Webhelp Reflects on Key Year for Global Growth and Looks Towards Continued Investment in People and Technology for 2023

 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Webhelp, a leading global customer experience BPO player, has announced that this year it has achieved its highest global growth since inception, with operations now spanning more than 60 countries and with close to 125,000 people employed globally. Webhelp also won more than 50 industry awards this year, was recognized as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Customer Service BPO, and earned top ratings in Customer Experience globally by Analyst Everest Group.

Across the year, Webhelp expanded in 24 new locations and six new countries – Thailand, Bosnia Herzegovina, Ghana, Israel, North Macedonia, and China – with a further 18 new site openings in existing locations across the United States, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe, Middle East and Africa. Webhelp also experienced very strong client growth in 2022, onboarding over 240 new logo clients across the world, and welcoming more than 25,000 game-changers to the company. In line with increased demand, Webhelp continued to bolster hybrid and remote working through its Webhelp Anywhere proposition to deliver ultimate flexibility and scalability to clients and meet evolving employee work preferences.

“Growth is a team sport, and every single one of our people has had a part to play in this extraordinary year for Webhelp. We pride ourselves on the stellar work our game-changers deliver on behalf of our clients and look forward to continuing this trend in 2023, investing further in tech and people, to continue to provide the best possible solutions to our clients and their customers,” said Olivier Duha, CEO and Co-Founder of Webhelp.

Webhelp successfully completed a number of notable acquisitions and strategic investments, including the acquisition of Grupo Services in LATAM, the leading Brazilian providers of digitally enabled Customer Experience. In EMEA, Webhelp also joined forces with Uitblinqers to strengthen its position in the Dutch market and made additional investments with Gobeyond Partners, with the creation of a Nudge practice – a strategic unit that leverages behavioral economics to help organizations drive the best possible outcomes, through influencing customer behaviors.

“The past few years have taught us that connection and humanity are more important than ever. I’m incredibly proud to be at the helm of a fast-growing company that is leading the way in tech-enabled, human-centric Customer Experience,” continues Olivier Duha.

Webhelp has also been focusing on strengthening its sustainability and environmental social governance (ESG) practices. 12% of its workforce have been hired via an award-winning impact sourcing program, which includes hiring disadvantaged youth, reintegration initiatives to help female prisoners get into work, and an ecosystem that supports migrant and refugee employability. This year, Webhelp also partnered with SGS, the leading certification company, on a long-term initiative to safeguard frontline health and well-being.

Webhelp’s growth strategy underpins its desire to serve as a strategic blue ocean partner, leveraging a combination of global reach and hyper local expertise to unlock new value for its clients. Webhelp’s solutions and services are designed to be relevant and valuable for both digital native clients and businesses seeking to transform CX and drive strategic value and differentiation from it.

In 2023, Webhelp will continue its strategic growth, expanding further in new and current key locations across the world, including APAC, EMEA, and the Americas, as well as investments in people, technology, and innovation.

###

About Webhelp

Webhelp designs, delivers, and optimizes unforgettable human experiences for today’s digital world – creating game-changing customer journeys. From sales to service, content moderation to credit management, Webhelp is an end-to-end partner across all B2C and B2B customer journeys. Its over 110,000 passionate employees across more than 60 countries thrive on making a difference for the world’s most exciting brands. Webhelp is currently owned by its management and Groupe Bruxelles Lambert (Euronext: GBLB), a leading global investment holding, as of November 2019. For more information on Webhelp, visit Webhelp.com.

 

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Contacts

Webhelp

Abigail Blackburn – +31 651634328, Abigail.blackburn@webhelp.com

AxiCom

Hollie Abbott – +44 7787975126 - webhelp@axicom.com

 

Working on making hybrid work, work

 Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Wednesday, 21. December 2022

Poly rolls out a report that shows the importance of corporate culture in boosting employee productivity and reducing turnover

 

Poly, launched the ‘Hybrid Heaven Or Hell? The Journey To Hybrid Working’ whitepaper touches on the importance of reshaping the corporate culture for organizations to succeed in hybrid work.

Office settings, design, and technology have received a lot of attention. However, the hybrid working culture is a critical element to be taken under consideration so that organizations can overcome roadblocks that will put the success of hybrid working at risk.

According to a recent Gartner survey 76 per cent of HR leaders now believe that hybrid work undermines employees' sense of belonging to the company's culture.

Organizations often closely link presenteeism and office presence to productivity, making it a contributing factor to the hiccups witnessed in hybrid solutions, stated the Poly research.

Remodeling the 9-5 hell of the olden days into modern-day heaven

According to the research, while organizations have the right technology and office design in place, most of them have not implemented a culture that will be able to complement the amenities as it takes a lot of work and intentionality. Naturally, only one in four hybrid workers surveyed by Gartner felt connected to their company's culture, leaving ample space for high turnover.

Creating a successful hybrid culture is essential to achieving successful hybrid working methods. According to Poly's research, individual desks occupied an average of 65% of office space before the pandemic. It is anticipated that this would decrease to around 40%, if hybrid models are applied strategically.

The research also stated that in order to build a proper hybrid work culture, it is essential that the appropriate technology must be used to support the appropriate spaces. Additionally, asynchronous communication must be considered when teams are physically meeting less frequently and may be dispersed across different time zones, even though digital equity in synchronous meetings is crucial.

Mental remodeling: reshaping the organizational culture

Relearning the expectations for work and the workplace is an essential step in rebuilding the culture for hybrid working. It is crucial that organizations share a unified vision and direction that goes beyond the strictly tactical to take a firm stance on the hybrid culture so that employees know what they can rely on is necessary to bring about this kind of change.

It is necessary to reorganize face to face gatherings around goals and concrete outcomes, to be more purposeful in promoting network building, and to establish precise, evidence-based standards for when people should come in and when they might work from home.  Leadership should take center stage when a clear vision needs to be established, stated the Poly research.

Applying change from top to bottom

The research identified that in order for hybrid work solutions to succeed, the CEO and C-Suite need to communicate it with the organization, emphasizing their role in the company culture and how changing culture will involve both a top-down and bottom-up strategy.

While the study highlighted that leadership plays a key role in culture setting, it also depicted that a strict set of granular rules may not succeed, especially in workplaces where employees feel like they have some degree of control over their working lives for the first time.

In order for teams to successfully handle hybrid work, leadership and support from top managers must be matched with a certain amount of team empowerment.

You can read the full paper ‘Hybrid Heaven or Hell? The journey hybrid working’ here.

About Poly

Part of HP’s portfolio of hybrid work solutions, Poly creates premium audio and video products so you can have your best meeting – anywhere, anytime, every time. With Poly, you'll do more than just show up, you'll stand out. For more information visit www.poly.com  

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Contacts

Matrix PR

Melwyn Abraham

melwyn@matrixdubai.com 

Forbes Names Bacardi Among “World's Top Female Friendly Companies”

 HAMILTON, Bermuda - Saturday, 17. December 2022

Bacardi Continues its Commitment to Unleash Potential of Current and Future Female Talent

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Bacardi, the world’s largest privately held spirits company, is toasting to being recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies. The prominent list and results are based on an independent survey of approximately 85,000 women working at multinational institutions in 36 countries.

Women in Leadership is among the key pillars of the company’s Belonging program, which strives to create a space where everyone is treated fairly and provided equal opportunities. Belonging at Bacardi is a global movement focused on creating programming, development opportunities and more in support of underrepresented groups in the spirits world.

Intending to unleash the potential of current and future female leaders at family-owned Bacardi, the company offers several programs to support personal and professional development. A global mentorship program links women to leaders and allies across markets and functions. In just six years, participation in the mentorship program has increased ten-fold and expanded from a single market to having participants in more than 32 countries. Internal and external programming connects Bacardi to its local communities and guest speakers who share their personal growth stories and tips for managing a more balanced life. Throughout the years, the company has produced several events and development programs crafted for women in the hospitality and spirits industry.

“We are incredibly proud for Bacardi to be recognized by Forbes as a great workplace for female talent and to continue support of women within the company and our industry,” says Leila Stansfield, Global Belonging Lead and Head of Global Travel Retail for Bacardi. “We recognize that creating a sense of Belonging for all inspires an inclusive and diverse culture, creating a strong foundation for ongoing innovation, impactful business and effective organizations.”

In the global annual engagement survey, women and men rated dimensions of workplace satisfaction, wellness, DEI, and other core topics, similarly, demonstrating best-in-class engagement levels across both genders at Bacardi.

“This is a milestone in our Belonging journey at Bacardi – one which continues as we always strive to do more and we look forward to expanding our work in support of women,” says Scott Northcutt, SVP Global Human Resources and Executive Sponsor for Belonging for Bacardi. “We aim to create a workplace where everyone feels appreciated for who they are, what they do, and who they can become.”

Last year, Bacardi made the Forbes World’s Best Employers list and has been certified Great Place to Work® in more than 50 sites.

In partnership with Statista, Forbes set out to identify the 400 companies excelling in championing women at work. The honorees offer competitive pay, substantial career advancement opportunities, and flexible work arrangements that experts agree are important in correcting gender inequities.

About Bacardi

Bacardi Limited, the largest privately held spirits company in the world, produces and markets internationally recognized spirits and wines. The Bacardi Limited brand portfolio comprises more than 200 brands and labels, including BACARDÍ® rum, GREY GOOSE® vodka, PATRÓN® tequila, DEWAR’S® Blended Scotch whisky, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin, MARTINI® vermouth and sparkling wines, CAZADORES® 100% blue agave tequila, and other leading and emerging brands including WILLIAM LAWSON’S® Scotch whisky, ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur, and ERISTOFF® vodka. Founded over 160 years ago in Santiago de Cuba, family-owned Bacardi Limited currently employs more than 8,000, operates production facilities in 10 countries, and sells its brands in more than 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. Visit http://www.bacardilimited.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

 

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Contacts

Jessica Merz
jmerz@bacardi.com

 

The World AI Cannes Festival Returns for Its Second Edition in Cannes (France)

 PARIS - Friday, 16. December 2022

February 9th to 11th, 2023

(BUSINESS WIRE)--On February 9th to 11th, 2023, the city of Cannes, in south of France, will once again become the world's nerve center for Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the World AI Cannes Festival, the first global event dedicated exclusively to AI, to the tech leaders who are innovating in it, and to the economic, human and societal issues that will impact our lives in the near future.

A second edition with a rich program

The Festival 2023 edition will be composed of several thematic zones, allowing to discover artificial intelligence in all its faces. Each zone will host companies and AI players introducing their solutions and offering demonstrations and immersive experiences. For the second edition, the thematic zones will focus on the new applications of artificial intelligence in robotics, gaming, catering, sports and well-being.

This new edition will also see the attendance of some countries through international pavilions (Switzerland, Scandinavia, Italy, Korea, Israel, Canada). An opportunity for visitors to take a world tour of Artificial Intelligence and discover the startups that will disrupt the future of the Tech sector. The world's leading universities and the best researchers on Artificial Intelligence will also be present at the Festival.

First renowned speakers to be featured at WAICF 2023

With two months to go before its opening, the WAICF is announcing some of the first headliners among many national and international speakers, coming from professional circles, research or public authorities:

    Chad ARONSON, Global Head of Intelligent Automation COE, UBER,
    Divya DWIVEDI, Advocate, SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
    Oren ETZIONI, CEO, Allen Institute for AI,
    Lila IBRAHIM, Chief Operating Officer, DEEPMIND,
    Luc JULIA, Chief Scientific Officer, RENAULT,
    Yann LECUN, Vice-President and Chief AI Scientist, META AI,
    Alberto PRADO, Vice-President, Global Head of Digital & Partnership, R&D, UNILEVER
    Stuart RUSSEL, Professor of Computer Science and Michael H. Smith and Lotfi A. Zadeh Chair in Engineering, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
    Manuela VELOSO, Head, J. P. MORGAN CHASE AI RESEARCH
    Miriam VOGEL, President & CEO, EqualAI,

More than a hundred speakers are expected for this new edition with an overview of AI in all its diversity through 5 categories of conferences:

    AI FOR SOCIETY: understanding the benefits of artificial intelligence for society, the planet, and the challenges that lie ahead.
    AI TODAY AND TOMORROW: explore what AI can do today to imagine what future innovations will bring to society and organizations tomorrow.
    AI STRATEGY: gain key insights to improve your AI strategy and take your business to the next level.
    AI TECHNOLOGY: learn how to make the best use of different AI technologies and train your innovation mindset with high-level speakers.
    AI APPLICATIONS: get an overview of the advances AI can bring to organizations, with focuses on different industries.

Press accreditations
To apply for your accreditation for the WAICF, please contact the PR team at waicf@agence-profile.com.

About the WAICF
The World AI Cannes Festival was born out of the desire to bring together businesses and individuals in Artificial Intelligence. Through a rich and diverse line up, attendees are invited to discover and understand the many ways in which artificial intelligence impacts our daily lives. The World AI Cannes Festival also presents a unique opportunity for businesses to be exposed to innovative ideas, novel information, and new findings. Businesses will be called to showcase their knowledge and experiences as well as to network with leading industry players and decision makers.

 

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Contacts

Press contacts:
Agence Profile
waicf@agence-profile.com
Jennifer Loison +33 6 10 22 52 37
Shérazade El Houari +33 6 22 35 69 79

Prasad Corp to Partner with Cube-Tec International

 Will exclusively represent QUADRIGA INSPECTIONscan.one technology in some of the world’s largest archival markets

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- Prasad Corp, the world leader in film preservation, digitization, and restoration, has formed a strategic partnership with Cube-Tec International, Germany and will exclusively represent Cube-Tec’s QUADRIGA INSPECTIONscan.one technology in some of the world’s leading and largest archival markets, including North America and India.

Cube-Tec develops integrated solutions for large media archives and is a pioneer in quality control media workflows for Film and Video. QUADRIGA INSPECTIONscan.one enables the sustainable safeguarding of large film collections. It offers the possibility of digitizing film material in its original state in mezzanine quality.

Prasad will continue to consult, advise and provide global archives with its full spectrum preservation solutions, which are a unique combination of technology and services, thereby enabling archives to #preserve4posterity.

“As the global markets return to normalcy, global archives are increasingly looking for intelligent archival solutions driven by the latest technologies to preserve their valuable assets. I am very excited to share with you this strategic partnership with Cube-Tec which I believe will be a great value-add to our customers, viz, Archives, Content owners, Content aggregators, and the like, worldwide,” says Saiprasad, Director - Prasad Corp.

“Providing Digital Twins for complete film collections without the time-consuming prep work is a breakthrough technology. Combined with the automation of labour-intensive film inspection and reporting, INSPECTIONscan users can make fact-based preservation decisions for each film reel with minimal effort. The strategic partnership with Prasad will enable more archives to benefit quickly from this new technology,” Jörg Houpert, Head of Technology - Cube-Tec International.

About Prasad Corp:

Prasad Corp offers a comprehensive range of preservation, digitization, and restoration services globally. As the proud owner of Digital Film Technology GmbH, a manufacturer of Motion Picture Film Scanners, Prasad is uniquely positioned to offer convenient, strategic, and wholesome preservation services to its customers both onsite and offsite.

For more visit – www.prasadcorp.com

About Cube-Tec International:

Cube-Tec International develops integrated solutions for large media archives. As a pioneer in quality control of media workflows, the company focuses on open standards and agile process automation. Cube-Tec benefits from a great deal of experience with large-scale media digitization projects.

For more visit - https://www.cube-tec.com/en

 

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Contacts

Prasad Contact:

Prasad Corporation

Ravindran Viswanathan

GM – Marketing

ravindran.v@prasadcorp.com

Cube-Tec International:

Tom Lorenz

Managing Partner

tom.lorenz@cube-tec.com

 

Andersen and The University of San Francisco (USF) Expand Partnership to Create New Enterprise MBA Program Especially for Andersen Employees

 Tightly-aligned corporate/educational partnership designed to meet the professional development needs of Andersen’s global workforce

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Andersen — the leader in tax, valuation, financial advisory, and related consulting services — and The University of San Francisco (USF) have extended their partnership to create The Enterprise MBA program, in which eligible Andersen employees can earn an MBA in three to five years, fully-funded by Andersen on behalf of its employees. Modeled after the USF Masagung Graduate School of Management’s rigorous Part-Time MBA offering, the new program offers a standard MBA curriculum with courses tailored to address the specific professional development needs of Andersen employees in today’s complex, global business environment.

The new program is available to employees of Andersen member firms and collaborating firms, starting with U.S. employees and rolling out worldwide in 2023. Full- and part-time Andersen employees from senior associates to partners — regardless of tenure — are eligible for the program. Participating students must take three to four courses per year, delivered online and asynchronously, to complete the program requirements in five years. The first cohort of nearly 50 students started the pilot program in June 2022. USF welcomed 14 new Andersen students to the program in November 2022 and is targeting another 25-50 for January.

“Andersen strives to be the best professional services firm in the world and this new program is consistent with our dedication to continuous professional development and stewardship,” said Mark Vorsatz, CEO of Andersen. “To be the best in our industry, we have to attract and retain the best talent — that’s why we’re so committed to investing in our people. Working closely with the innovative educators at USF, we’ve built a customized program that reflects and enhances the work Andersen employees do on behalf of our clients every day. As the program grows, we expect it to be a unifying employee experience across our practice areas and global offices.”

Andersen’s offering is unique in the degree to which the firm was involved in course development, and the fact that the program is global in nature, fully funded by the firm, and does not have any kind of clawback, should employees enrolled in the program choose to leave the firm.

“Andersen’s culture is what keeps us together and what sets us apart,” continued Vorsatz. “Our investment in our people at all stages is just one component of how we are building and maintaining that culture.”

A Customized MBA to Meet Andersen’s Business Needs

Andersen and USF’s Masagung Graduate School of Management worked together to create a customized program, including content, delivery, modality, structure and timing, and even jointly creating a special elective class on the importance of company culture. In addition, in certain classes, Andersen senior staff can serve as adjunct professors to aid in instruction. Three trimesters of courses are offered each year: from early January to mid-to-late February; from early May to the end of August; and from early-November to mid-December. Given Andersen’s tax-centered business, program courses are offered outside of the busy tax seasons between March 1 and April 15 and between September 1 and October 15.

“This a truly unique and collaborative program and the close partnership between USF and Andersen sets a new standard for the future of corporate education,” said Otgo Erhemjamts, Dean of the School of Management at USF. “It demonstrates how educational institutions and companies can come together to address skill gaps and prepare organizations and their personnel for the rapidly evolving business world.”

Andersen and USF started their collaboration in 2014 when the organizations first partnered to provide Andersen personnel the opportunity to earn a Master of Laws in Taxation (LLM) or a Master of Legal Studies in Taxation (MLST) from the University of San Francisco School of Law. To date, more than 120 employees from 11 countries have graduated from those programs.

"The University of San Francisco, founded by the Jesuits in 1855, has long worked with the business community in and beyond the City to strengthen their talent pool,” stated USF President Rev. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. “Our work with Andersen has been a terrific iteration of this work. The alignment of our cultures makes this excellent teaching/learning experience possible. We are especially grateful to Mr. Vorsatz for envisioning this dynamic partnership."

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 13,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 390 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

About the USF School of Management

Founded in 1925, University of San Francisco’s School of Management is on the forefront of educating the next generation of conscious, mindful business leaders. Each year those students join the over 40,000 School of Management alumni around the world to create ethical and innovative change in the private, public, and non-profit management sectors. The School of Management is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

 

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Contacts

Megan Tsuei
Andersen Global
415-764-2700

CD Capital Natural Resources Fund II Monetization of Lundin Gold for C$130.7 Million

LONDON - Tuesday, 20. December 2022

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- CD Capital Natural Resources Fund II ("CD Capital”) successfully monetizes its long-term investment in Lundin Gold for a total consideration of C$130.7 million.

CD Capital is proud to have been the first institutional investor back in 2014 to support the acquisition financing of the now-growing and cash-flowing top-tier gold producer in Ecuador, Fruta del Norte. The purchase proved to be transformative for the company and a strong catalyst for its growth, confirming CD Capital's vision in supporting the leadership of the Lundin Group and the Fruta del Norte project, which has proven to be a world-leading, low cost and expanding gold operation.

Founder & CEO of CD Capital, Carmel Daniele, noted the eventual monetization of the fund’s long-term holding in Lundin Gold, as part of the fund's normal course of business and mandate terms, delivering not only multiple returns to investors, but supporting the high standards of social and environmental governance whilst unlocking a new resource rich region for investment, such as Ecuador. This vision is well exemplified at Fruta del Norte. "Over the last 8 years, we have seen Fruta del Norte deliver time and time again. It has been a truly spectacular investment for CD Capital Fund II’s investors and a fulfilling journey to have seen the transition of Fruta del Norte from an advanced development project into a cash flowing mine, which has transformed people’s lives for the better in the neighbouring communities and for future generations. We look forward to the opportunity of partnering up on similar world-class projects led by top tier management teams with a strong proven track record, such as the Lundin Group, through the combination of our long-term patient institutional capital and our sector expertise to unlock value from exciting future projects in the pipeline.”

Chairman of the board of Lundin Gold, Jack Lundin, commented, "We are grateful for the long-standing support from CD Capital, who proved to be a catalyst for garnering institutional finance for the original acquisition of Fruta del Norte from Kinross in 2014. I would also like to extend a special thanks to CD Capital’s Founder & CEO, Carmel Daniele, for her continued valuable contributions as a Board member of Lundin Gold. It has been an amazing journey and we will continue to unlock more value from this fantastic asset. We look forward to creating further value for CD Capital investors on current and future ventures within the Lundin Group."

About CD Capital Group

Over the past 15 years, London based CD Capital has launched three Private Equity funds, having raised circa US$1 billion in long-term patient capital, predominantly from leading North American institutional investors, including endowments and foundations, family offices and corporate pension funds. CD Capital develops world-class projects globally in precious metals, critical metals for greening the world, as well as fertilisers for global food security. CD Capital has a unique focus on partnering up with repeat management teams that have a strong track record in successfully developing projects in Latin America, such as Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Guatemala as well as Canada, Finland, Greenland and Australia.

CD Capital was founded in 2006 by Ms Daniele, who was one of the first in London to set up a dedicated fund focused on private mining assets and winning the prestigious Mines & Money Fund Manager of the Year award in 2008. Since establishing CD Capital, Ms Daniele has built a world-class investment technical team of industry insiders and has been an active sponsor and employer of women studying mining geology at Imperial College, London, resulting in a successful nomination to the 100 Women in Mining for 2022.

 

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Contacts

Dominic Chapman

Chief Financial Officer

ir@cd-capital.com

+44 (0) 207 389 1450

Carmel Daniele

Founder, CIO & CEO

ir@cd-capital.com

+44 (0) 207 389 1450

www.cd-capital.com