Corporate Excellence Awards 2020

, Dec19176 A Wine-ding Legacy A long history of wine-making lies behind California’s Most OutstandingWinery toWatch – 2020. With a legacy going all the way back to 1868, spanning five generations and two centuries, it’s no wonder that LedsonWinery &Vineyards is considered a standout in the industry. In the light of the team’s victory, we profile the business to find out more. Nestled in the heart of Sonoma County, the Ledson Winery welcomes visitors with open arms and a proud sense of history. The passion project of owner Steve Ledson started in the 90s - the winery launched with its inaugural vintage, the incredibly popular 1993 Ledson Estate Merlot - and has been going strong ever since. According to the history books of Sonoma County, Steve’s family started growing grapes and making wine in the late eighteen- hundreds, producing 8000 gallons of Zinfandel and Alicante. Making wine is not like any other business, based as it is around so many competing factors. With 17 acres of a 21-acre plot dedicated to the growing of Merlot, it was a quirk of circumstance that saw what was to be his family home transformed into the gothic delight that is the heart of the business: the winery and tasting room. The vineyards are treated with care and diligence, each vine harvested one at a time and rejected if it doesn’t meet the standards of Ledson’s experienced eye. Once farmed, they are handled as little as possible before being aged in French oak barrels. A variety of toast levels are used to add complexity and texture to each wine. World-renowned viticulturist Dr. Daniel Roberts says, “Steve’s relentless pursuit for perfection is apparent in every grape vine and every bottle of wine.” Ledson wines have been well- received since the beginning, with a broad selection of wines available that appeal to every palate. Over twenty years have passed since the tasting room, known throughout the world as the Castle, opened its doors; the business now produces more than seventy different wines annually, with some lots as small as 20 cases, many less than 200 cases, and has probably one of the largest ultra-premium wine portfolios of any family-owned winery in the United States. Ledson Winery is very much a family concern, with dozens of members pitching in over the years, many taking part in the winery’s apprentice program. Some continue to make their careers there. This approach sets Ledson Winery apart from its competitors, with the friendly attitude intrinsic to the company’s business model. Ledson wine is only available directly from the winery. There are no middlemen or brokers, and only a select number of restaurants stock its bottles. For oenophiles, recourse can be found in the Winery’s wine clubs, which have drawn in 15,000 members over the last twenty years and 50,000 customers continue to visit the Castle every year. This allows Steve and his team to really develop the personal approach that makes their business special. While competitors would consider selling directly too time consuming or resource intensive, the Ledson team thrives on the personal connection, embracing the chance for direct feedback and engagement. One of the many appealing aspects of Ledson Winery is its various wine tastings. Private sessions are conducted by one of the winery’s experienced consultants, trained by Ledson himself; guests find themselves guided through the delightful wines of the area, cared for with perfect hospitality in a warm, inviting atmosphere. Members of the wine clubs have their own separate option naturally, and can take advantage of exclusive wines and the amazing views from the club lounge. For the more casual visitor, a classic wine tasting is competitively priced, and allows a thoroughly enjoyable experience that covers all the facets of the Ledson Winery experience. Above all, Ledson Winery is set apart by love. This is not just a love of wine, but a love of people and sharing experiences between them. It binds every aspect of the business together, drawing a connection that really makes the company greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps what makes Ledson even more special is that the individual parts are spectacular in and of themselves. Contact: Elke Rautenberg-Wolff Dec19194 Effective and Efficient Support Based in Hamburg, the passcon Group is a dynamic and young consulting firm specialising in financial services, with a distinctive focus on implementation. Following their success in the 2020 Corporate Excellence Awards, we got in touch with Corinna Reibchen, CEO and founder of passcon, to find out more. Founded in 2016, the passcon Group has assisted firms all over the world. Since its founding, they have delivered innovative IT solutions and effective problem- solving strategies to their clients. To start, Corinna provides us with a brief overview of the firm and offers more insight into its specialities. “With 13 offices in eight different countries, we have spread all over the world, currently employing over 160 team members. From consultants and analysts to IT specialists, our team speaks over 22 languages together. As a young and dynamic anti-financial-crime one-stop-shop, we provide support in strategy with consulting, operations with our analysts, IT and data solutions, with an overall digital and flexible approach.” “Typically, we support our clients in the areas of Anti-Financial- Crime (AFC) and Anti-Money-Laundering (AML). For example, we help our clients in the Know Your Customer procedure (KYC), which is one of our biggest fields of expertise. KYC is a method of checking the personal and business data of customers of a financial institution, for instance, to prevent money laundering. With our in- house KYC factory and our automated KYC tool, GoKYC, we provide our customers with optimal support in achieving their production and processing targets.” Although passcon predominately serves clients in the financial sector, through their experience they are also operating in other industries, such as logistics or real estate. Moreover, as Corinna goes on, it’s their outstanding reputation, which has increased their client base. “In summary, we support all those who need effective and efficient support with regulatory requirements. With a unique portfolio of services and a ‘client-first’ approach, the needs and interests of our customers are always our highest priority. Through flexibility and agility, we have been able to adapt quickly and efficiently to the demands of new clients. By offering a unique all- round service package, our customers can engage us as their sole service provider and do not have to divide their work tasks among several operators. Being at the pulse of time is of great importance to us. This is why we participate in various trade fairs, such as those concerning regulatory technologies, Anti-Money-Laundering, and Anti-Financial-Crime as well as FinTechs, and get into conversation with the various market participants and exchange the latest news and forecasts.” The rising tide of regulations and its intensity has made it difficult for many financial institutions and companies that are subject to money laundering laws to comply with regulatory requirements. However, as Corinna goes on, by providing the necessary support, these companies have been able to focus on their other important matters. “Ultimately, we try to take the load off our customers in every way we can. Through our support, they can exclusively focus on their core business activities.” Committed to innovation, passcon developed their automated in-house solution GoKYC, however, the development has been made possible by sharing and exchanging knowledge and abilities within the team. “Thanks to our flat hierarchies, fast and flexible structures and experienced team, our employees are all-rounders and learn quickly. By consulting, analysing and developing together, when it comes to improving and adapting the tool to new circumstances, everyone is on the same page.” The employees of passcon play a huge role in the success of the firm and, as Corinna points out, motivation and experience are the two key factors that maintain high-quality services. “Each member of our team brings new energy and drive to every project they work on. Essentially this enables us to guarantee high quality, efficient and innovative services.” Additionally, when it comes to recruiting new personnel, recommendations have benefitted the firm hugely as Corinna explains. “We place great trust in the recommendations of new employees by team members. Especially those who perform very well by themselves are able to assess the performance of others.” Finally, Corinna comments on the future of passcon and the plans in place to ensure the firm remain at the forefront of the industry. “Having made great strides in such a short time we are excited about our future prospects. Going forward, we will be looking to increase the number of services we offer as we meet the demands of our clients. To have been recognised by Corporate Vision Magazine for our work is a great tonic for all the effort our team members have put in.” Company Name: passcon Contact Name: Corinna Reibchen Telephone Number: +49 1520 4280986 Address: passcon GmbH, Großer Burstah 25, 20457 Hamburg, Germany Web Address: www.passcon.com Corporate Excellence Awards 159

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY1MjI4
https://nats.io/ https://www.metacompliance.com/ https://www.passcon.com/ https://www.realtimetouch.com/ https://www.synadia.com/