Eric Herbelin is not one to stay idle. With over three decades of experience in the insurance industry, including 20 years of international leadership roles as strategist, business developer and CEO, he brings a wealth of experience in building and growing new businesses. He also brings transformational leadership to the table, guiding large organizations through periods of significant change.

Take for instance his role as CEO of Elips Life, where he built a new insurance company from the ground up with a differentiated value proposition, or later for instance, when he ventured to modernize a siloed product organization into a customer-centric, data-driven and employee-empowered business. Then, there is his role at QGel Biotech Limited, where as an MBA student he helped the organization find its product-market fit, later becoming an investor in the company and then a board member.

Through thick and thin, Herbelin has maintained that his approach to leadership and his strategies for guiding organizations through change have helped him achieve tremendous results.

He recalls when he was working for Zurich Insurance Group in 2001. As a dedicated project manager and later the head of strategic and operational planning, he helped build the global platform for large corporate clients.

Eric Herbelin excelled and as a result was later appointed to work in France, fixing legal entities and the credit rating of another unit entirely, and was responsible for producing tangible results in a short period of time.

“It was a sort of mission impossible,” says Herbelin.

“They said: Eric, this is what needs to happen and you have X days to do it. It was very result oriented, so I got the team together and said there’s one thing we’re going to do and this is what we’re going to do, and this is the time we have available.”

The result? “We did it,” says Herbelin.

At the time, it was impressive, but looking back, Herbelin says his success can be attributed to his strategies for guiding organizations through change.

Eric Herbelin took the same approach in building new business ventures and looking for opportunities to invest into new markets. While he was working for Zurich Insurance Group in 2008, he was offered the role of Global Business Development Manager and asked to help build and grow a newly formed global insurance practice within the Group. Together with the Head of the practice, he went on defining the markets and segments to focus on and articulate a value proposition. He later convinced local market leaders through influence to trust them and invest. The result: several hundreds of millions of dollars of new business produced within just a few years.

“It was a strategic decision from the group to build up this new practice but it was a bet. We had no budget and had to convince the market first and our local country operations second, for them to invest in the business and trust that we would be delivering results for them,” says Herbelin.

Eric Herbelin believes that business is all about people, and that the right people, in the right job, at the right time, with the right culture and attitude will eventually produce results.

“The ingredients to our success were our clear market focus, our passion for the business and belief in success, but more importantly the ability to be entrepreneurial and hire dedicated development underwriters in select markets,” says Herbelin.

Eric Herbelin took that same approach a few years later when he was asked to relocate to Chicago, Illinois, to build a new innovative insurance company in the U.S. that competed against some of the largest insurance companies in the world.

“We had tremendous successes in building our operations and attracting some of the best talent in the entire industry. The market was very competitive and tough but we had some good traction going for the business. Until Covid hit us all. Incumbents no longer applied technical rates throughout, underwriting margins got depressed and unexpected loss developments were to be expected. We had to take the difficult decision to stop writing new business and we had to let people go, which was very unfortunate,” says Herbelin.

In business and in any executive role, you have wins and losses, major accomplishments and sometimes even failures, but what separates a true business leader from the rest is the ability to pick yourself back up and create an intrinsic motivation within yourself and within your team to bounce back.

“I believe that we get better results that way that are more sustainable and certainly lead to better outcomes over time. So ideally. The way I lead the best is to be in a position where I create the vision and the overall direction and assemble talented people who can execute.”

Eric Herbelin says that it can be somewhat challenging when you’re tasked with leading an organization through a period of change but are not provided with the resources to make it happen.

This, according to Herbelin, is why it is so important to empower your team and the entire organization as a whole to make decisions, so that it can execute, pivot and innovate in a sometimes unforgiving and ever-changing market.

Herbelin advocates for the capacity to build teams, which are the foundation of any organization, and he maintains that while there is initial cost and time sink required to bring new members of an organization up to speed, there is long-term profitability in the end. This is especially true if you lead by empowering your team to make decisions.

“I believe in shared leadership, which means everyone in the organization needs to be a leader whether that is the CEO, the head of function or the specialist in marketing or or the customer service representative. We are all leaders in our various levels of responsibility and all have contributions to make,” says Herbelin.

There are many components to shared leadership for it to function effectively. Some of those components are the internal team environment, which is shared purpose among the team, a clear vision from top to bottom, social support, voice and cohesion.

Herbelin clearly outlines that the goal of shared leadership is much different than the old school management approach of overseeing every move of your staff. It’s also different from the typical nine to five jobs that people may have traditionally thought of.

“It’s about a vision. It’s a vision where we all join in on a mission, and rather than seeing our job as a means to live, we have fun, we get inspired and we lead.”

There are several strategies to get this to work, but with the competing demands of an executive, it can sometimes be difficult to implement and communicate the desire for such cohesion and unified purpose, let alone make it a reality.

Regardless, it’s no challenge for Herbelin who has been tasked with this goal on many occasions and draws from his previous experiences and many litmus tests. At this point it’s just pattern recognition for Herbelin to create transformational change within organizations.

Herbelin says you need to make your team feel like they belong. You need to build an environment where people can be their authentic selves and have the ability to execute on their specific tasks, using their specific strengths and skills. But this can also at times require change with people and for them to see where their best fit is, and this can at times be challenging.

“We are in charge of the business at various different levels. What that does is ensure we can trust and rely on each other,” says Herbelin. “We can complement each other’s skill sets and leverage the skills of the individual.”

This feeds perfectly into Herbelin’s next recommendation for guiding organizations through change, because it all comes down to the management and the value created by the people within the organization to affect positive change. It’s about sparking growth and taking the organization to new heights by leveraging the talent pool you’ve been privileged with.

You also need to make your team feel like owners. For leaders to take initiative and share a cohesive vision, you need to empower them with a sense of ownership. If they feel like they own the ship, they’ll do their best to make sure the ship keeps sailing.

Herbelin says it’s about aligning work goals and purpose without micromanaging. Constantly seeking input and ways to get things done and to be better always is at the heart of any transformational strategy at the executive level.

Ultimately, it’s also about differentiating your business through the service that it provides.

“I would argue the only way to differentiate and sustain a business is through service. You need to understand what the expectations of your customers are, how they are being served and what the gaps are.”

Eric Herbelin says that in sharing this information with audiences, he’s more concerned about how organizations should be driving change deliberately so that it has a net positive effect on the organization as a whole, rather than how organizations can coast through periods of change and survive.

For Herbelin, change is a period of immense opportunity to grow, to get better, to align your team and to tailor your services in a way that maximizes customer satisfaction without sacrificing the integrity of the organization and its growth trajectory.

It’s also not just about business. He welcomes change in his personal life as well and is constantly searching for new opportunities to grow. Never short of ideas, Herbelin is looking forward to new projects on the horizon and the challenges that come with them.

“My role has always been about setting ambition and direction, and I have a duty to maintain that responsibility.”

We live in a digital age, so it’s no surprise that the concept of a virtual assistant (VA) has become synonymous with remote work. Businesses are increasingly shifting online each day. However, with this shift, we now have a responsibility to ensure the overall well-being of every remote worker. When we talk of virtual assistant wellness, we think of a holistic health approach for all workers, encompassing their physical, mental, and emotional health. Everyone who works remotely faces the same challenges, one of the primary ones being the lack of face-to-face contact.

Virtual Assistant Health Challenges

Virtual assistants are a unique type of remote workers, who face unique health challenges. The sole nature of their job and the positions they take often mean prolonged hours in front of a monitor. What this leads to are potential issues like screen fatigue, eye strain, and different types of postural problems. The sedentary lifestyle, when paired with the isolation of working alone, is a well-known danger to an individual’s mental health. Recognizing challenges like these is the initial step to getting better. Proactively recognizing and taking care of them ensures that VAs remain at the top of their game.

It aids productivity and overall well-being, which is even more important.

Ergonomics and Workspace Optimization

Let’s start with a well-optimized workspace. It can significantly mitigate the physical challenges that a virtual assistant is facing each day. The key? It’s ergonomic. Investing in adjustable furniture is a must. Today you have different types of furniture, such as standing desks and ergonomic chairs. These items can make a world of difference. Proper posture is often neglected by remote workers. It is crucial to prevent back and neck strain, so it shouldn’t be. VAs should also be encouraged to take regular breaks. During these breaks, the focus needs to be on stretching their legs and giving their eyes a rest. It’s as simple as that. Different adjustments, like ensuring the top of the computer screen is at eye level, can help in reducing strain.

Balancing Screen Time and Digital Wellness

Excessive screen time is a real concern for VAs. Anyone who has ever worked at home or alone knows this. Overexposure to screens is almost a disease. It can lead to sleep disturbances, various eye problems, and even mental distress that leads to fatigue. Devise strategies to combat these issues. Here’s how: use blue light filters, take scheduled screen breaks, and set boundaries for both work-related and private screen time.

Promoting Mental Health and Social Connection

Isolation is not an issue that you should neglect. Remote work can have an impact on VA’s mental health. Even in a virtual environment, it is advisable to focus on community and connection. What you need to do is: have regular team check-ins, coffee breaks (both real and virtual), and even consider online team-building. Virtual support networks exist if you create or join them. It’s a place where VAs can share concerns and seek support.

Physical Activity and Exercise Integration

Many of the challenges that VAs encounter can be handled by mere physical activity. Exercise is a well-known mood booster. It will aid in improving your concentration and be a good tool against the effects of a lifestyle that VAs lead. They should have a positive mindset regarding workouts or any other activity that requires motion. Change existing daily routines. It doesn’t matter if it’s a home workout, a stretching session, or even a run or a walk outside. It all works!

Mindfulness, Stress Reduction, and Self-Care

Have you heard of mindfulness techniques? You probably have, as we’re talking, of meditation and deep breathing exercises. They can be powerful weapons for VAs. If the goal is to help combat stress, improve focus, and promote a sense of well-being, they can help. Also, be encouraged to engage in self-care, take time for yourself etc. Apps and programs such as AssistYou by Virtalent that promote relaxation and mindfulness can be of great benefit.

Tracking and Celebrating Wellness Progress

Goals and tracking progress is crucial for this type of wellness venture. Whether it’s a step count, hours of sleep, or even mindfulness minutes, tracking data helps virtual assistants to stay accountable. Celebrating every milestone, regardless of their size, will be a morale boost and provide additional motivation. It reinforces the importance of wellness and encourages VAs to prioritize their health.

Financial fraud is on the rise. According to UK Finance, more than £1.2 billion were stolen through fraud in 2022, and the majority of these cases started online.

Financial fraud affects not just individuals. Businesses have to be extra careful about employee fraud. A business owner who encourages or ignores the following can expect to pay the consequences down the line:

• Putting too much trust in your employees;
• Poor record-keeping;
• Inadequate employee screening;

Some common business frauds include property theft, phishing schemes, commission fraud, and embezzlement.

Ultimately, vigilance is key, and there is no need to dedicate manual labor to prevent financial fraud. Criminals use technology, and so should you. It’s about identifying key pain points and eliminating or reducing them.

1. Monitor Transactions

Even if hundreds or thousands of transactions occur daily, it is recommended to be proactive with fraud prevention. Checking the data post-facto could mean that you are too late.

On the other hand, implementing a transaction monitoring tool that detects suspicious behavior in real-time stops the fraud before it manifests. Even small businesses should have no problems investing in such software, especially when it offers so much value and serves long-term.

2. Choose a Secure Bank

Online banking is the go-to method for payments and other transactions. Most banks provide multiple security layers, including tangible key code generators.

Whoever is in charge of the company’s bank account management must make the security tools imperative for everyone who uses the account.

Moreover, there should be a deal with the bank to flag suspicious account activity and contact the person in charge in such cases to stop fraudsters before they cause damage.

3. Protect Devices

Malicious code infects not just computers; plenty of malware is dedicated to smartphones. It is a must to use antivirus software and install the latest operating system updates.

OS updates add more than just new features and general performance improvements; developers also push new updates to protect users from malware.

Having the latest OS version and an outdated version can be the difference between preventing a malware attack and suffering from it.

4. Raise Awareness

You can expect to prevent fraud by raising awareness within the organization. Take a phishing scam, for example. A malicious actor might contact an unsuspecting employee via social media or email, tricking them into sharing sensitive information.

Most phishing scams are not that difficult to spot and ignore. Nevertheless, a fair few come with enticing copywriting from a seemingly legit source, and that might be harder to identify.

Regular employee training about the latest phishing and other cybersecurity risks takes resources, but the education can prove to be valuable beyond estimation if it leads to workplace fraud prevention.

5. Check the Documents

A small business does not have that much paperwork, so doing a regular checkup should not be a problem. It becomes even easier if most if not all the documents are digitized rather than paper.

Regular audits can be used to confirm that the documents are all in order. Meanwhile, random audits by third-party auditors would serve as a means to show everyone that the company is no slouch when it comes to fraud prevention. The presence of certified fraud examiners is enough to deter potential thieves.

6. Invest in Insurance 

While insurance is not a direct way to prevent fraud, it is a mechanism to get the losses in case of a fraudulent activity that could not be prevented via other means.

Be thorough about who you should pick as an insurance provider because different companies have different policies. Some might not even cover fraud-related losses. 

Conclusion

All in all, identifying and preventing a fraud scheme is not easy. Reluctance to implement the necessary means is common because businesses want to save money.

Unfortunately, being cheap can lead to even greater losses, so it’s better to take action and prepare well in advance