Whether we realise it or not, the decisions C-suite executives are making are shaping our digital experiences: the way we live, work, and interact online and with technology. With Lisa-Maria Alexander, a Certified Chartered Director, and the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategist of The Leadership Xperience, and focusing on Caribbean organisations, Lisa-Maria gives a perspective from the boardroom. Among other things, she shares with us: how C-suite executives are approaching issues, such as technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and data protection; some of the unique challenges they face when implementing digital strategies; and the tension that can sometimes exist between the Board and Management.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

To a considerable degree, the experiences we have as consumers of goods and services are a result of the decisions the leaders of those organisations have made. The same is true of our digital experiences. The technologies and services that are available and correspondingly, and the degree to which they benefit us, are largely due to the leaders of the organisations that make those products. It thus means, be it directly or indirectly, that the way those organisations are run, the values and culture they foster, and even the systems and processes that are implemented, all start from the top.

It therefore means that our C-suite executives are at the forefront of the digital revolution that has been occurring across the Caribbean region – with varying degrees of success. So in this podcast episode, we gain some insight into what happens in the boardroom. More specifically, we discuss how Caribbean C-suite leaders are approaching digital transformation, the impact their decisions have on our digital experience, and the importance of effective governance to support this transformation.

 

Introducing our guest

Lisa-Maria Alexander

Lisa-Maria Alexander is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Strategist of The Leadership Xperience, a Customer-Centric Operating Model and Strategic Transformation Consultancy that she founded in April 2022, after more than two (2) decades of professional leadership experience in the Financial Services Sector. Lisa-Maria is a Certified Chartered Director (2023) and a Gender Consultant in the Caribbean on behalf of Inter-American Development Bank – _IDB Invest, with expertise in the delivery of services related to gender, diversity, and inclusion (GDI) strategy.

Lisa-Maria brings to audiences, a unique diversity of professional skills – she is a Female C-suite Executive, Marketeer, Organizational Strategist, Former Licensed Stockbroker, Behavioural Coach Certified, and an experienced Facilitator and Public Speaker. Her areas of expertise include Strategy Development and Implementation, Relationship Marketing, Internal Branding Customer Experience Management, Market Planning, and Performance Management.

Lisa-Maria holds a BSc.in Industrial Management and a Masters in Management Studies – Advanced Marketing, as well as having attained a Behavioural Coach designation in 2019 and an Executive Certificate in Organizational Design in the same year. In Nov 2022, Lisa-Maria was Certified as a Balanced Scorecard Professional – a strategic planning and management system methodology.

 

Insights our conversation

This was an easy conversation to have with Lisa-Maria. She is engaging, knowledgeable and passionate about helping leaders take their organisations to the next level. Though we, as consumers, might be ready to criticise organisations and their leadership for not being progressive enough or responsive enough, for example, often, there are several countervailing forces at play that C-suite executives are trying to balance.

Below are select questions that guided the discussion with Lisa-Maria:

  1. Please tell us a bit more about your background, your experience, and what led you to establish The Leadership Xperience.
  2. Generally, how are C-suite executives approaching
    • Technology in their organisations?
    • Digital transformation?
    • Innovation?
    • Data protection?
    • Artificial Intelligence?
    • Customer service versus customer experience?
  3. What unique challenges do Caribbean C-suite leaders face when implementing digital strategies compared to their global counterparts?
  4. Sometimes, there can be tension between the C-suite and the Board, and more specifically who controls the organisation. What have been your observations on that front?
  5. In your experience, are there best practices Caribbean organisations can implement to ensure effective oversight of their digital initiatives?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit:  L. M. Alexander; Ketut Subiyanto (Pexels);  Gerd Altmann (Pixabay); Subiyanto (Pexels)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing Support: Mayra Bonilla Lopez