Societal Entrepreneurship – Technology & Social Mobility – Exclusive Interview With Dax Grant
- Feb 14, 2023
- 5 min read
Dax Grant is a lead authority on entrepreneurial c-suite leadership within international and global organisations as CEO, Global Transform, Dax is a renowned Woman in Technology, recognised Keynote speaker and societal voice. Listed in the Global CIO 100, Cranfield School of Management’s 100 Women to Watch, and CxO Outlook magazine’s 10 Most Influential Business Leaders, Dax is also a CREA Global Award winner, a 100 Successful Women in Business award winner, and a Power list 100 Keynote speaker.
An invitation only member of the Forbes Technology Council. Dax has held a variety of influential CIO and COO positions including CIO, Global Operations, HSBC. With significant remits in well-regarded organizations, Dax has experience leading global functions accountable for day-to-day services provided through a variety of key technology platforms, together with driving digitization across the organisations and financial services institutions. bank.
Dax has a variety of interests and areas of expertise, in addition to her dedication to driving technology-based businesses from the ground up, Dax is active in driving equality and diversity at both industry and organisational level. Mother of two, a qualified coach Dax also found the time to complete three degrees and become an author. Dax’s latest book: The Entrepreneurial Quotient, focuses her passion for entrepreneurship with the focus on Humanizing Business through Societal Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills.
Whilst Dax already has a distinguished career and accomplishments she came from a humble Bosnian background, her farther a coalminer and the mother a shepherdess. Not able to speak English when she joined her first state school Dax moved to walk the hallowed grounds of Cambridge, attend Cranfield School of Management and Harvard Business School. Passionate about international culture, sport, and art Dax enjoys a round of golf at her local club. Dax remains devoted to her philanthropic activities supporting causes close to her heart to support others.
The opportunity to interview Dax and learn more about the woman behind the story revelled some interesting personal insights and perspectives on the world.
Dax Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Global Transform
Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better
I’m passionate about business, entrepreneurship, technology and supporting others in the areas that I pursue. I love getting to know people and cultures that’s always been at the heart of life. That drive has led me to lots of interesting places from building school sporting facilities to leading an operations and technology function within a leading charity to being responsible for the technology for global payments associations and banks. Life hasn’t always been easy though and I still remember the days where I sat at school not able to speak a word of English. My mum had to leave school at age 8 to be a shepherdess on the family farm and dad had a similar story.
Alongside my commitment to contribute to the world, I am a devoted mother of two. I love sports – I enjoy watching rugby and tennis and maintain my love for golf. I love learning about new technology and whilst I am a physicist and mathematician by background, I became Chartered Banker. Equally I have always been quite artistic and literary. My art teacher was disappointed that I did not take art as a GCSE, though my belief was that as an artist I did not require a qualification to practice are and can still create an artistic picture with ease.
What types of businesses have you worked with and how do you help the businesses?
I have worked a range of businesses, as a chartered banker I looked after a portfolio of businesses and enjoyed learning how there worked. I have worked with venture firms, global multinationals, right the way through to charitable organisations. Having looked after operations and technology functions, I am often called into those areas, whether on the ground to fix or turnaround an initiative, function, or area, equally I am often called in at board level. Over the years I have accumulated lots of knowledge across different sectors and types and sizes of business – I am practical about what works and what doesn’t and am able to add value with swift practical action. Of course, the nature of the action is specific to the organisational circumstances, maturity and the question that I am brought in to solve.
You recently authored The Entrepreneurial Quotient (e2-Quotient) that’s igniting lots of conversation – can you tell us about it?
I wrote the book as a conversation starter, and it has taken me on an interesting journey about entrepreneurship and business. explores both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill, diving into the factors that enable you to assess how your organization measures up against the entrepreneurial quotient. explores both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill, diving into the factors that enable you to assess how your organization measures up against the entrepreneurial quotient. I have had a book inside me for years though it became my ‘post lockdown’ project.
Through lots of conversations, I recognised that the boardroom conversation in high-performance FTSE, Fortune 500, and venture-capital-based organizations has shifted. Yesterday’s good performance is today’s average. Post-pandemic, the impact of business leadership on society is distinguishing the exceptional from the merely good C-suite executives. The most enlightened senior leaders realize that, irrespective of the size of the business, building entrepreneurship into the DNA of the organization is essential. Equally, technology is enabling an increasingly connected world, giving customers and employees the ability to vote with their feet as more purpose-centred organizations gain traction. Humanizing business has a pivotal role in enabling a sustainable future and creating the foundations for an organization to leapfrog into the next new norm.
You talk about a ‘significant life’ in the book, could you say more on that?
In today’s connected society, purpose-led leadership is only increasing in importance. Moreover, the most visionary societal entrepreneurs are already combining a deep understanding of their own personal purpose and values into the legacy they are here to deliver. The most progressive societal entrepreneurs are taking the global view as the North Star and centering that with localized causes, commitments, and beliefs. These leaders are the ones that lead a life of significance in the communities they choose to serve and their legacy will be remembered. The definition of a significant life is a personal view though in aligning your personal understanding of what significance means to you are more likely to achieve your goals and have alignment in life with the impact you as a societal entrepreneur create for the societies you serve.
What is some advice you offer businesses?
There is always tailored advice specific to each business. However, if I were to narrow it down to some key areas.
The essence of societal entrepreneurship:
Today’s successful e2-Quotient organizations are focused on both societal leadership and entrepreneurial skill.
Those organizations that can humanize their business are naturally creating a competitive advantage for the future in retaining and attracting talent
In addition, humanized organizations have better customer connectivity on average, so humanization is exceptionally good for business and organizational growth.
Focus on both societal leadership, entrepreneurial skill and humanizing your business
At Board level
Ensure you are building an entrepreneurial leadership within the board
Ensure you are clear on the purpose, market position and core capabilities of the organisation. Prioritize value and values!
Ensure you a balance of enterprise and functional conversations
Create the oversight frameworks to ensure a regular review the business in a balanced manner
And then specifically for the operations and technology functions
Ensure you are building functions genuinely focused on the customer
Ensure you have good leadership in place in combination with technology and operational expertise
Ensure that you have clear future proof architecture in place
Build a strong cyber capability and reward both those that run the technology and operation in parallel with wins in digitization
