New York, NY, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FOLK HERO, [INVNT GROUP]’s brand strategy firm, is expanding its global operations into Europe and the Middle East, growing its storytelling reach across the region.
FOLK HERO is a modern brand studio, brand consulting agency, and leading expert in global brand storytelling. The firm has led award-winning brand strategy campaigns for Loro Piana, Intimissimi, Sales Force, Tezenis, Walmart Media Group, Nurosene and more.
Ben Mainwaring has been appointed Chief Strategy Officer of FOLK HERO.
“As we continue to build on the strength of our global strategic offering, Ben brings great expertise in technology, purpose and innovation, that will help Folk Hero continue to successfully take brands into the future,” said Rob Klingensmith, CEO of FOLK HERO.
Mainwaring brings over 20 years of brand marketing strategy, new product development, and commercial strategy experience, specializing in automotive, emerging technology and systems innovation.
Mainwaring will be based in INVNT GROUP’s EMEA headquarters in London, supporting client work across the region.
“We’re thrilled to have this powerhouse resource on the ground in the EMEA region enhancing our capabilities for clients. Helping brands and organisations ensure that they are telling the best version of their brand story, and reaching the most relevant audiences is crucial,” said Claudia Stephenson, Managing Director of INVNT GROUP EMEA.
Ben Mainwaring joins FOLK HERO after 8 years as Founder at Matter, delivering strategy and innovation to private sector and governments clients across the US, Middle East, and Africa.
“I have known INVNT GROUP’s leadership for over a decade and have been so impressed by how the business has grown, adapted, and innovated over the years. I am joining FOLK HERO at a pivotal time in the evolution of the GROUP – advancing the agency’s brand strategy and storytelling power. I can’t wait to make my own contribution to the agency’s challenger mantra and broaden our offering to new markets and world-class clients,” said Ben Mainwaring, Chief Strategy Officer of FOLK HERO.
ABOUT FOLK HERO
Folk Hero, established by award-winning brand strategist Rob Klingensmith and part of [INVNT GROUP] The Global BrandStory Project specializes in bringing story strategies to the executive level, creating master brand narratives that act as brands’ operating and organizing principles. The firm helps its clients develop unusually compelling brand narratives, architecture, identity and tone-of-voice, all underpinned by a robust research methodology and deep understanding of contemporary consumer behaviors. For more information visit: www.folkhero.com
ABOUT [INVNT GROUP]
[INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT was established as an evolution of the founding global live brand storytelling agency INVNT in 2008, with a vision to provide consistent, meaningful, well-articulated BrandStory across all platforms. With offices in New York, Sydney, London, Singapore, Dubai, San Francisco, Stockholm, Detroit, and Washington D.C.; headed by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP] represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere. The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEVĒ; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM; creative multimedia experience studio, Hypnogram; and the original live brand storytelling agency, INVNT. For more information visit: www.invntgroup.com
WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. and PERTH, Australia, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Advanced Metals Pty Ltd (GAM), a leading producer of tantalum powders and metallurgical products, has successfully undergone conflict minerals due diligence audits by the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI).
Following September 2022 audits, RMAP-RMI has determined GAM Aizu, Japan, and Pennsylvania, USA, facilities conformant to its audit standard for 13 consecutive years.
To earn RMAP conformance status, a company must successfully undergo a rigorous third-party audit of all its smelting operations. The audit includes validating evidence of adherence to the 5-steps Due Diligence Guidance of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), acceptable reasonable country of origin evaluation, mine of origin and chain of custody, and verification of scrap sources among other criteria.
“This conformance determination is complementary of GAM’s other responsible business practices, such as our safety-focused Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). We will continue to drive adoption of sustainable business practices across our operations and supply chains,” said Edward Steckel, GAM Senior Director of Global Supply Chain.
The RMI-RMAP conflict-minerals due diligence audit program is led and supported by a cross section of industries (e.g., Electronics, Aerospace, and Automotive), governments, and other stakeholders. Downstream companies rely on the conformance of smelters like GAM to comply with US Dodd-Frank 1502, EU conflict minerals regulations, and other applicable regulations.
About GAM
A leading conflict-free tantalum producer, GAM has exclusive rights to the world’s largest industrial resources of tantalum ore located in Western Australia.
GAM produces conflict-free tantalum powders and metallurgical products at its Pennsylvania, USA, and Aizu, Japan, plants for a range of industries, including electronics, aerospace, automotive, medical and chemical processing.
GAM’s smelting facilities in Japan and the USA were first declared “Conflict-Free” in 2010 under the former EICC/GeSI Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) audit program and continue to maintain their conformance to the current (RMAP) standard.
About RBA, RMI and RMAP
The Responsible Business Alliance—RBA was formerly known as the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition—EICC,
The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) was formerly known as the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative—CFSI, and
The Responsible Minerals Assurance Process—RMAP was formerly known as the Conflict-Free Smelter Program—CFSP.
Now More Than 17,000 SaaS Vendors and ISVs Can Deliver Data Protection Services in Days, Enabling Their 59+ Billion Users to Backup and Recover in Minutes
Boston, Massachusetts, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HYCU, Inc., the world’s fastest-growing multi-cloud data protection as a service company, unveiled R-Cloud today, to allow Software as a Service (SaaS) companies and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to provide, in days, backup and recovery services for their SaaS offerings. R-Cloud is the world’s first low-code, purpose-built data protection development platform specifically designed to make it easy for SaaS vendors to deliver a true enterprise class backup and recovery service for their users that is secure and scalable. With more than 17,000 SaaS applications in use across organizations today[1], 99% of those applications have no reliable backup and recovery available. With the explosion of SaaS and the rapid modernization of applications, it is more difficult than ever to see, manage, and protect business-critical applications for IT departments.
“If the number of vendors in one of the industry’s leading market reports have only protected seven SaaS applications to date, the current approach to backup and recover SaaS has no future,” said Simon Taylor, HYCU Founder and CEO. “The entire approach is broken. New SaaS offerings are being built. New approaches to protect them are a must. That is why we have re-thought the way data protection is done and found a way to provide ISVs and SaaS vendors the ability to add data protection with ease. Granular backup and recovery for SaaS is now available in as little as four days when it would have taken at least four quarters before to develop.”
R-Cloud is the result of four years of development, and a number of patent-pending innovations, in an effort to closely engage with existing customers and SaaS solutions providers and to ensure there is an easy way to visualize all data across the enterprise, identify what data is protected, ensure data is not left unprotected, and be able to recover data in the event of human error or malicious attack. At its foundation, the R-Cloud platform empowers SaaS companies to leverage HYCU’s data protection expertise, orchestration, identity and access management, policy management, and analytics to ensure all SaaS data is protected.
“Today marks a significant new milestone in what HYCU has been able to accomplish and will set a new standard in what companies should expect from data protection solutions,” said Enrique Salem, partner, Bain Capital Ventures. “Only HYCU provides the solution for organizations to protect, manage, and recover all of their SaaS applications.”
For the first time, SaaS companies using R-Cloud can quickly release secure and verifiable data protection delivered as a service for their customers. Now, IT admins and developers that need data protection regardless of SaaS-based application will be able to access powerful data protection services. Today, the average development time to create new data protection is at least four quarters, and HYCU has reduced the time to four days. With the introduction of R-Cloud, users will gain the following benefits:
Low-code, Integrated Development Environment: R-Cloud empowers SaaS companies and ISVs to quickly develop new R-Cloud modules for their SaaS services, shortening development cycles to days rather than years.
Rapid Diagnosis via Graphical Visualization: Businesses get a comprehensive visualization of their entire data estate and protection status via auto-discovery and mapping of all applications and services – SaaS, PaaS, DBaaS, public, and private cloud. Organizations get a detailed and holistic view of their business-critical data and their protection status.
Tight Integration with Award-winning Data Protection Technology: SaaS companies and ISVs can couple their application intelligence with the discovery, orchestration, security, policy management, and reporting of HYCU.
Secure, Patented New Recovery Service: Applications developed on R-Cloud will provide SaaS users with:
One-click backup – Users can ‘set and forget’ backup policies that run 24/7
Granular recovery – Quickly recover granular elements across any SaaS application protected.
Self-service capabilities – Deliver role-based access control and enable SaaS admins and users to protect and restore critical data.
Security and confidence – All developed data protection services are stored securely, and protected against ransomware.
Data Protection Services on HYCU Protégé Marketplace: Organizations can subscribe and access a growing library of all SaaS, DBaaS, and PaaS applications that are protected.
The first SaaS-based applications, databases, and services supported in R-Cloud will include: Amazon RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Google Kubernetes Engine, Google Workspace, Google BigQuery, Salesforce, Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian Jira Software, Atlassian Jira Service Management, Okta and Microsoft 365. New application integrations will be available through HYCU Protégé Marketplace.
“Now, more than ever, companies need to keep their employees and their technology resources secure, especially in light of geopolitical risk and the increase in ransomware attacks,” said Theresia Gouw, Founding Partner, Acrew Capital. “This has been a key area of investment for us and HYCU is well suited to address. The launch of R-Cloud comes at an important moment in time, where the rise in SaaS application use in organizations is forcing new and innovative approaches to protecting and recovering applications and data. HYCU is leading that charge, and we are excited at what’s to come.”
“We invested in HYCU because of its leading data protection technology,” said Philip Braddock, Portfolio Management Lead, Atlassian Ventures. ”We believe that data protection as a service is crucial to the success of teams and with R-Cloud, HYCU enables teams to deploy data protection solutions faster to safeguard their work. R-Cloud adds huge value for Atlassian’s 200,000+ cloud customers and we’re excited to see its impact on thousands of global teams.”
To learn more about R-Cloud visit, https://www.hycu.com/r-cloud. A live R-Cloud launch webinar with a detailed demonstration starts at 11:00 am ET. To register, visit: R-Cloud Launch.
About HYCU
HYCU is the fastest-growing leader in the multi-cloud and SaaS data protection as a service industry. By bringing true SaaS-based data backup and recovery to on-premises, cloud-native and SaaS environments, the company provides unparalleled data protection, migration, disaster recovery, and ransomware protection to thousands of companies worldwide. As an award-winning and recognized visionary in the industry, HYCU solutions eliminate complexity, risk, and the high cost of legacy-based solutions, providing data protection simplicity to make the world safer. With an industry leading NPS score of 91, customers experience frictionless, cost-effective data protection, anywhere, everywhere. HYCU has raised $140M in VC funding to date and is based in Boston, Mass. Learn more at www.hycu.com.
“We’re at a point in time where SaaS sprawl and ransomware threats are leading to significant challenges, and forcing companies to rethink the way they secure and protect data,” said Austin Arensberg, Senior Director, Okta Ventures. “R-Cloud is a game changer. It’s an innovative way to eliminate those challenges, and by incorporating Okta SSO technology, it provides a powerful approach to access and visualize data and applications to see what needs to be protected. This is what we saw from the beginning, and why we invested in HYCU last year. We’re excited at the launch of R-Cloud and we know that it will impact the way companies address their SaaS data protection challenges today, and well into the future.”
“One of the key findings from our recent SaaS Data Protection Report was that solutions to protect and recover SaaS apps was a work in progress,” said Christophe Bertrand, Practice Director, Data Management and Analytics, ESG Global. “While there are many solutions available, there are still too many challenges in what end users expect and what is available. What has been needed is a way to democratize the data protection, and recovery, in a compelling and new way. The introduction of R-Cloud can help in resolving what I see as the SaaS applications data protection disconnect.”
“As the front-line enabler of digital society in the Nordics, we continuously look for ways to protect our customer’s data better and reduce the complexity in managing multicloud environments,” said Harri Kallioniemi, Head of Public Cloud and Cyber Security, Tietoevry. “As HYCU partner, we’re excited to see new kind of approach that enables the data protection for the long tail of increasing amount of SaaS solutions our customers are using.”
“Our customers look to SADA to provide best-in-class professional services and technical expertise to unlock the power of Google Cloud,” said Tony Safoian, President and CEO, SADA. “R-Cloud is an innovative technology approach to scale and protect business critical Google Cloud services. It provides a compelling way to protect and recover modern applications in Google Cloud and we couldn’t be more excited at what R-Cloud can offer.”
“The SaaS backup problem has been a difficult one to crack due to the overwhelming number of unique SaaS applications, which only continues to grow,” said Vid Sista, Vice President, Digital Strategy, Alchemy Tech Group. “HYCU’s unique approach of crowdsourcing may be the best way to democratize SaaS backup. Allowing solution providers and ISV’s access to their API’s to develop the backup and recovery solution, then publishing a certified solution to their marketplace for other customers is an ingenious way to capture the most critical SaaS applications quickly.”
“HYCU is addressing a significant challenge for SaaS data protection, by turning things on its head,” said Chris M. Evans, Principal and Founder, Architecting IT. “R-Cloud, as a SaaS data protection development platform, provides a way to address not just the visualization aspect of a company’s data estate but provides an attractive way to address the scalability and recovery issues that no one has come up with before. Now, for example, a CIO would be able to see a completely different view well beyond just the individual asset or physical infrastructure. The physical infrastructure it sits in will be irrelevant in that sense.”
“In my more than twenty years tracking significant developments in data protection and security, HYCU R-Cloud ranks in the Top Five,” said Jerome Wendt, Founder and Principal, DCIG, LLC. “With more data unprotected than ever before, HYCU is turning the ability to backup, recover and protect SaaS data on its head, making it far easier and simpler while providing enterprises with unprecedented flexibility.”
“The explosion of point-SaaS applications in the workplace has led to massive sprawl of both apps and data within an organization,” said Rob Drivers, UK Sales Director (Public Sector) Software division, SCC UK. “This has left many companies and their business-critical applications at risk. SCC always strives to provide quality solutions and services to support our customers, embracing innovation from our strategic partners. With the announcement of R-Cloud, HYCU is on the way to setting the standard for managing the integrity of SaaS applications and data. It gives the power to SaaS companies and their customers to ensure that their data is secure, no matter the application. This, in turn, will enable SCC to build services and deliver new ways to empower and protect our customers in a significant and new manner. We look forward to working with HYCU with the roll out of R-Cloud.”
“The explosion of SaaS solutions has fractured visibility and recoverability of an organization’s data assets,” said Scott Lowe, Co-founder, CEO and Lead Industry Analyst. “R-Cloud brilliantly solves the two sides of this complex problem – for both customers and SaaS vendors – with an abstraction layer that provides SaaS vendors with a low-code plug-and-play backup as a service offering and customers with a point-and-click affordable marketplace and single pane of glass insight across their organization’s entire supported software portfolio. R-Cloud represents a new era in data protection and recoverability for modern enterprises.”
“I’ve been following HYCU since its inception, and I’m impressed by the trajectory of the company and their capability to address key challenges in the application data protection landscape with an innovative approach,“ said Philippe Nicolas, Founder and Analyst, Coldago Research. “But, incremental evolutions won’t solve challenges in data protection for SaaS applications and something new is needed. HYCU realized this and the introduction of R-Cloud represents a significant change in closing the gap that exists between SaaS application adoption and protecting users’ data.”
“SaaS data protection has become a growing painpoint across organizations, especially with the rise of ransomware,” said Krista Macomber, Senior Analyst, Data Protection at Evaluator Group. “I see R-Cloud as a unique solution, providing a development platform to accelerate the ability of SaaS app providers to develop native backup and recovery capabilities, and then a marketplace to streamline adoption.”
“There is an increasingly concerning massive gap in the industry with numerous unprotected SaaS applications and services. This translates into substantially increased business risks and cybersecurity threats linked to unprotected data and exposure to IT departments” said Dan Molina, Co-President & CTO at Nth Generation. “By opening their technology and allowing SaaS companies, ISVs, and partners to write to HYCU R-Cloud, we see this as a significant catalyst in bridging the exposure and data protection gap. Along with the ability to visualize the entire data estate, this architectural enhancement will allow us to bring business-critical awareness to clients on what applications and data are unprotected, and at risk. We are excited to work with HYCU to further help our clients strengthen their security posture in our role as trusted advisors on IT, Cloud and cybersecurity solutions.”
PHOENIX, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings Corp. (“WillScot Mobile Mini” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WSC), a North American leader in modular space and portable storage solutions, today announced it has completed the previously announced divestiture of its UK Storage segment to Algeco UK Holdings Limited, a member of the Modulaire Group, effective January 31, 2023. The Company received approximately $410 million from the sale, which will be used to support ongoing reinvestment in the Company’s core Modular and Storage operating segments and other capital allocation priorities. The UK Storage segment will be reported as discontinued operations in the Company’s Q4 2022 financial filings, and management will provide 2023 financial guidance excluding the UK Storage segment in the Q4 2022 earnings press release on February 21, 2023 and subsequent earnings conference call at 10 am ET on February 22, 2023.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP acted as legal adviser to WillScot Mobile Mini.
About WillScot Mobile Mini
WillScot Mobile Mini trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “WSC.” Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the Company is a leading business services provider specializing in innovative flexible workspace and portable storage solutions. WillScot Mobile Mini services diverse end markets across all sectors of the economy from a network of approximately 240 branch locations and additional drop lots throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This press release contains forward-looking statements (including the guidance/outlook contained herein) within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “estimates,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “shall,” “outlook,” “guidance” and variations of these words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which are generally not historical in nature. Certain of these forward-looking statements include statements relating to: our pipeline, acceleration of our run rate, acceleration toward and the timing of our achievement of our three-to-five-year milestones, growth and acceleration of cash flow, drive higher returns on invested capital, and Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside our control, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, they are predictions and we can give no assurance that any such forward-looking statement will materialize. Important factors that may affect actual results or outcomes include, among others, our ability to acquire and integrate new assets and operations; our ability to achieve planned synergies related to acquisitions; our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, manage growth and execute our business plan; our estimates of the size of the markets for our products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products; the success of other competing modular space and portable storage solutions that exist or may become available; rising costs and inflationary pressures adversely affecting our profitability; potential litigation involving our Company; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for our products and services and our ability to benefit from an inflationary environment; our ability to maintain an effective system of internal controls; and such other risks and uncertainties described in the periodic reports we file with the SEC from time to time (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021), which are available through the SEC’s EDGAR system at www.sec.gov and on our website. Any forward-looking statement speaks only at the date which it is made, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
New Frontier Group further propels global clients’ success
New Frontier Group Logo
New Frontier Group Logo
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif., Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New Frontier Group, a cost management leader in global healthcare, announced several product enhancements that solidify its continued commitment to industry transformation.
New Frontier Group has ramped investments and focused product development since 2020 with a future-looking lens on expanded global travel and changing international healthcare needs. Moving into 2023, the company continues to integrate enhancements that strengthen the company’s market position.
Enhanced solutions being rolled out include digital advancements that expedite accurate payments and new forms of provider reimbursements to expand savings, including:
Expedited claims payment through auto-adjudication technology
Value-based care programs through expanded, integrated provider relations
Fully coordinated care with global telehealth services
These solutions have been fully integrated with their existing product suite, including:
Worldwide cost management specialization
White glove global Rx service, distribution, and delivery
Tailored worldwide arbitration
Personalized patient care coordination
“We pride ourselves in ‘Always There, Global Healthcare’ by continuing to work closely with our provider, pharmacy, assistance company, and insurance partners who are leading the way in the market,” stated Gitte Bach, CEO of New Frontier Group. “We are proud to serve industry leaders, such as Charles Taylor Assistance, Trawick International, VIRSAG, and Global Benefits Group, plus many others. We have built partnerships with leading providers as well such as Aetna, United, First Health and others across the world to best serve this market in the collective. The pandemic did not slow our growth – it fueled our resources to build, build, build and prepare for the future. It is our team’s focus on the future and never settling with the status quo that gives us our loyal and long-standing client base.”
“We have a great partnership with New Frontier Group,” stated Jody Baker, Chief Executive at Charles Taylor Assistance, one of NFG’s many long-time clients. They always work with us to build a better system to support our continuous growth initiatives. Their service offering helps us bring the best programs to our members. Not only are they a stable force in this market, but they also stay up to date and look ahead with a focus on making the system work better for everyone.”
About New Frontier Group
New Frontier Group is a 20+-year cost management leader. The company is a woman business enterprise unrivaled for its range of solutions in international healthcare management and unbeatable in its hallmark customer and claim service. They are a front-line outsourcing partner and advocate for clients handling diverse healthcare travel portfolios.
Featuring hand-painted artwork in partnership with Paul Smidt, the owner of the world’s first physical NFT art gallery.
Flags Of The World NFT
Flags Of The World NFT
LONDON, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XRPayNet is thrilled to announce the launch of their new Flags of the World NFT collection, featuring 11 stunning flags from different countries. These NFTs, created by artist Paul Smidt of Kunstbrug (the world’s first physical NFT art gallery), offer collectors the chance to own a unique piece of digital and physical art that represents their country or one of their choosing. Each NFT showcases a high-quality, hand-painted, textured version of the flag.
To celebrate the release of this exciting new product, XRPayNet held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Kunstbrug gallery in the Netherlands yesterday, where the NFTs are currently on display. This event allowed fans and collectors to meet Paul Smidt and see the Flags of the World NFT series in person.
XRPayNet is dedicated to building a payment system that is accessible to all, regardless of their country, race, or religion. Their Flags of the World NFT collection is just one example of this commitment, as it celebrates the diverse cultures and nationalities of the world through breathtaking, hand-painted art.
The Flags of the World NFT collection is now available for purchase at onXRP.com, and the auction has started. Whether a proud patriot or simply a fan of art, this is an NFT collection that should not be missed. To learn more about the Flags of the World NFT collection and the list of owner benefits, visit their website at www.xrpaynet.com/nft.
About XRPayNet:
XRPayNet is one of the fastest-growing brands in the cryptocurrency industry. They aim to facilitate converting consumer crypto payments made to businesses into their preferred conventional currency. They will do so through their card and mobile application, allowing businesses to continue using their existing payment processing systems, making the Crypto to Fiat payment process seamless.
Their mobile application, which is currently available for download here on iOS and Android, provides a method of exchange with 90,000 trading pairs available, it gives users the ability to Buy, Sell, Store, Track and Spend with complete Freedom. They will also offer “Buy Now – Pay Later”, a first in the crypto industry.
Succession planning for Trina Gordon’s retirement, led by Chairman Craig Stevens, results in marquee hire Chad Hesters
New York, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Boyden, a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries, is delighted to announce the appointment of Chad Hesters as President & CEO, effective immediately. He takes the reins from Trina Gordon, who retires after 12 years as CEO, 3 years as Chair, and 30+ years as a Managing Partner in the firm.
“I am honored to be appointed President & CEO of Boyden,” commented Chad Hesters. “I have long admired Trina Gordon for her leadership and her custodianship of one of the oldest, global heritage brands in our industry. Boyden has a unique, collaborative culture that puts clients at the heart of their business. This collegial community is distinctive and aligns well with my style of engagement in the market. Through a shared vision and strong values, I look forward to enabling excellence for clients and nurturing the firm’s current and aspiring partners”.
Chad Hesters was previously a Managing Partner at Korn Ferry, where he held geographic and business line leadership roles in addition to being a Senior Client Partner in the global industrial practice. He has over 15 years of experience in executive search and organizational consulting, leveraging his global perspectives and expertise to deliver leadership consulting solutions for clients. Prior to executive search, Mr. Hesters held corporate finance roles at Hunt Oil and Shell following his early career as an Intelligence Officer with the US Navy. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Colorado.
Craig Stevens, Boyden Chair, added, “Our global search for a leader to succeed our highly successful retiring CEO, Trina Gordon, has led us to another global executive, Chad Hesters. He has worked in over 20 countries and brings a comprehensive track record leading a complex leadership advisory business. His hallmark is a keen understanding of strategy while remaining close to clients and their evolving needs.
He continues, “I would like to pay tribute to Trina Gordon for her inspirational, values-driven leadership. As the first female CEO of a global executive search firm, Trina blazed the way for women leaders in our industry. While other professional services firms have taken a top-down corporate approach to strategy, Trina has remained committed to a governing structure of a true partnership, keeping the consultants who serve our clients at the center of our approach to the market. Trina established Boyden’s leadership consulting Centre of Excellence, deepened our sector expertise and delivered innovations to all three lines of business. The board of directors thanks her for her exceptional performance and unwavering dedication to the partnership.”
About Boyden
Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes’ Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2021. For further information, visit www.boyden.com.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2023 Value of IT Certification Candidate Report, the eighth in an ongoing series, shares the perspectives and experiences of more than 21,000 professionals in 176 countries who prepared for and earned IT certifications with Pearson VUE amidst changing and challenging working conditions. This year’s report proves even further that the value of IT certifications is understood and appreciated by both those pursuing them and their employers.
Certification candidates are investing in building their knowledge and skills, starting to pursue credentials earlier in their careers, and enjoying benefits such as earning more money, finding more fulfilling jobs, and feeling more confident in their capabilities.
Likewise, their employers are supporting employee upskilling efforts and as a result, seeing higher quality work outputs and improving employee retention rates. We remain convinced that these are no longer trends but new realities, and that IT certifications will continue to demonstrate value across industries, on a global scale.
Dr. Gary Gates, Managing Director, Pearson VUE, states, “The report provides a view into why people seek certification, how they benefit, and how obtaining credentials impacts the bottom lines of their employers. This edition also reveals how certification dynamics have changed since our previous candidate-focused report, and what to expect over the next year.”
1. Candidates invested in certification to find better job opportunities — and many were rewarded for their efforts. 37% of candidates received salary increases after earning their certifications, an additional 42% still anticipate receiving one, and 27% accepted job promotions. “It is clear that certification enabled the acquisition of new skills, qualifying candidates for better and more rewarding jobs,” says Dr. Gates.
2. Credentialed employees are more empowered and contribute greater value. The report found that 92% of candidates are more confident in their abilities, and 81% have more confidence to explore new job opportunities.
“Respondents therefore confirmed that they believe that certification not only increases mobility for them as employees, but also increases profitability for the companies that they work for,” shares Dr. Gates. “By gaining certifications, candidates are well placed to better their current work conditions or enhance their prospects when exploring new job opportunities.”
3. Skills gaps will shrink faster, as younger people pursue certifications and do so earlier in their learning journeys. Younger generations are adopting certification at higher rates than their more mature counterparts and getting started sooner. Proportions of first-time candidates 34 years and younger increased, while those 55 years and older decreased. 42% of Gen Z and 15% of Millennials considered certification as students compared to just 7% of Baby Boomers.
4. The report also indicates that the pandemic’s disruptive impacts are here to stay, having accelerated the arrival of the “future” workplace, where technology skills have become baseline requirements. IT certification has historically been viewed as a solution for “future-proofing” the workforce; enabling businesses to quickly respond to skills gaps by upskilling existing employees. As a result of the pandemic, the skills previously required to “future-proof” a business are now critical success factors, with the report showing that 65% of candidates and 55% of their employers increased investments in IT skilling.
5. Finally, convenience (and perhaps also the effects of the pandemic) influenced exam prep methods. Candidates preferred self-directed preparation methods over enrollment in training courses and relied more on online sources to prepare for and take exams. 86% of respondents who enrolled in exam prep courses opted for online delivery of those courses.
“We had no doubt that the trends emerging from the pandemic would have far-reaching and lasting implications on the workplace and certification. What has become evident is that remote working and learning is here to stay, and with that the demand for the necessary skills and certifications that will support this new way of working and learning. As we move into a post-pandemic era, we are faced with stark realities: enduring talent shortages, remote or hybrid working routines have become the norm, and now more than ever employers are desperate to fill crucial skills gaps with certified candidates,” concludes Dr. Gates.
ENDS
Media Contacts:
Greg Forbes, Global PR & Communications Manager, Pearson VUE greg.forbes@pearson.com +44 (0)7824 313448
About Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE has been a pioneer in the computer-based testing industry for decades, delivering more than 16 million certification and licensure exams annually in every industry from academia and admissions to IT and healthcare. We are the global leader in developing and delivering high-stakes exams via the world’s most comprehensive network of nearly 20,000 highly secure test centres as well as online testing in over 180 countries. Our leadership in the assessment industry is a result of our collaborative partnerships with a broad range of clients, from leading technology firms to government and regulatory agencies. For more information, please visit PearsonVUE.com.
About the survey
The 2023 Value of IT Certification Candidate Report shares the perspectives and experiences of more than 21,000 professionals in 176 countries who prepared for and earned IT certifications with Pearson VUE amidst changing and challenging working conditions. It provides a view into why people seek certification, how they benefit, and how obtaining credentials impacts the bottom lines of their employers. It also reveals how certification dynamics have changed since our previous candidate-focused report, and what to expect over the next year.
Methodology
For the 2023 Value of IT Certification Candidate Report, an online survey was sent to a random sample of 399,998 candidates who took an exam with Pearson VUE either virtually or at a test center between February 28, 2021, and February 28, 2022. To encourage participation, the first 75 candidates who completed surveys in four regions were offered a $15 (USD) or equivalent gift card. Responses from 21,715 candidates in 176 countries are included in this report. For a more specific perspective on the data, these regions were further segmented to split out India and Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the UK and Europe from the Middle East and Africa. Language localizations in Korean and French were added to existing translations in Chinese, Japanese, and British English. Due to rounding, some results may reflect totals slightly higher than 100%.
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