Imagine you’re at the edge of a freezing cold plunge pool. Would you dive right in? Or would you hesitate and maybe just dip your toe in the water? Our guest, Anand Verma, likes to dive right in! Anand is a visionary leader, award-winning digital innovator, serial entrepreneur, and investor–and he believes that if you want to innovate in the digital age, you have to dive right in and embrace change no matter how scary and uncomfortable it may be. Anand is the Co-founder of LeapX, a Design and AI startup dedicated to creating a carbon neutral world. Previously, he was the Founder and CEO of Brilliant Basics, an award winning Global Digital and Innovation company that was acquired by Infosys. Anand also led Infosys’ digital capabilities in EMEA and was a part of the Infosys leadership team. Prior to Brilliant Basics, Anand was one of the youngest CEO's at Interpublic Group (IPG) leading IPG Media brands Ventures in EMEA. He also held leadership roles at Sapient, AKQA and Modem Media. Anand has a track record of leading through disruptive change. In this episode, he shares what it means to be entrepreneurial, how to navigate uncertainty, why companies must be purpose-led, and how to build winning teams. He is a passionate advocate for diversity as the fuel for innovation and a champion for women in leadership. That’s why we are so proud to have him on the Beyond Barriers advisory board to guide us on our mission. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com/ where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Anand. Highlights: [03:07] Anand’s story of entrepreneurship [09:24] Most important lessons learned [12:57] Being a builder vs an operator [15:45] How confidence is built [21:32] Anand’s current focus – bringing AI and design together [25:00] Gaining support from sponsors and advocates [27:25] Why diversity matters [35:54] Biggest trends to follow [38:28] How to prepare for future trends Quotes: “Perfectionism is the biggest killer of any business.” – Anand Verma “Confidence and credibility go hand in hand.” - Anand Verma “Every day is a good day for doing and learning something new.” – Anand Verma About Anand Verma: Anand is the Co-founder of LeapX, a Design and AI startup dedicated to creating a carbon neutral world. Prior to his recent ventures, he was the Owner, Founder and CEO of Brilliant Basics (acquired by Infosys), an award winning Global Digital and Innovation company headquartered in London with studios all over the world. Successfully acquired by Infosys in 2017 to accelerate Design and Innovation for Infosys and its clients globally. Anand also led Infosys’ digital capabilities in EMEA and was a part of the Infosys leadership team. He is also deeply involved with leading design school and university partnerships for Infosys. Anand is a digital visionary, innovator and successful entrepreneur who understands new products and services, revenue growth, operations and people. He has over 20 years’ experience in management consulting, digital and tech businesses. Anand has built a successful career by consistently delivering value through digital and customer-centricity. He loves creating value by reducing complexity in the digital world at both speed x scale. Prior to founding Brilliant Basics, Anand was one of the youngest Presidents and CEO's at Interpublic Group (IPG) leading IPG Mediabrands Ventures in EMEA, a global advertising and media conglomerate where he led digital Operations, Innovative Products and Services and M&A. And previous to that he held leadership roles at Sapient (now a part of Publicis), AKQA (now a part of WPP) and Modem Media (now a part of Publicis). Anand is an active investor, adviser, non-exec board director, academia, podcast host and speaker. Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandverma/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/anandverma
