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CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - INTRODUCTION - - 5 - Welcome to the CEO Today Global Awards 2025, where we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the world’s most influential business leaders. This year’s edition shines a spotlight on exceptional executives who have not only steered their companies through complex challenges but have also redefined excellence in their industries through innovation, resilience, and leadership. Our front cover features Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, who champions diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering a workplace where employees can thrive. Her leadership has positioned DPD UK as both a logistics leader and a pioneer in workplace transformation. Joining Elaine is Edwin Bessant, CEO of Ceuta Group, has led the company from a start-up to a Nasdaq-listed brand-building powerhouse. His strategic vision keeps Ceuta at the forefront of the Health & Wellness and CPG sectors, continually adapting to market shifts. Next, we shine the spotlight on Marc Cadin, CEO of Finseca, is a leading advocate for financial security professionals. His efforts unite industry voices, shaping policies that support advisors and clients while navigating evolving regulatory landscapes. We also recognise Tom Mower Jr., CEO and Co-Founder of Sisel International, is dedicated to creating clean, science-backed personal care and nutritional products. His Mower Mission prioritizes sustainability and ethical sourcing, shaping the future of health and wellness. Thomas Blechinger, President & CEO of Plasser American, drives innovation and sustainability in the railway sector. Under his leadership, the company continues to introduce groundbreaking technologies and foster a people-first culture. Finally, we recognise Emad Bukhamseen, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Bukhamseen Group Holding, has expanded the Group’s presence across real estate, finance, and hospitality. His leadership balances tradition with strategic growth and modernization. These are just a few of the many exceptional leaders featured in this year’s awards. Join us in honouring their achievements and be inspired by their journeys of resilience, vision, and excellence. Congratulations to all of our award winners! Best regards, Mark Palmer Editor-in-chief
EDITORS PICKS ELAINE KERR DPD UK EDWIN BESSANT Ceuta Group MARC CADIN Finseca TOM MOWER, JR. Sisel International THOMAS BLECHINGER Plasser American EMAD BUKHAMSEEN Bukhamseen Group Holding Company 8 14 20 26 32 38
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - GLOBAL FEMALE LEADER OF THE YEAR - 8 - As CEO of DPD UK, Elaine Kerr has made it her mission to create a workplace where everyone can flourish and shape their future. With a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), she has spearheaded initiatives that ensure DPD is not just a leader in logistics but also a pioneer in creating an inclusive and empowering workplace. In this interview, Elaine discusses how DPD fosters a culture of inclusion, the importance of career development opportunities for all employees, and how leadership accountability plays a key role in ensuring a thriving workforce. She also shares insights on the company’s commitment to employee wellbeing, its approach to fostering talent, and why inclusivity remains at the heart of DPD’s success. www.dpd.co.uk
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 9 - How does your vision as CEO, to create an open and inclusive culture where everyone can flourish and shape their future, influence your approach to leadership at DPD? When I became CEO I had a variety of things I wanted us, as a company, to focus on and do better. Inclusivity was high on that list. I worked with the People and Talent team to refresh our approach to diversity and inclusion, such as through the creation of a dedicated D&I team headed by a specialist. The job of the D&I team isn’t so we can simply delegate the changes we want to make, but also so that they can hold us, in the senior leadership team, accountable as well. Every one of us has our unconscious biases, and so by creating a D&I team who are experts in recognising these, they’re able to highlight things that might have otherwise been missed by myself and the leadership team. This then shapes how we run DPD, and filters back down to the rest of our people. Can you elaborate on how DPD fosters an inclusive culture? One of the big initiatives driven by the D&I team was the creation of our D&I Forum. Established in early 2022, the Forum is chaired by a Senior Leadership Team member, and attended by our ten D&I Ambassadors. These Ambassadors, volunteers from across the business, draw on their lived experiences and meet monthly to discuss and develop D&I strategies. Their work includes raising D&I concerns, creating training materials, and recognising our celebrating our successes. The Forum helps organise inclusionary-related events, such as our attendance at Pride marches, and also hosts ‘All Aboard’ sessions across the business. These are seminars which discuss inclusionary topics, such as neurodiversity and gender identity, available to any staff who wish to join. We hope that the D&I Forum’s ongoing work helps maintain our inclusive culture. on Leadership, Inclusion, and the Future of DPD UK Elaine Kerr Something that’s important to recognise is that everyone’s needs in a working environment are different. It’s not on employees to conform to DPD, but for DPD to support its people.
- 10 - CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - How does DPD ensure that its inclusive culture translates into tangible opportunities for all employees to grow and succeed? Something that’s important to recognise is that everyone’s needs in a working environment are different. It’s not on employees to conform to DPD, but for DPD to support its people. One project we’re particularly proud of is our Inspire initiative. This is where we partner with local colleges to provide supported internships for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the UK, the employment rate for people with a learning disability is around 5%. This stat is even worse in the region of our West Midlands hubs, where they sit at below 1%. DPD recognises that this is often because of a lack of support, and so we want to help change this. The interns will work with us in various areas of the business, getting a taster for different career paths available to them. An important part of this support, however, is the educational aspect, where interns are taught what to expect in a workplace environment. Small, unwritten rules that neurotypical people might take for granted are easily missed by those with autism or other learning difficulties. Therefore, they are taught a variety of topics, from financial literacy, to health and safety, to understanding their employment rights, to simple workplace etiquette. We even created a dedicated classroom for these lessons to take place, and we ensure it’s always available as a safe space for those with SEND, should they need a quiet moment to themselves. The support continues for them should they become full-time employees with us, all of whom we’re delighted to say we’ve retained. By creating a culture of inclusion like this we’re empowering all of our people to flourish, regardless of their background.
- 11 - CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - How are managers at DPD equipped to deliver your inclusionary strategy? All managers in DPD have to undergo training around diversity and inclusion. This is separate to the ‘All Aboard’ sessions I mentioned earlier. These are faceto-face sessions that give our managers the tools to create an environment that supports and celebrates diversity and helps all of our people feel valued. These sessions can cover more niche topics, such as microaggressions, unconscious bias, the impact of banter, equality law, and inclusive language. Each month meetings take place among the regional managers to discuss our operations, and our HR team has a seat at these meetings so they can highlight the training attendance numbers. This way we ensure that every manager is getting the training they need to best support their people. The D&I Forum regularly solicits feedback from across the business to see where we could improve, and so the training is regularly assessed and updated with the latest best practices. Finally, we also have our annual staff survey which asks our people how they feel working at DPD. The survey is anonymous, although each manager is sent the overall scores for their team – ensuring they are aware of any issues under their purview, without singling out individual employees. This guarantees a level of accountability among line managers to ensure that all staff, regardless of their background, are being listened to. From here we are able to make adjustments to the employee experience, including by liaising with our dedicated D&I Team. How does DPD’s commitment to inclusivity and personal development align with your belief that it is an amazing place to work? I want DPD to be the employer of choice in our industry. To be thought of like this our people need to feel welcomed and included at every level, and they need to know that they’re going places. Our country is a diverse one, and so there’s no reason why our workforce shouldn’t reflect that. We can only convince the best talent to work for us if we’re actively demonstrating that we hear them, we see them, and we want them to be represented. Likewise, everyone wants to know that their hard work is going to pay off. People want to see themselves grow and develop, and we know that, as a business, it’s in our interest to invest in the skills of our people. We support our people with regular training and clear, structured career progression plans so that when people come to work at DPD they know they’re going places. Can you share examples of how DPD supports employees in realising their potential and achieving career progression? We very much believe that investing in our people is the best way to guarantee their growth, which helps both them and us as a business. Aside from career progression reviews and regular training sessions, we also want to empower our people to pursue the skills that matter to them. To this end, we recently introduced a new training platform that’s accessible to everyone across the business. The platform hosts hundreds of courses across a wide variety of topics and is entirely free for our people to use. Courses can include role-specific professional skills, such as people management, Aside from career progression reviews and regular training sessions, we also want to empower our people to pursue the skills that matter to them.
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 12 - conflict resolution, or sales skills, but it also includes dozens of courses on hobbies and other recreational activities. In this way, the platform not only helps our people in their professional development but also serves as an employee benefit, as they can learn new things in their personal time. We want to support our people in growing in the way that matters to them, both in DPD and out, and at the end of any one of the courses the user gets a certificate and valuable CPD points, helping them develop in whichever way they feel is best. What role does leadership play in fostering the inclusive and empowering culture you envision for DPD? It’s really important that people see a company’s leaders live the values that we promote. It’s not enough that we simply say the words; we need to show that we take them seriously and that they influence our decision-making. One of the great initiatives that influences the leadership at DPD is the ‘Allyship Programme’. This initiative pairs each member of the SLT with one of our D&I Ambassadors from the D&I Forum I mentioned earlier. Each pair is assigned a specific strand of D&I to focus on, such as gender, gender identity, disability, or race and ethnicity. The Allyship Programme operates as a reverse mentorship system, where SLT members gain direct insights from D&I ambassadors and staff, allowing us to better understand the lived experiences of employees from underrepresented groups. In this way, we in the leadership team are held accountable in keeping DPD open and inclusive. How do you measure the success of DPD’s efforts to provide a workplace where employees feel they can shape their futures and fulfil their potential? I think the most definitive metric on how happy people are at DPD is our retention levels. Obviously, we want our people to want to stay here for a long time – each year, we host long servers events where we celebrate those who have been here for decades, in some cases over 35 years. Our retention levels, I’m pleased to say, have increased each year for the past three years alone, and we attribute that directly to the opportunities we offer and the environment we foster. I truly believe that an employer has an obligation to its people to not just do the bare minimum, but go above and beyond in ensuring they’re happy and healthy.
- 13 - CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - How does DPD’s emphasis on inclusivity and opportunity impact the overall morale and productivity of its workforce? We have an annual survey called the Big Buzz. Over the course of a month we encourage our people to tell us how they feel about working at DPD, where we’re doing well, but also, crucially, where we could improve. This is the primary way we understand the morale of our people. Our most recent survey, which took place towards the end of 2024, gave us some really reassuring results. We had a fantastic response rate, over 84%, but most important was the question asking our people if they agreed we highly value diversity at DPD. I’m delighted that 85% of people strongly agreed that we did. We’re very proud of this stat, but of course we want to keep pushing it even higher. Can you discuss how DPD’s initiatives, such as wellbeing programmes and employee benefits, support your vision for an inclusive and empowering workplace? Wellbeing initiatives form a key part of our People & Talent strategy. I truly believe that an employer has an obligation to its people to not just do the bare minimum, but go above and beyond in ensuring they’re happy and healthy. We offer a variety of benefits and perks for working at DPD, but one I think has especially made an impact is our partnership with Vitality. Our partnership with Vitality gives our people free access to their app, which helps track the user’s stress and gives them resources to improve their mental health. It’s been a really successful partnership which our people have really gotten on board with – and last year Vitality informed us that, for the twelve months previous, our people’s ‘elevated stress levels’ had dropped by 7%. We know that there are tangible results from this on our end, too, as the number of people needing sick days citing mental health reasons, something we always encourage people to be open about, has also gone down. What are your thoughts on the recent trend among large US companies, such as Meta, seemingly placing less emphasis on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)? Do you see this as a growing trend, and do you think similar shifts could occur in the UK? What impact might this have? It’s always important to recognise that a business should be representative of the society in which it lives. We’re proud of our DEI initiatives at DPD, and it’s not something we ever want to compromise on. I can’t comment on other companies, but I can say that diversity has been good for DPD as a business, and we are happy to share what we have learned with other businesses who want to understand more about what we’ve done. Even if such a shift does take place, however, DPD won’t change. Being a welcoming place to everyone, regardless of their background, is woven into our DNA – and that’s important to us.
www.ceutagroup.com For over 25 years Edwin Bessant has steered Ceuta Group from a start-up to the Nasdaq (NYSE) through being recently acquired by IQVIA, to become a leading global brand-building consumer company within the Health & Wellness and CPG market sectors. Under his leadership, the company developed an innovative and pioneering business model, achieving ‘ First Market Move’ status, constantly adapting the business to market changes & needs, delivering an ‘End to End’ integrated outsourcing services solution to support the journey of a consumer brand from pre-commercialisation to market execution. In this exclusive interview, Edwin discusses his leadership philosophy, the importance of innovation, and how Ceuta Group continues to evolve in a rapidly changing industry. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 14 -
How has your leadership style influenced the growth and success of Ceuta Group over the past 25 years? Leadership is crucial to the success of any business. I prioritise clear and concise communication, setting a realistic and achievable vision, and providing a clear direction for the company, Supported by well-defined fiscal objectives & STEM quarterly analysis report [ Strategy to Execution Management] for the leadership team. I allow my leadership to lead without interference, as trust is key, to allow them to manage, initiate, and motivate their teams whilst achieving results. It’s important to have monthly meetings that have set agendas to allow for forward preparation, inclusive of business results; people updates & support, comms updates and bespoke objectives, which can be followed up. What strategies have you implemented to position Ceuta Group as a leading global corporate brand building business in the Health & Wellness and CPG sectors? Strategy is key to all businesses, it’s a guide [objectively and numerically] to all of your stakeholders. I have eight companies within the Ceuta Group, every year I ask our Heads to deliver an annual fiscal ‘Business Plan’ inclusive of the strategy and a summary overview of 3 years ahead as a road map and this outward extended view is key as market shapes can change over time, therefore adapting and recognising market change in advance is essential to the success and future-proofing your business. Business plans need to be stretched, but must be realistic and achievable, as in our case our numbers are GLOBAL CORPORATE BRAND STRATEGY & INNOVATION CEO OF THE YEAR Bessant CEO of Ceuta Group Edwin CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 15 -
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - of a high importance contributing to the larger IQVIA Group being part of the Nasdaq, etc, but for smaller companies, your bankers or PE investors need to see accuracy and consistency in your financial numbers to get backing. Can you share insights into recent initiatives or technological advancements Ceuta Group has adopted to enhance brand development and market reach? Our business is heavily focused on data, support and provision, which evidence bases the work we carry out for clients or departments within our business. Ceuta’s market position is to support the total journey of a consumer brand; we commence with Market Business Intelligence to Market Execution; the first part is key. Ceuta acquired a Business Intelligence and category services business 10 years ago, providing data and analytics to global consumer players, Retailers, and PE, now part of IQVIA with access to AI-powered intelligence supporting our own businesses but increasingly to clients. How do you foster a collaborative and forward-thinking culture within Ceuta Group’s diverse team of over 350 individuals? Culture, Communication and Collaborative engagement with your workforce are key - the 3 ‘C’s. I also believe that for the majority of businesses, having your workforce in the office is beneficial, so that you allow collaboration, team building, ongoing face-to-face communication, not working in isolation, a framework & supporting and enhancing productivity, less distraction from home activities and no 1, the office is the best environment to create and develop culture, it’s the heartbeat of any business. To ensure we have Best Practices in developing culture, we have TMD [ Training, Management & Development] support for all employees, annual engagement for appraisals to support their roles or career development, monitor and benchmark their progress at work and review and set them new business and personal goals for the forward year. It is key and relevant that your workforce is continually kept informed, we have regular Townhall meetings combining office and field personnel, quarterly newsletters and in parts of our Group annual conferences, monthly leadership team meetings and as the CEO, I will go out and visit our office locations and do a short face to face townhall update and with the opportunity for our employees to ask any questions.. In what ways does Ceuta Group’s unique collective of capabilities across the value chain provide a competitive advantage for your clients? Ceuta Group has two primary first-mover advantages on a global scale, which position us as leaders in our industry. As the CEO I pioneered and innovated two new industry global models with ‘ First Market Move Advantage’ with the support of my team. We created a Global route to market outsourcing services business for brands and companies [ MFG & PE] to totally manage and develop their brand or business across 107 global markets from within one Group and one point of contact which would back into a wider team. Services include – Appointment of a local market Ceuta Alliance partner, Route to market salesforce representation, local market IP, Contract manufacturing, Data analytics, Forecasting, Finance, logistics, regulatory, local market strategy etc. Our planet is facing unprecedented risks and damage to its natural resources. Businesses must make more effort to contribute to environmental conservation and foster a culture of environmental stewardship. - 16 -
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - Ceuta Group partnered with HRA Pharma who were backed by Private Equity, to manage the transition, onboarding and ‘Brand Building’ management of Compeed from J&J into HRA Pharma across 17 markets. Key highlights include: Distributor Management: Negotiated and signed 17 distributor contracts within 90 days, ensuring a seamless sales transition after the acquisition. Expanded Market Reach: Leveraged Ceuta’s International Alliance to grow Compeed’s presence beyond pharmacies into mass-market channels such as e-commerce, convenience stores, and sports shops, aligning with HRA Pharma’s growth goals. Global Data Insights: Provided transparent reporting via a global analytics portal, covering sales, forecasts, stock levels, and KPIs across: • 25 markets for Compeed • 16 markets for ellaOne • UK for Hana • UK & Southeast Asia for Mederma White Space Expansion: Facilitated entry into new markets, including Canada and Israel. Results: Initially focused on Compeed in 17 markets, Ceuta’s role expanded to data analysis in 25 markets and management of three additional brands. Ceuta created a unique and pioneering platform of an integrated ‘End to End’ platform of services under one umbrella to support the journey of a consumer brand from Pre-commercialistaion / Business Intelligence support to Market Omni-channel execution anywhere in the world. Ceuta over the past 10 years acquired leading businesses within their field of expertise ie: [ Bridgethorne: Business Intelligence & Research & Category Insights support / Training. 1HQ Global – Creative & Brands Communication business. Click Consult – Digital performance agency delivering digital content, Seo, UX effectiveness & Digital Consumer engagement. HRA Pharma Successful Global ‘Brand Fostering’ Case Study - 17 -
How do you ensure Ceuta Group remains adaptable and responsive to the rapidly changing consumer goods industry? Albert Einstein once said: “ The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” and Charles Darwin stated that “ The one most adaptable to change is the one that survives” - I agree with them both, throughout my career with my leadership team, I have always stressed that we should understand the market shape three years in advance i.e. will the Shopper or Consumer profile change, What advancements will AI take shape, will our product or service still be relevant etc – But then the focus should be on the solution to adapt to change with the relevant product or service offering. Could you discuss Ceuta Group’s approach to integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles into its business operations? As per our website messaging: Ceuta Group, sees climate change as a global interconnected challenge that everyone must adapt to. We are always mindful of the risks associated with the impacts of climate change, including severe weather events and environmental changes, as well as the transition risks posed by the policy and technological changes necessary to achieve a greener economy. At Ceuta Group, an IQVIA business, we don’t have large carbon footprints. In all business operations, including travel, we prioritise sustainability by opting for greener alternatives to minimise our carbon footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our planet is facing unprecedented risks and damage to its natural resources. Businesses must make more effort to contribute to environmental conservation and foster a culture of environmental stewardship. Ceuta Group, is implementing green initiatives, such as reducing travel and using electric vehicles. We are also committed to minimising the use of single-use plastics, paper, and non-recyclable materials. Waste Management refers to the practice of collecting, transporting, processing, disposing of, managing, and monitoring various waste materials. Ceuta Group, does not produce much waste. We are focusing on increasing recycling and reusing natural materials and minimising waste and natural resources consumption. The clean energy innovation movement started years ago and is growing. Although most of our operations are in shared offices or from home, we are committed to minimising energy use wherever possible. Social responsibility to our employees has always been of high priority in line with our values of taking care of and embracing Diversity & Inclusion, gender balance, disability, CSR support, etc. Ceuta Group, sees climate change as a global interconnected challenge that everyone must adapt to. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 18 -
What role does innovation play in Ceuta Group’s brand-building strategies, and how do you encourage it within the organisation? Innovation is key to any organisation, you need to understand the competitor environment which touches your playing field, and then fully understand whether your brand competes or bringing additional new features and benefits to the consumer, perhaps a redefinition of your product proposition, what does it stand for and again is it still relevant. The success of Ceuta was down to pioneering and innovating not one but two service models that defined our business and gave it success. What advice would you offer to aspiring healthcare or wellness brands looking to break into new markets and achieve sustainable growth? All of the above. – But essential to carry out the Precommercialisation piece: • Business Intelligence, • Know your market, • Know your competitors, • Know your customer base, • Ensure your financial model stacks up. 450+ TEAM MEMBERS ACROSS THE WORLD MARKETS 100+ OPERATING IN ESTABLISHED FOR OVER 25yrs CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - UNITED KINGDOM - - 19 - ABOUT EDWIN Edwin’s career commenced with Cadbury, Wilkinson Sword and into Pfizer Consumer Care [ c-suite] and entered into a European fast-track programme, exiting as a ‘European Market Analyst & Strategist. Edwin is a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, Fellow of the Institute of Directors and an Enterprise Fellow of the Kings Trust Hobbies include: Tennis [ County level], Racket Ball, skiing & scuba diving £355 M GROSS VALUE OF BRANDS MANAGED
FINANCIAL SECURITY ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR As the CEO of Finseca, Marc Cadin leads an organization dedicated to financial security professionals, advocating for the industry and driving policy changes that impact both advisors and their clients. His career began in an unexpected place—as a seventh-grade teacher and lacrosse coach— before shifting into financial advocacy. Over the past two decades, he has played a key role in uniting fragmented industry groups into a single, influential voice. In this interview, Cadin discusses the evolution of Finseca, the challenges facing financial professionals today, and the policies shaping the future of financial security. He shares insights on regulatory hurdles, public perception, and the growing role of AI and cybersecurity in financial planning. As the industry faces talent shortages and economic uncertainty, he outlines Finseca’s mission to expand the profession, improve accessibility to financial advice, and push for policy changes that support holistic financial planning. With a firm belief in servant leadership and industry transformation, Cadin offers a compelling vision for the future of financial security—and the vital role professionals play in helping Americans navigate it. MARC CADIN CEO of Finseca www.finseca.org CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 20 -
Could you give me a brief history of your journey to becoming CEO of Finseca? I understand the organization is the result of multiple mergers. How did that process unfold, and what is Finseca today? My career actually started as a seventh-grade teacher and a varsity lacrosse coach. I later moved to Washington, D.C., and joined an association called AALU in 2000. At the time, I had no background in politics, public policy, associations, or financial advice, but I learned as I went. In 2015, I noticed a problem—our profession lacked a unified voice. There were multiple organizations with different messages, and we didn’t have the scale needed to make a real impact. That realization led to discussions about merging various organizations. We ultimately formed Finseca to create a platform capable of integrating these groups. Since then, we’ve successfully brought together seven different organizations, forming a single entity that represents financial security professionals. For over 130 years, people had talked about uniting these groups, but we finally made it happen. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 21 -
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - 22 - - USA - Now that you’ve consolidated these organizations, have you seen a tangible increase in your influence? Absolutely. We’ve doubled our membership in the last four years and now represent over 10,000 financial security professionals. That growth has given us significantly more scale to influence policy, elevate the profession’s reputation, and support members in serving more clients. Our organization is built on four pillars: 1. Elevating the profession’s brand and reputation 2. Accelerating business outcomes so members can serve more people 3. Advocating for good public policy 4. Educating the general public Across all these areas, we’ve seen measurable improvements. If the 2017 tax cuts aren’t extended, we could see a $4 trillion tax increase. That would have major implications, and we’re actively engaged in those discussions.
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - 23 - - USA - When you talk about financial security professionals, who exactly does that include? Are we talking about wealth planners, retirement advisors, estate planners essentially, the full spectrum? Yes. We represent anyone who believes in the power of a holistic financial plan. That means professionals working with life insurance, investments, annuities, and retirement planning. Some focus more on certain areas than others, but the key is a comprehensive approach to financial security. What are the key challenges facing your members right now? Given the current political and economic landscape, how do you see it impacting them? One of the biggest challenges has been the regulatory burden. The Department of Labor, for example, attempted to regulate commissions out of existence, and we had to fight that battle in court. Fortunately, we won, and the regulatory environment is improving. Another major issue is the potential tax code changes. If the 2017 tax cuts aren’t extended, we could see a $4 trillion tax increase. That would have major implications, and we’re actively engaged in those discussions. Beyond regulation, do your members express concerns about public perception? There’s often scepticism around commissions and conflicts of interest in financial advising. That’s a huge issue. The public perception of our profession doesn’t always align with the reality. Many in the media and certain organizations suggest that commission-based advisors can’t act in clients’ best interests, which is simply not true. The financial advice landscape has evolved—30 years ago, it was more of a sales job, 15 years ago it became an advisory role, and today, it’s all about comprehensive financial planning. The real focus should be on client outcomes. A recent Ernst & Young study found that consumers who have a holistic financial plan—including permanent life insurance, investments, and annuities—achieve better financial security. That’s the message we need to communicate. Do you have any concrete goals for increasing the number of Americans with financial plans? Where do things stand now? Right now, there are around 500,000 financial professionals serving 340 million Americans. That’s not enough. McKinsey estimates a gap of 100,000 to 200,000 professionals due to retirements outpacing new entrants. We need to grow the profession, and public policy can help. If financial planning fees were tax-deductible, more people would seek financial advice. Similarly, providing tax incentives for life insurance and annuities could encourage holistic planning. These are the types of changes we’re advocating for. AI is transforming many industries, including finance. Do you see it as a threat or an opportunity? AI will be a game-changer, but it’s not going to replace financial advisors. It will enhance productivity, simplify transactions, and make purchasing life insurance and annuities easier. But financial planning isn’t just about numbers—it’s about values, relationships, and emotions. AI can calculate financial projections, but it can’t help clients navigate the emotional side of planning for their families’ futures. That human element will always be essential.
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - 24 - - USA - On the topic of technology, cybersecurity is a growing concern. How do you see the profession addressing risks like AI-driven fraud and data breaches? Cybersecurity is critical. As financial planning firms scale up, they need infrastructure to protect sensitive client data. Larger firms have the resources to invest in robust security measures, which is one reason we’re seeing increased consolidation in the profession. Additionally, a strong advisor-client relationship is the best defense against scams. Clients who have a trusted advisor are less likely to fall victim to fraud because they have a clear financial plan and a professional guiding them. Let’s talk about your leadership approach. How do you define your leadership style, and how do you go about raising Finseca’s profile? I always go back to values. As Roy Disney once said, “When your values are clear, decisions are easy.” At Finseca, we have three core values: 1. Elevate and Innovate – We created Finseca with a unique identity, not just another association with an acronym. We wanted to build a movement, not just an organization. 2. Servant Leadership – We’re here to serve our members, our teams, and ultimately, the consumers they help. That service mindset is at the heart of everything we do. 3. Delivering Results – Growth is essential. We need more members, greater scale, and financial resources to drive change. We measure our impact in tangible ways. I believe in leading by example. When something goes wrong, the first place I look is in the mirror.
CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - 25 - - USA - Leadership is about taking responsibility and fostering collaboration. My deep conviction is that financial security professionals are essential to the well-being of Americans, and I don’t just say that—I believe it to my core. Looking ahead, where do you see Finseca in the next few years? What are the biggest risks and opportunities? I’m extremely optimistic about the next four years. The regulatory environment is improving, and there’s momentum for policies that support financial security. The biggest long-term challenge is the national debt— $36 trillion and growing. If we don’t address that, we could see economic instability like the UK experienced with the bond market’s reaction to Liz Truss’s minibudget. Financial security professionals are essential to the wellbeing of Americans, and I don’t just say that—I believe it to my core. On the opportunity side, we plan to go on offense. We want to push for public policies that increase demand for financial planning and make it easier for people to access professional advice. If we get this right, we could be entering the golden age of our profession. Finally, for those considering a career in financial security, what’s your message to them? There’s no other profession where you can make such a meaningful impact on people’s lives while building a successful career. We need to bring more people into the profession, including more women and people of color. If you want to help others, work with amazing people, and make a real difference, this is the place to be.
www.sisel.net As the CEO and Co-Founder of Sisel International, Tom Mower Jr. has built a global brand committed to creating safe, science-backed personal care and nutritional products. With a foundation rooted in clean ingredients and innovation, Tom continues to drive Sisel’s Mower Mission—eliminating harmful chemicals from everyday products and replacing them with healthier, more effective alternatives. In this interview, Tom discusses the evolution of Sisel’s network marketing model, the company’s commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, and how scientific advancements continue to shape the future of health and wellness. He also shares insights on leadership, business growth, and the legacy of running a multi-generational, family-owned enterprise. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 26 -
ingredients in our products that are safe and effective. We do this by conducting research in our own labs and investing in studies. The first “S” in Sisel stands for “Science” and that is our compass. Science can change. There are ingredients that I used 10 years ago that I won’t use today because of new research, but we are dedicated to finding the best ingredients we can and eliminating those that prove to be harmful. We want to share health and wealth with others and the best way to do that is through our network marketing structure. Our distributors are natural entrepreneurs who are innovative and creative in the way they talk about our products. They are out in the field, around the globe, working one-on-one with individuals and having genuine experiences. Because of our business model, rather than paying for advertisements or commercials in stores, we can pay that extra money out in compensation to distributors who really care about Mower Jr. CEO & Co-Founder of Sisel International Tom CEO EXCELLENCE IN HEALTH & WELLNESS SERVICES What is the Sisel mission, and how does the company operating in the network marketing space help you achieve your mission? Forty years ago, my father and I produced industrialstrength cleaners and detergents. When we realized that many of the same harsh chemicals in those products were also in personal care and household products, we became determined to find alternatives to these potentially harmful ingredients. So, we started creating clean personal and home care products, as well as nutritional supplements. Our mission, which we call the Mower Mission, was and has always been to remove ingredients that pose health risks and replace them with cleaner, better ones. As an extension of our mission, we created Sisel Safe® as a standard and promise to our customers that we will always use CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 27 -
our products and believe in our mission. We pay the highest compensation in our industry. Our mission is to improve lives with better ingredients in products, and to help our distributors improve their lives while also being rewarded for their hard work and efforts. For us, it is a win-win situation. We improve health by providing safe products, and our distributors get to enjoy our products and get compensated for sharing them. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Sisel International, what core leadership principles have guided your journey, and what lessons have you learned from your experiences? I lead two different groups that make up our workforce: our corporate team, and our distributors out in the field. I value both equally because our corporate team cannot succeed without the effort and hard work of our distributors and vice versa. I have made it a priority to learn to recognize talent and I have high expectations of my corporate employees. I grew up on a farm and learned as a young man to have a strong work ethic, to be self-motivated, and to look beyond my own needs. I expect these attributes from my employees as well as from myself. With our distributor force, these principles are similar; those who succeed have integrity, they motivate themselves and work independently, they have goals and plans and work hard to achieve them. I’ve learned several key things from being a leader. One thing I have always been very careful of is being financially responsible, and it has given our company a sense of security. We are proud that our company is debt free. Our employees and customers feel more confident in our products, knowing that we will be around for generations to come. In my time, I’ve had some wins, but I’ve had losses too. I’ve learned the importance of being focused and allocating my time wisely. I’ve also learned to be aware of the kinds of products our customers need rather than just coming up with things on my own and hoping they will sell. I think it’s important, especially as a leader, to value the wins and the losses. I haven’t always made perfect choices, but I learn something 100% of the time from each of my experiences. Sisel operates in a highly competitive health and wellness market. How do you ensure the company stays ahead through innovation and product development? To stay competitive, I believe you have to have a niche. 40 years ago, our idea to remove harmful ingredients from common household products was a new idea. No one was really doing that, but we were. Many other companies today will tout that they have the “safest” or “best” products, and that is open to a lot of opinion. We know we have the best. We have 40 years of experience with research and studies to really understand what we are doing. Sisel is always going to be ahead because we operate our own manufacturing facilities, which has a huge impact on how quickly we can innovate and develop new products. We are proud to be the most diversified manufacturer in the Mountain West region of the United States. We have the resources to make creams, lotions, shampoos and conditioners, toothpaste, home cleaning products, as well as nutritional capsules, powders, liquid supplements, and even equine and canine products. We have our own laboratory and testing facilities, and research scientists that study the ingredients in our products so that we can always formulate and manufacture them to be the very best. We don’t have to rely on outsourcing or thirdparty formulation or manufacturing to get our work done, we control every aspect of our business, from concept creation to a product shipment on its way to a consumer. What role does sustainability and ethical sourcing play in your company’s production process, and how do you see it impacting the future of Sisel? Growing up on a farm, my father taught me to love the land and treat it with respect. He created the Earth Stewardship Foundation, and we have contributed millions of dollars to help protect endangered species and fragile environments. We take sustainability seriously. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 28 -
Many other companies today will tout that they have the “safest” or “best” products, and that is open to a lot of opinion. We know we have the best. We have 40 years of experience with research and studies to really understand what we are doing. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 29 -
One of our primary products, FuCoyDon UFG®, uses an ingredient called Limu Moui which is a seaweed that grows in the oceans off the coasts of Tonga. Limu Moui has incredible nutritional benefits, more than can be found in any land-based plant, so we invest in harvesting it. We are careful to follow sustainability laws to make sure we do not destroy this resource. We take only the top 75% off the long seaweed at a time, making sure we do not remove the roots. Limu Moui also grows at a rate of up to 2 feet a day which makes this an optimal choice as an ingredient. It is always plentiful if we care for it. The seaweed is cut, frozen, and then shipped to us where we break it down and use it in our products. Because we are a GMP regulated facility, we also have a strict vender certification process for each ingredient or component we use in our formulas that verifies the ingredient’s origin, source, and purity. I personally have been intentionally involved in understanding international policies and trade alliances to make sure all our ingredients are sourced in an ethical and authorized way. How would you describe the company culture at Sisel, and how do you inspire your teams to pursue excellence while maintaining the company’s core values? Sisel is an acronym that stands for our values: Science, Innovation, Success, Energy, and Longevity. We hire quality people who appreciate, respect, and help drive our mission and live our values. It’s like I’m being cloned because they help me do the research and it helps to a large degree. We value each of our employees and their input. Right now, we are in a really fun stage of growth in the company. We have had double-digit growth every year for the last four years. Even when we have seen an economic downturn, Sisel has stayed steady, and this has helped our employees feel like they have hitched their wagon to a company that is reliable and cares about them. This growth has led to the addition of new team members, but we still know each other’s names and celebrate when someone has a birthday. We have an elbow-to-elbow, family-fun mentality in both our corporate teams and within our networks of distributors. I believe that our employees and distributors are most successful at achieving our values when they serve each other. Each year we celebrate a day of service in my father’s memory, whether it is clearing weeds or cleaning beaches, or some other kind of project. Through corporate donations and donations from our distributors, we are able to give back with our SiselNUTRIFY™ Nutritional Meal Supplement, which is a food supplement that provides essential nutrients to undernourished children around the world. Through our partnerships, this product has fortified over 3 million children’s meals in feeding programs across 26 countries. We continue to serve each other in large and small ways throughout the year and it really helps each of us feel like we are contributing to something larger than ourselves. What are the key challenges you’ve faced in leading a global company, and how do you overcome them while maintaining consistent growth? This is a great question after our recent pandemic. We saw unprecedented supply chain issues. We are fortunate to have our own manufacturing facilities, so we control a lot of our destiny. We were able to weather the pandemic so much better than anyone I know of in our industry because of how much control we have. We had to make spur-of-the-moment changes, but because we have an incredible network of people and we have our own facilities, we were able to quickly pivot and adapt, including many instances where we delivered the same great product in different packaging because that’s what was available to us. We also sometimes face issues when it comes to our international markets. We have an office in Tokyo and in Slovakia and service many countries throughout the world. Sisel takes great care to follow international laws, including ingredient requirements. Again, we are lucky to have our own lab and facilities because we can tailor make products for specific regions of the world. We also have to rely on our international offices to help us refine the organoleptic attributes of our products. What works in the US may not always work in other areas of the world and so we have to be flexible. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 30 -
Sisel is a family-owned business with a multi-generational impact. How do you ensure the company’s legacy continues while adapting to changing market demands? We talked about sustainability with our product development, but our company as a whole is sustainable in the sense that it is set up to last for generations. Not only are my sons, Thomas and Kaden, and my sister, Leisel, helping to run the company, but we have set up a Dynasty Trust which ensures that our company will endure for many years to come. None of our family will ever be forced to work here, but Sisel and its philosophy are available to those who do want to take part in the work. As a father and a CEO, you bet we talk about Sisel not just in the office, but at night, and on the weekends, during travel, and in meetings. Growing up in Sisel and in the Mower Mission gives you the flavor for what it really is to work here. I grew up with the Mower Mission before Sisel even existed. I worked with my father on our farm, and he would experiment with the things we grew in our garden. That really spurred our interest in the science behind nutrition. I am thrilled that my sons and my grandchildren are now growing up in it. Our family values good education as well. My sons have received degrees in marketing and biology and are great contributors to our business. I expect the same from my grandchildren in the future. From a family standpoint, I see longevity not just in my generation but in future generations. We have created a company that is debt free, and each product is controlled from start to finish. Future generations will be able to focus and put their energy into innovation, marketing strategies, and improving and growing the company well into the future. What is your long-term vision for Sisel International, and how do you see the company shaping the future of health and wellness? My long-term vision for Sisel is continued growth which relies on the principles and values that have taken us to this point. We don’t lose sight of what’s happened in the past, but we look forward to the future, understanding that what lies ahead may not be what we see right now. We must remain agile and adaptable to a changing industry, embracing new opportunities that align with our Mower Mission of empowering individuals to live a healthy lifestyle and achieve success. By creating pathways to health and wealth, we foster personal growth and open doors to a brighter future. CEO Today Global Awards 2025 - USA - - 31 -
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