbnb had been synonymous with short-term vacation rentals. It disrupted hotels, built a global community of hosts and guests, and weathered crises from regulatory hurdles to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was profitable, dominant, and for the first time in Chesky’s entrepreneurial life, dangerously close to stagnation.

Chesky’s breakthrough was a realisation. Airbnb didn’t have to be just a travel company. Its strengths in trust-building between strangers, design thinking, and crisis response were transferable. Why couldn’t it become the infrastructure for booking all real-world services, just as it once did for homes?

In a burst of creative output, Chesky wrote a 10,000-word document reimagining Airbnb as a comprehensive service platform. He envisioned users opening the app not just to book a place to stay, but to hire a dog walker, book a massage, find a personal chef, or connect with a local photographer.

Like Amazon’s evolution from bookstore to everything store, Chesky believed Airbnb could evolve into a life concierge, where anything physical, experiential, or service-based could be booked with trust and ease. This wasn’t a pivot. It was a platform expansion. The goal was to transform Airbnb into the first app people think of, not just for travel, but for everyday services.

From one-off experiences to recurring needs, Chesky wants Airbnb to be the destination where your digital reputation meets your real-world needs. The company would leverage its massive user base and robust vetting infrastructure to match people with not only homes but also hairstylists, personal trainers, tutors, and more.

The 200 million dollar reinvention now underway is Airbnb’s largest strategic bet since its founding. For Chesky, it’s more than just growth. It’s a reclamation of creativity, a doubling down on mission, and a fight against the dreaded word that haunts mature companies: stagnation.

In this reimagining, Airbnb isn’t settling into middle age. It’s breaking out of its pigeonhole and trying to redefine what it means to belong anywhere, not just for a night but in every facet of modern life.

Channelling Apple to build a super-app

Brian Chesky has always believed that great companies are built on great design, not just in aesthetics, but in philosophy as well. Airbnb’s reinvention isn’t simply a business move; it’s a design-led revolution. At the heart of this evolution is Chesky’s lifelong admiration for Apple and its late founder, Steve Jobs.

Design has always been central to Airbnb’s DNA. Chesky and co-founder Joe Gebbia are alumni of the Rhode Island School of Design. But what Airbnb is attempting now is a full-scale transformation into a super-app for services and experiences, which requires a design discipline on par with the world’s most revered product companies. This is where Jony Ive comes in.

The legendary former Apple designer and Chesky have been collaborating closely, bringing Ive’s team at LoveFrom into the fold. While the specifics of their contributions remain mostly under wraps, their fingerprints are everywhere in Airbnb’s new visual language. It is minimalist, emotionally warm, and obsessively refined.

The app’s new interface revolves around three core icons: a house for traditional stays, a bell for services, and a hot-air balloon for experiences. Each icon was crafted with symbolic intent. The hot-air balloon, for example, was chosen after extensive internal debate. It needed to evoke exploration, joy, and a touch of nostalgia. Even the flame size beneath the balloon basket was scrutinised. That level of microdetail isn’t an indulgence; it is the strategy.

Chesky is deeply involved in these choices. In daily product reviews, he doesn’t just give broad direction; he adjusts shadows, rewords labels, and debates icon proportions. He refers to himself not only as a CEO, but also as a product designer who never lets go of the pencil. This hands-on approach mirrors Jobs’ intense focus on the tiniest elements of Apple’s devices and interfaces.

This design-first philosophy extends beyond visuals. Airbnb is rethinking flow, friction, and feel. Services need to be instantly discoverable yet not overwhelming. Profiles must inspire trust without feeling transactional. Experiences should feel curated, not commodified. Every interaction is designed to express care.

For Chesky, this isn’t just about making something functional. It’s about making something memorable, something that stirs emotion. Like Apple, Airbnb is chasing the kind of design that becomes invisible in its elegance and essential in its utility.

The result is a platform that feels less like an app and more like a beautifully organised world, where belonging doesn’t just mean staying the night but navigating life with beauty, ease, and trust. Airbnb isn’t simply copying Apple. It’s aiming to join the same cultural and emotional tier.

Reinventing identity in the digital age

In a world increasingly dominated by anonymous online interactions, trust has become the ultimate currency, and Airbnb knows it. From its earliest days, the platform’s success hinged on strangers trusting strangers. That leap of faith involved sleeping in a stranger’s home, which only worked because of reviews, identity checks, and responsive support. Now that Airbnb aims to become a hub for booking real-world services, trust must be redefined and fortified.

At the centre of this transformation is identity. Brian Chesky doesn’t just want users to create profiles. He wants those profiles to become the gold standard of online authenticity. In his vision, an Airbnb profile could one day function as a digital credential, almost like a passport, that users could carry across platforms, services, and borders.

That may sound like a fantasy in today’s fragmented digital landscape, but Chesky is serious. He’s betting that a meticulously verified Airbnb identity will be more trustworthy than anything online.

This ambition requires going far beyond a photo and a phone number. Airbnb is now vetting service providers with rigorous background checks, license verification, resume screenings, and professional photography. The company is investing in biometric security features, holographic overlays, and reactive inks, similar to those used to prevent counterfeiting on the government-issued IDs. It’s identity proofing on a whole new level, because it’s flashy and necessary.

Why the overkill? Because the stakes are higher. Booking a vacation rental is one thing. Inviting someone into your home for a haircut, massage, or tutoring session requires deeper psychological assurance. Airbnb is building a framework where trust isn’t implied; it is engineered.

There’s a broader ambition at play. If Airbnb succeeds, it could pioneer a new form of decentralised, user-owned identity. In a future where people distrust large tech companies and governments are slow to adapt, a neutral, globally recognised digital credential could transform the landscape. Chesky knows this is a stretch goal and one worth reaching for.

The challenge? Airbnb is not alone. Facebook tried and failed to become a universal identity layer. Apple, Google, and Microsoft all have their own ambitions in this space. But Airbnb has one key advantage. It already has a strong track record of managing high-stakes interactions between strangers. It knows how to handle disputes, mediate claims, and prevent fraud.

Ultimately, trust is not just a feature for Airbnb. It is the product. And as the company expands its scope, this product will need to be rebuilt step by step, brick by digital brick, to meet a new and even more demanding standard. In Chesky’s mind, belonging isn’t possible without trust. And now, trust must be designed as deliberately as any interface or business model Airbnb has ever built.

Lessons from a flop turned flagship

Airbnb’s new wave of ambition includes something old with a fresh coat of strategy, namely, Experiences. Launched in 2016 with high hopes, Airbnb Experiences promised to let travellers do more than just stay in a location because it invited them to live like locals, guided by hosts offering activities ranging from dumpling-making to architectural tours. But the programme flopped. Interest waned, inventory stagnated, and the excitement faded. Fast forward to 2025, Brian Chesky is betting big on the reinvention of that same concept.

Why bring back something that failed? According to Chesky, the original Experiences launch wasn’t flawed in vision but in timing and execution. The infrastructure wasn’t ready. The user base wasn’t large or engaged enough. Airbnb, still focused on scaling its core rental business, didn’t have the bandwidth to support it. The product quietly lingered in the background, underdeveloped and under-promoted.

This time, things are different. Airbnb has matured, and the ecosystem is ready. With a massive, engaged global user base and a richer tech backbone, Experiences is returning not as a side project, but as a core pillar of Airbnb’s identity. The numbers speak volumes, with more than 22,000 Experiences available across 650 cities, and a growing roster of high-end, curated offerings labelled “originals.” These are hosted by top-tier professionals such as star chefs, elite athletes, and even celebrities like Conan O’Brien.

Chesky has learnt from his past mistakes. Rather than a big bang rollout followed by silence, the relaunch features a steady cadence of promotional drops and exclusive events. The goal is to create a rhythm that keeps users curious and engaged, more like a content platform than a travel add-on. Airbnb encourages users to plan their trips and discover memorable activities for the upcoming weekend, all within the app.

Experiences now benefit from deeper integration into the Airbnb app itself. The design team has made them easier to find, more visually compelling to browse, and quicker to book. The hot-air balloon icon representing Experiences on the app’s home screen is not just decorative but serves as a gateway to a new kind of engagement that is spontaneous, local, and personal. Of course, the risks remain. Experiences must scale without losing their artisanal, one-of-a-kind charm.

Airbnb has to ensure safety, quality, and consistency across vastly different geographies and cultures. There is also the issue of regulation, since offering services like culinary classes or wellness treatments can bring local licensing complications.

If Airbnb can overcome those hurdles, Experiences could be more than a profitable side business. They could become the emotional core of the platform, the feature that connects users to real people, real stories, and real memories.

As Chesky put it, the original Experiences was Airbnb’s “Newton,” meaning it was a too-early precursor to something that could eventually be game-changing.

Now, rebooted and reimagined, Experiences has the potential to become Airbnb’s iPhone moment, the product that changes everything.

Chesky’s return to the product trenches

There is a moment in every successful founder’s journey where they must choose between staying involved in the weeds or stepping back to let professional managers take over. For Brian Chesky, that moment came during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Airbnb lost 80% of its business in a matter of weeks, survival required more than delegation. It required leadership grounded in obsession. And Chesky stepped in. That decision marked the beginning of what he now calls “Founder Mode,” a state of hands-on, deeply detailed, and often intense leadership that goes far beyond executive oversight. This is not micromanaging for the sake of control. It is about product-level immersion.

For Chesky, this meant showing up to every design review, obsessing over copywriting, layout, button shadows, iconography, and more. Every corner of the Airbnb experience had to be re-evaluated. If Airbnb was going to reinvent itself, the founder had to be back in the trenches.

Not everyone welcomed the shift at first. Some employees saw the reengagement as overbearing. The culture had drifted toward consensus and process, away from urgency and instinct. As Chesky became unapologetically meticulous, something changed. Clarity returned. Momentum returned. The company stopped trying to please committees and started building again.

Brian Chesky’s approach echoed the founder-driven ethos popularised by Paul Graham of Y Combinator, who later wrote an essay inspired by Airbnb titled “Founder Mode.” Graham argued that only founders truly know what a company should become. Listening too much to external managers, he warned, can dilute the vision. Chesky became the poster child for a new wave of founder-led craftsmanship.

His team now expects and respects the intensity. Product reviews with Chesky can swing from philosophical to painstakingly granular. Chesky might rewrite a headline mid-meeting, question the spacing on a profile card, or pull up screenshots of rival apps on the spot. While that can make team presentations nerve-wracking, the result is cohesion. The app, the brand, the company—it all begins to feel like it came from a single mind.

This kind of leadership is not scalable forever. Eventually, Airbnb will need other leaders who can operate with a similar vision and intensity. But for now, Founder Mode is fuelling a renaissance at the company. Chesky is not just overseeing a transformation. He is architecting it one pixel at a time and one principle at a time.

It is a vivid reminder that great products often come not from efficient processes, but from unrelenting obsession. In Chesky’s case, his return to the product trenches may be the thing that turns Airbnb’s next chapter from just another evolution into something iconic.

Can Airbnb compete on so many fronts?

Brian Chesky’s vision for Airbnb is sweeping. He wants to turn a travel company into a services super-app, a trust platform, a credentialing authority, and a cultural hub. It is a bold move worthy of admiration. But it also raises a difficult question. Can Airbnb compete on all these fronts without losing its focus?

The market Airbnb is entering is not just enormous. It is fragmented, entrenched, and fiercely competitive. For every category Chesky wants to touch, there is already a dominant player. Instacart and DoorDash dominate local services. Yelp handles discovery. OpenTable manages dining. Eventbrite curates experiences. Craigslist covers almost everything else. Then there are the tech giants such as Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, each with greater reach, deeper pockets, and in many cases, a head start.

Airbnb’s traditional moat has been its trust infrastructure in short-term rentals: user reviews, verified identities, and effective dispute resolution. But applying that same model to high-touch services such as massages, personal training, or hairstyling presents new challenges. There is no room for error. One bad experience, such as a bad haircut, a missed chef appointment, or an uncomfortable massage, can damage more than one night. It can erode trust across the entire platform.

Each new vertical brings different regulations, user expectations, and logistical issues. Booking a rental is transactional, while booking a service is relational and full of unpredictable variables.

Is Airbnb prepared to resolve disputes between a nail artist and a dissatisfied customer? What happens if a service provider forgets an appointment or performs poorly? These scenarios are not theoretical. They are inevitable at scale.

Internally, the challenge is equally steep. Expanding across many categories could stretch Airbnb’s culture, product roadmap, and engineering bandwidth too thin. The company is no longer refining one product. It is trying to build a platform that serves hundreds of micro-industries, each with unique behaviours and expectations. Few companies manage such complexity while maintaining a coherent user experience.

Chesky’s bet on identity is similarly bold. The idea of Airbnb becoming a universal digital credential is almost a moonshot. Governments are slow to recognise private-sector IDs. Facebook tried and failed. Apple, Google, and others have more institutional reach. While Airbnb has trust credibility, convincing the world to treat a vacation rental profile as a legitimate form of ID is a steep climb.

There is also the risk of user confusion. Including more features, icons, and flows could bloat the platform. Airbnb’s simplicity has always been its secret weapon. Since it is an app you open a few times a year, it still feels intuitive. Turning it into a daily-use super-app may overwhelm casual users who want to book a place to stay.

Chesky is not naive about these risks. He knows that reinvention is a gamble. But he believes the greater risk is standing still. A profitable yet stagnant product is still vulnerable to disruption. In that sense, expansion is not just ambition but also self-preservation.

Success will hinge on execution. If Airbnb can integrate new services while maintaining its design clarity, scale without losing trust, and build a cohesive experience that feels useful rather than crowded, it could redefine how people interact with the real world through technology. If it cannot, it may become a cautionary tale about a company that tried to do everything and ended up excelling at nothing.

Brian Chesky’s gamble is now in motion. The Airbnb CEO is betting that the future belongs to platforms that do not just fulfil one need but anticipate all of them. In his mind, to truly belong anywhere, you should be able to do anything.

The post Chesky’s ‘Founder Mode’ ignites revival of Airbnb appeared first on International Finance.

Sam Altman, who earlier stated that he would continue to serve as the company’s CEO, will continue to supervise all three verticals. According to a Bloomberg report, Simo will report directly to Altman, while Brad Lightcap, Sarah Friar, and Kevin Weil, the chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO), and chief product officer (CPO) of OpenAI, will report to her.

“Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organisation has the potential to accelerate human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good,” Simo said, while also clarifying that she will continue to serve as chair of the Instacart board.

Fidji Simo’s move to OpenAI was announced just days after the ChatGPT maker revealed it was scrapping its controversial plan to become a for-profit company. As part of OpenAI’s latest governance plan, the nonprofit parent will retain control over the public benefit corporation and become a major shareholder in it.

“Applications bring together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group,” Sam Altman wrote in a blog post, adding that Simo has already contributed a great deal to the company since joining OpenAI’s board in 2024. She also sits on the board of Shopify.

Early Life And Career Of Fidji Simo

French-American businesswoman Fidji Simo was born in Sète, France, on October 5, 1985. She is well-known for her significant leadership in the technology sector. She was the first person in her family to graduate from high school and went on to obtain a Master’s degree from HEC Paris after finishing her last year at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. She was raised in a fishing family. Her remarkable career trajectory has been shaped by the strong work ethic and collaborative leadership style that her modest upbringing instilled.

Fidji Simo joined Facebook in 2011 after starting her career at eBay, where she worked on local commerce projects. Overseeing essential features like News Feed, Stories, Marketplace, and Facebook Live, she advanced to become the head of Facebook’s flagship app. Scaling Facebook’s mobile advertising business was made possible in large part by her leadership. In 2021, she was named CEO of Instacart, where she chaired the board and led the business through a successful initial public offering in 2023. She joined OpenAI in May 2025 as CEO of Applications, managing operations, finance, and products while freeing up CEO Sam Altman to concentrate on strategy and research.

When Simo took over the reins as CEO, Instacart was facing intense competition from the likes of Amazon, Walmart, and DoorDash. However, she successfully steered the company back to growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic. She was the key brain behind the company transforming itself from a delivery service provider to a retail tech giant with a profitable advertising business as well. Under Simo’s leadership, Instacart’s self-serve advertising platform also generated nearly USD 1 billion in annual revenue in 2024.

Fidji Simo also oversaw the launches of Carrot Ads and Carrot Insights as part of a broader retail media strategy that reportedly led to Instacart being used by over 220 retailer banners and more than 7,000 Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands, according to a report by Forbes. In January 2024, Instacart started showing customers personalised ads on its AI-powered smart shopping carts in physical stores.

As Instacart became a publicly traded company in 2023 with its IPO, it raised over USD 660 million at a valuation of USD 10 billion. Simo staged Instacart’s financial turnaround as she implemented measures like freezing headcount and renegotiating cloud contracts. As for Instacart’s AI strategy, Simo announced the launch of Smart Shop in March 2025. Smart Shop will now offer a personalised shopping experience for customers by leveraging AI and machine learning to understand their shopping habits and identify patterns in their dietary preferences.

In addition to her business positions, Fidji Simo is involved in advocacy and healthcare. She is the president of the Metrodora Institute’s foundation and a co-founder of the research and treatment facility for complicated neuroimmune diseases. The non-profit organisation Women in Product, which supports women in tech leadership, was also co-founded by her. Simo has been honoured for her leadership by Fortune, Fast Company, and Vanity Fair. She is a member of the boards of OpenAI and Shopify. Along with her spouse, Remy Miralles, and their daughter, she resides in San Francisco.

A Timely Appointment

Conversational shopping assistants and advertising tools are expected to be the next phase of AI development. Based on Simo’s past experience in retail media and advertising, she appears to be the perfect choice to build and expand OpenAI’s offerings in this space.

ChatGPT’s search functionality recently got upgraded to provide an improved and personalised online shopping experience for users. Now, users who look for products online using the Search feature in ChatGPT will see images of products as well as details such as pricing and reviews. The AI-generated search results will also include direct links to websites where they can buy those products. Fidji Simo is expected to further enhance this particular search functionality. She also brings monetisation expertise to the table as OpenAI looks to balance its hyper-growth with rising compute costs.

The ChatGPT maker will also restructure itself in a format that will allow its non-profit entity to retain ultimate control, a plan that has received the blessing of Japanese giant SoftBank, one of the AI startup’s biggest backers. The endorsement of SoftBank became crucial as the Japanese firm’s $30 billion investment in OpenAI was contingent on a change in structure. In March 2025, OpenAI closed a $40 billion funding round, receiving $30 billion from SoftBank. OpenAI needs to conclude the restructuring process by December 31, failing which SoftBank’s portion of the financing will be reduced to USD 20 billion.

Instead of fully turning into a for-profit entity, OpenAI’s non-profit arm will retain control of the company, while the limited liability company, which handles all of the business operations, will turn into a public benefit corporation. That means this division will have the ability to generate profit, but will also focus on social good.

Image Credits: Instacart

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The announcement came just a few weeks after Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart, announced her resignation to become the CEO of Applications at OpenAI.

Fidji Simo will continue to serve as Instacart’s board chair. As chief business officer, Chris Rogers oversaw Instacart’s partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, Instacart Business, Instacart Health, Ad Sales and R&D, and retailer relationships and expansions.

After almost 11 years at Apple, where he was the managing director for Apple Canada, Rogers joined Instacart in 2019. According to Instacart, he started his career at Procter & Gamble, where he oversaw partnerships with Canada’s largest national grocery stores.

“Instacart sits at the centre of how people shop, eat, and care for their families — and that’s always been what inspires me most about our mission,” Rogers said upon his promotion to CEO.

“Together with our partners, we’re transforming the future of grocery shopping, but more importantly, we’re helping people solve real, everyday needs. We have a world-class team, deep partnerships, leading technology, and a bold vision for the future, and I’m honoured to step in and lead Instacart’s next chapter,” he added.

According to Rogers’ blog post, Instacart will continue to concentrate on its “unwavering commitment to growing the pie for retailers and brands” and will maintain the same vision under his leadership.

Additionally, he stated that Instacart will work to improve the earning options available to its customers. Rogers has been instrumental in the development of Instacart, and Fidji Simo will continue to collaborate with him in the upcoming months to ensure a seamless transition, she wrote in a letter to staff members.

Who Is Chris Rogers?

Chris Rogers has a broad background in technology and business. He holds an undergraduate degree in computer science from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he honed his leadership and strategic skills.

His success has been greatly attributed to this strong foundation in innovation and technology. His education provided him with the technical expertise and critical thinking abilities he needed to thrive in the fast-paced world of tech leadership.

Chris Rogers had a stellar career at major tech companies like Google and Facebook (now Meta) before taking the helm at Instacart. He played a significant role in the growth of Meta’s user base, expanding the company’s range of products, and driving the development of core products.

His time at Google had an equally significant impact. He worked with the engineering and product teams to improve and optimise various aspects of the company’s digital services and advertising. Rogers’ work at Instacart benefits from the extensive product development and scaling experience he gained in these positions.

In 2021, Chris Rogers became Chief Product Officer at Instacart, where he was responsible for the company’s technological infrastructure, strategy, and product vision. Under his leadership, Instacart’s grocery delivery services were expanded, and the user experience was enhanced with a more user-friendly interface.

After being appointed CEO in 2023, Rogers was tasked with leading Instacart through a fiercely competitive grocery delivery market. Under his leadership, Instacart has broadened its offerings beyond groceries, strengthened its alliances with supermarket chains, and upgraded the technology of its delivery platform to increase scalability and efficiency.

In his role as CEO, Rogers has demonstrated strategic leadership by focusing on product development and expansion to maintain Instacart’s position as the industry leader in grocery delivery. More advanced recommendation algorithms and a more seamless user interface are just two examples of the advancements driven by his extensive knowledge of technology and product development.

By establishing important partnerships with major grocery stores, Chris Rogers has also led initiatives to expand Instacart’s customer base and enhance the platform’s reliability and accessibility throughout North America.

Image Credits: Instacart

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After helping to turn around the nearly bankrupt German footwear company Puma, Zeitz joined Harley’s board in 2007 and was appointed CEO in May 2020.

In 2021, Zeitz, 62, introduced the “Hardwire” strategy to revitalise the iconic motorcycle manufacturer by reaching out to younger riders as its primary clientele of baby boomers grew older. Prioritising high-margin products, leaving low-volume foreign markets, and updating the brand’s appeal were all part of the five-year plan.

Raymond James analyst Joe Altobello said, “Jochen has done a nice job of shrinking Harley’s global footprint and refocusing the company on its core Touring bikes and large Cruisers. Sadly, several issues have plagued the industry, such as rising interest rates; at the same time, consumers seem to favour more reasonably priced and smaller bikes, which is not Harley’s strong suit.”

In February, Harley predicted that 2025 motorcycle sales and profit would be flat to down 5% as consumers cut back on expensive purchases.

Longbow Research Analyst David MacGregor said, “Lack of end-market demand looks likely to continue for the foreseeable future and has undermined the turnaround plan and shaken the confidence of dealers & investors.”

He claimed that as Harley becomes entangled in the escalating global trade war, chances for significant advancement seem more distant. Compared to the benchmark S&P index’s 77% increase, the stocks have increased by more than 11% since Zeitz took over.

According to Harley’s board, Zeitz is expected to stay until a successor is found.

Who Is Jochen Zeitz

Born in Mannheim, Germany, Zeitz was influenced by progressive ideas and environmental consciousness because he was raised in a family with strong ethical values. He became interested in environmentalism after spending time at his family’s lodge in the Odenwald forest and being exposed to the Green Party’s ascent and the anti-nuclear movement in Germany at a young age. Although he was initially drawn to medicine, he took a business course to pass the time before medical school, which eventually ignited his interest in business.

Jochen Zeitz started his career in Hamburg and New York with Colgate-Palmolive. He became the Business Manager of Marketing Footwear at Puma in 1990. In just three years, at 30, he was named Chairman and CEO, becoming the youngest CEO to lead a publicly traded company in German history. At the time, Puma was having financial difficulties. Puma became one of the top three sporting goods brands in the world after Zeitz oversaw a thorough reorganisation and the implementation of a long-term development plan that increased the company’s share price by about 4,000 per cent over 13 years.

He presented PUMAVision in 2008, an ethical framework that emphasises honesty, fairness, positivity, and creativity in all business operations. As a result of his dedication to sustainability, Puma’s Environmental Profit and Loss Account was established in 2011—a ground-breaking programme that measured the supply chain’s environmental impact. His conviction that environmental factors should be incorporated into business plans was strengthened by these initiatives.

Jochen Zeitz’s impact went beyond Puma. While he was the Chief Sustainability Officer at Kering, Zeitz started PPR HOME, a comprehensive sustainability initiative that integrates leadership, ecology, humanity, and creativity. Co-founding The B Team in 2014 alongside Sir Richard Branson, he promotes sustainable business practices in a variety of industries. Among his charitable activities are the establishment of the Segera Conservancy in Kenya and the Zeitz Foundation for Intercultural Ecosphere Safety, which emphasise community development and conservation.

Zeitz joined Harley-Davidson as President, CEO, and Chairman in 2020, contributing his experience in sustainability and brand transformation to the venerable motorcycle manufacturer. Harley-Davidson launched “The Rewire,” a strategic plan to revitalise the brand, under his direction.

Additionally, Zeitz was in charge of transforming Harley-Davidson’s electric motorcycle division, LiveWire, into a stand-alone publicly traded business, demonstrating his dedication to sustainability and innovation in the automotive sector.

Boardroom Drama Affects Harley-Davidson

A major Harley-Davidson shareholder is asking for an overhaul of the motorcycle maker’s leadership, training guns at Jochen Zeitz and two long-serving board members.

Investment firm H Partners, which holds a roughly 9% stake in Harley, plans to urge shareholders to withhold votes for Zeitz and directors Thomas Linebarger, Sara Levinson, at the company’s annual meeting in May 2025, a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report said.

H Partners is calling for Zeitz’s immediate resignation, arguing the company needs an external replacement who can better connect with customers and dealers. Jared Dourdeville, an H Partners executive who recently resigned from Harley’s board, had criticised the company’s work-from-home culture and leadership turnover, warning of “cultural depletion.”

Harley responded by saying the activist campaign could disrupt its CEO search and long-term strategy.

The compnay is meanwhile weighing the sale of its financial services division, Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS), with a potential USD 1 billion deal on the table and private equity firms among the expected suitors. The company has engaged an advisor to explore strategic alternatives for HDFS, a key business unit that supports motorcycle sales through dealer inventory financing, consumer loans, and insurance services.

Private credit funds and regional banks are also reportedly evaluating the opportunity. However, no final decision has been made, and Harley-Davidson may ultimately opt to retain ownership of HDFS, reported Bloomberg. HDFS generated USD 248 million in operating income from approximately USD 1 billion in revenue in 2024, contributing nearly 20% of Harley-Davidson’s total revenue.

A sale of HDFS would mark a significant shift in the company’s structure, and private equity’s involvement could bring fresh capital and operational expertise to one of the firm’s most profitable segments.

Image Credits: Harley-Davidson

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In a similar vein, the CEO’s “positive” actions to eradicate “bad” business practices and their efforts to advance important issues like diversity, ethics, sustainability, and corporate governance will encourage everyone else in the organisation to view these issues similarly and act accordingly.

Research repeatedly demonstrates that CEOs and other C-suite members do not set the standard for others to follow. This is especially true when you look at the many corporate governance scandals that executives are ultimately held responsible for and their huge pay packages that have nothing to do with other employees’ salaries (about 200 times the average worker’s pay in the United States), the company’s performance, best practices, or even common sense.

Furthermore, CEOs’ actions don’t always align with the behaviour they are supposed to promote; rather, they frequently reveal attitudes that they believe are acceptable (at least to themselves) but that are at odds with the values of a progressive society.

According to Robert Ordever, European managing director of workplace culture and recognition specialist OC Tanner, “Every leader sets the tone, whether they intend to or not.” They establish standards for what is appropriate through their words and, more significantly, their deeds. The discrepancy between leadership behaviour and company rhetoric is the risk area.

The tower of ivory

Many recent instances show how some company leaders have a terrible moral compass and/or a ridiculous lack of self-awareness. For example, despite Starbucks’ claims to be a leader in sustainability, the recently appointed CEO, Brian Niccol, has come under fire after it was disclosed that he will travel nearly 1,000 miles via business aircraft from his house to the company’s headquarters in Seattle.

In August 2024, Chris Ellison, managing director of Mineral Resources, an Australian mining company, complained that workers who go out to buy coffee, instead of getting one at work, are costing the company too much money.

During a financial results presentation, Ellison expressed his desire to “keep staff captive all day long.”

Bill Michael, the UK chairman of Big Four firm KPMG, was forced to resign in February 2021 after his motivational speech to staff members during a virtual meeting went awry (and went public) after he referred to unconscious bias as “complete crap” and told them to “stop moaning” about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jes Staley, the CEO of Barclays Bank, resigned that same year after a UK financial regulator’s probe turned up a cache of emails indicating he had a closer association with paedophile and notorious businessman Jeffrey Epstein than he had disclosed.

A seldom applied discipline, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined him £1.8 million two years later and prohibited him from holding a senior management position in the financial services sector. When Staley attempted to expose a whistleblower who had concerns about his prior job history, the FCA had already slapped him across the knuckles.

Given these instances, it’s not surprising that some experts believe the concept has limitations.

Diane Newell, managing director of coaching consultancy OCM Discovery, states that “the tone from the top works in practice all the time, but whether the tone that is being set in practice is the one that we might choose is a different matter.”

She goes on to say that it is “never going to be an exact science” to control how people perceive and comprehend the actions of executives.

Higher standards

The idea of corporate and executive accountability, as well as the way that leadership is perceived, has evolved during the last ten years, which contributes to the issue.

According to Piers Rake, a partner at the legal services firm Astraea, “The board and C-suite of any organisation need to recognise that expectations around conduct and culture have changed and increased.”

He claims that whereas shareholders, consumers, and employees were the only major corporate stakeholders in the past, broader social forces “have resulted in heightened expectations from a wider cohort of interested parties.”

Activist organisations, “rights holders,” or individuals potentially harmed by the company’s operations could be among these parties. Rake cautions, “Businesses that engage in completely lawful operations that are viewed as inconsistent or at odds with broader societal trends are more likely to face adverse or negative press.”

Liz Sebag-Montefiore, the director of HR consulting firm 10Eighty, asserts that staff members actively seek and expect strong, moral leadership, prioritising actions over words.

“A company can talk about ethics, but if they are treating customers unfairly, gouging their suppliers, and exploiting employees, they won’t inspire a workforce committed to best practice,” she said.

Having said that, is it time to abandon the “tone from the top” mantra? And if so, what ought to take its place? And to whom should stakeholders and employees turn for improved leadership?

According to Melissa Hewitt, head of HR outsourcing at Morson Group, a recruiting firm, others can assist executives in carrying out their responsibilities as moral leaders. Because “company culture and values are part of their remit,” she thinks there is a compelling case for the HR director to be promoted to the board.

However, she also thinks regulators should do more to establish clear guidelines for industry leaders.

In the end, she acknowledges that commercial factors—rather than ethical ones—may be the most significant short-term influencer because Gen Z recruits, who are generally those born between 1996 and 2010, are more likely to depart if they believe the company is not meeting corporate best practice standards, leaving businesses with a skills gap that may be difficult to close.

Is there space at the summit?

There is already a move away from concentrating on a core group of CEOs to define expectations around ethical leadership, according to Sarah Miller, CEO of the ethics advice firm Principia.

She claims that, in part because it is such a dangerous strategy, “relying on a small group of executive leaders to shape, champion, and model the tone and tenor of a culture is increasingly the exception, not the norm.”

“It is better to share the responsibility with more, not fewer, people in the organisation, which means relying on middle management,” she adds, adding that increased scrutiny and higher expectations increase the likelihood of failure for a select few top executives.

“With an understanding that it is not only the executive team that needs to consistently reinforce and apply hallmark cultural attributes, many companies are also focusing on values activation and ethical decision-making skills for the top 100 people. This can still be considered the ‘top,’ but in a much broader, more diffused sense than the term has tended to apply to,” she said.

As per Miller, this tendency is “encouraging” since it will have a far greater and more profound effect on a larger group of employees to observe how middle and/or line managers handle moral quandaries and comprehend and follow the rules daily.

“Any day, especially in larger organisations, I would prefer to have a strong ‘tone in the middle,'” she said.

While some may recognise that the overall tone is inconsistent and requires reevaluation, it appears that most people are willing to keep using it, primarily because there doesn’t seem to be a better alternative available.

Kevin Gaskell, the chairman of the fibre broadband company ITS Technology Group and a former CEO of Porsche UK, asserts that while the “tone from the top” can be beneficial in practice, its effectiveness is heavily dependent on consistency, transparency, and authenticity.

He continues by saying that “it becomes difficult to imagine who else could effectively set the tone” if executives are not the greatest individuals to exhibit moral and appropriate leadership.

According to him, leadership is inherently hierarchical, and the attitudes and actions of the top executives in an organisation have a ripple effect on the entire workforce.

“There is a leadership void where misunderstandings, inconsistent behaviour, or unethical practices can readily proliferate if executives do not exhibit the moral principles or appropriate behaviours expected of them,” Gaskell continued.

According to entrepreneur and executive business coach Mike Greene, even some people who think a re-examination of the “tone from the top” is required do so “not for the reasons you might think.”

As per him, leadership is about making difficult, frequently unpopular decisions for the good of the organisation, not about being popular. He goes on to say that the practice of giving moral leadership to inexperienced majorities or feel-good committees is “dangerously misguided.”

Greene said, “Executives are not just accountable, they are essential. They possess the knowledge and power to negotiate challenging moral situations. It would be detrimental and shortsighted to lessen this obligation. It is foolish to believe that employee-led initiatives or middle management can successfully establish ethical standards.”

Instead of confronting prejudices, it frequently produces echo chambers of inexperience.

Greene requires “leaders unafraid of unpopularity, who understand that real-world ethics are not always clean-cut or politically correct,” and feels that “tone from the top” is effective when applied “with backbone, not as a PR exercise.”

Greene asserts that businesses need “experienced executives who are not afraid to take charge” to maintain moral leadership under real-world pressure. Keep in mind that, despite their softness and cuddliness, sheep require a shepherd and guard dog to keep them safe from wolves. Sell ice cream if you want to be well-liked.

The idea that corporate leaders set the ethical standard for organisations has long been upheld, yet real-world evidence suggests otherwise. Many CEOs fail to embody the values they claim to champion, often prioritising financial gain over integrity.

A broader cultural shift is required, where ethical leadership is embedded at all levels, particularly in middle management.

Companies must integrate ethical decision-making into their organisational fabric rather than relying solely on CEOs to dictate corporate values. If executives fail to lead with integrity, their authority to set the tone crumbles.

Instead of abandoning the concept entirely, businesses should expand ethical leadership beyond the C-suite, ensuring that values are upheld not just in words but in action.

The post When leaders fail the tone test appeared first on International Finance.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the graphics cards is USD 599 for the AMD Radeon 9070 XT and USD 549 for the Radeon 9070. However, as the products hit the Japanese market, their cost reached USD 859.

“During the presentation of the graphics cards, AMD promised wide availability of the new products, but high specifications and performance, combined with an attractive price, significantly increased demand. This led to extremely high demand for the graphics cards,” stated AMD Corporate Vice President David McAfee during a broadcast on HotHardware.

The senior official also added that AMD is doing everything it can to ensure that customers can purchase graphics cards at the recommended price, while noting the efforts of the company’s retailers and partners to ensure that the supply chain remains uninterrupted.

Now, talking about the USD 210 billion semiconductor company, has a demanding work culture that has been fostered by Lisa Su, its CEO. Dr. Lisa Su reportedly conducts meetings on the weekends and regularly communicates with staff members late at night, anticipating answers even after midnight, according to CNBC. She feels that her team is inspired to push boundaries by the company’s ambitious goals, which are the driving force behind this demanding schedule. Notably, Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is a cousin of the 55-year-old.

Dr. Lisa Su’s leadership and revolutionary influence on AMD’s market success have earned her the title of Time’s CEO of the Year 2024. She took up the role in 2014, and since then, the company’s stock price has increased nearly 50 times. Under her leadership, AMD has become a powerful force in the market, securing its place next to industry titans Nvidia and Intel in terms of market capitalisation.

Patrick Moorhead, a tech industry analyst and former AMD executive, says Dr. Su’s leadership style is defined by a results-driven approach and high expectations. Su’s strict management style can be difficult for certain employees, according to Mr. Moorhead, who left AMD before Su’s arrival, and those who break their promises frequently find it difficult to succeed there.

When her staff members receive lengthy documents at midnight, the CEO frequently expects them to discuss their complexities during morning calls. As soon as the prototype chips are delivered from the factory, she personally inspects them, demonstrating her famous attention to detail.

More Details About Lisa Su

Lisa Su was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States with her parents. Her father studied mathematics for his graduate degree in New York. Her father’s intense dinner table quizzes exposed her to mathematics at a young age, setting the groundwork for her subsequent academic endeavours. Her original goals, though, were different. She eventually realised her talents were elsewhere, but as a teenager, she dreamt of becoming a concert pianist.

Dr. Su’s outstanding academic performance brought her to the esteemed Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she graduated with electrical engineering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. With stints at Texas Instruments and IBM in the 1990s, her stellar educational background helped pave the way for a prosperous career in the tech sector.

While pursuing her PhD, Su became one of the first engineers to look into the SOI (Silicon on Insulator) technology to increase transistors’ efficiency by building them atop layers of insulating material.

At the beginning of her career, Su worked in the Semiconductor Process and Device Centre (SPDC) at Texas Instruments, before being hired by IBM as a research staff member specialising in device physics. As an active member of IBM’s R&D, Su worked on copper technology, which was later launched in 1998. This innovation increased the productivity of chips by up to 20%.

In 2001, Su was titled “Top Innovator Under 35” by MIT Technology Review for her work with Emerging Products. This included a microprocessor that improved battery life in phones and other handheld devices. IBM then collaborated with Sony and Toshiba for a nine-processor chip that eventually became a cell microprocessor used in PlayStation 3.

Dr. Su became the first female CEO of AMD since its founding in 1969, just two years after joining the company as a senior vice president and general manager in 2012. AMD’s recent success has been greatly aided by Dr. Su’s technical expertise, as she is one of the few Fortune 500 CEOs with a PhD. Her experience as an engineer has allowed her to lead creative initiatives, such as the creation of faster CPU chips for computers.

The AMD boss has also published more than 40 technical articles, apart from winning multiple honours for her semiconductor industry leadership. She was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Technology” by the National Diversity Council in 2016 and 2017. Su ranked 49th in Forbes’ list of “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women,” followed by 12th on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women in 2023. She was also included in Time Magazine’s 2024 list of the “100 Most Influential People in AI.”

AMD To Go For AI Hardware Leadership

In October 2024, during a keynote at the company’s “Advancing AI” event in San Francisco, Su said AMD was focusing on offering powerful hardware and co-innovating with a variety of partners. In what looked like a sneak peek of the company’s roadmap to become an “end-to-end AI leader,” Su outlined AMD’s four core themes.

The first one talked about providing high-performance, energy-efficient compute engines capable of supporting a variety of AI training and inference workloads. Su told the media that there’s a “no one-size-fits-all” approach to computing and that providing CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs capable of providing top-level performance across the board enables AMD to keep up with the competition from rivals like Nvidia.

The second theme was the desire to create and support an open and developer-friendly ecosystem for AI development. The third talked about AMD’s approach to leadership in AI, which would facilitate co-innovation with industry partners.

The final theme was about AMD maintaining its leadership in the AI chip market as a complete solution provider, offering hardware from chip-level to rack, cluster, and data centres. Su further stated that the strategy would help AMD capture a significant share of the rapidly growing AI market, estimated by the CEO to reach USD 500 billion by 2028 for data centre AI accelerators alone.

The post Business Leader of the Week: Meet Dr. Lisa Su, AMD’s visionary CEO poised to revolutionise tech appeared first on International Finance.

Previously, he held senior roles in the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing, as well as Saudi Civil Aviation Holding Co., where he played a key role in privatisation projects and strategic restructuring.

Recently, International Finance caught up with Nami CEO Abdulmohsen AlSudairy, who shared his views about POS solutions, leadership strategies, challenges faced, and much more.

What inspired Nami to innovate within the POS solutions sector, leading to recognition as the Most Innovative New POS Solutions Provider in Saudi Arabia for 2024?

Nami’s recognition as the Most Innovative New POS Solutions Provider in Saudi Arabia for 2024 is a testament to our success and continuous innovation. Our strategic approach emphasises customer-centricity and collaboration. The company was inspired to innovate within the POS solutions sector by the pressing need for efficient, user-friendly payment systems tailored to the evolving demands of the Saudi market.

Understanding the challenges faced by merchants, Nami strategically integrated advanced technology with intuitive design to enhance the customer experience and streamline operations. This aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which promotes economic diversification and digital transformation.

Nami’s marketing strategy is built around deeply understanding consumer pain points and identifying unique opportunities to differentiate in the B2B market. By placing customers at the heart of its strategy, Nami prioritises collaboration over competition, partnering with leading financial institutions and fintech experts. This not only expands their offerings but also actively shapes the market in response to customer needs.

The company’s commitment to digitalisation and innovation is evident in its transformation of internal structures and processes, focusing on creating seamless, scalable payment experiences. By empowering partners with end-to-end technology solutions, Nami fosters sustainable relationships and aims for long-term success, ultimately driving innovation, operational efficiencies, and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Can you share some key strategies that have shaped your leadership approach at Nami?

My leadership approach at Nami is shaped by key strategies that include empowering team members through collaboration, maintaining a customer-centric focus, and promoting continuous learning and adaptation. Empowerment and collaboration are central to this philosophy; I believe that when team members feel empowered, they are more motivated to take the initiative and contribute their unique perspectives. I always encourage open dialogue and communication at all levels, where everyone is invited to share their ideas and insights without fear of judgement. I also schedule regular brainstorming sessions and collaborative projects to spotlight our talents and lead to an innovative and motivating culture.

This collaborative spirit enhances team collaboration and drives collective problem-solving, enabling us to address challenges more effectively and respond efficiently to client needs. Additionally, I emphasise agility and flexibility to adapt to market changes, align our goals with broader initiatives, and foster open communication to build trust and accountability. Together, these strategies create a dynamic and innovative environment that drives success and positions Nami as a leader in the payment solutions sector.

What are some of Nami’s most significant market challenges, and how has the company navigated increasing competition in the industry?

Nami has faced several significant market challenges, including intense competition, rapidly evolving technology, and changing customer expectations. To navigate these challenges, the company has adopted a multifaceted approach.

Firstly, we have focused on differentiating our offerings by investing in research and development to create innovative POS solutions that meet specific needs in the market. This commitment to innovation has allowed us to stay ahead of competitors and capture the attention of potential clients.

Secondly, we prioritise building strong relationships with our customers, actively seeking their feedback to refine our products and services. This customer-centric approach not only enhances loyalty but also helps us anticipate market trends and adapt accordingly.

Finally, we have implemented strategic partnerships with key industry stakeholders, which have expanded our reach and enhanced our capabilities. By collaborating with technology providers and financial institutions, we can offer integrated solutions that deliver greater value to our clients.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Nami’s future, and what key targets are you aiming to achieve over the next few years?

My vision for Nami’s future is to become the leading provider of innovative payment solutions and infrastructure in the region, driving digital transformation for businesses of all sizes. We aim to expand our market presence by enhancing our product offerings and leveraging emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud-based solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients.

In the next few years, key targets include increasing our market share by at least 20%, launching new features and products that enhance user experience, and continuing to collaborate and establish strategic partnerships with industry players to broaden our capabilities and grow the industry together. Additionally, we plan to invest in talent development to ensure our team remains at the forefront of industry trends and innovations.

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