James Baker, Head of Employment at Lee & Thompson and Julie Goodway From Thomas Mansfield Solicitors Join Constantine Law
Constantine Law, a consultant‑led employment and regulatory specialist, announced the addition of two senior partners, James Baker and Julie Goodway, expanding its employment team to 20 partners and 27 fee‑earning staff. Baker arrives from Lee & Thompson after more than two decades leading employment teams, while Goodway joins from Thomas Mansfield with a strong record in discrimination and settlement negotiations. Their hires increase the firm’s specialist employment partners to 12 and reinforce its focus on senior‑executive counsel. The moves follow five partner additions in 2025 and the launch of a Business Immigration practice.
Transformational Leadership Programme Returns for a Second Year
The Institute of Directors and the University of St Andrews Business School are relaunching their Global Certificate in Company Direction programme for 2026 after a successful 2025 pilot. The six‑and‑a‑half‑day residential course runs from 10‑16 October at the Fairmont Hotel, with...
Telling the Truth About China’s Success
Yanis Varoufakis warns that the flare‑up in the Persian Gulf heightens the risk of a broader US‑China confrontation, making de‑escalation the top global priority. He argues that a pervasive myth—that China has cheated its way to prosperity—fuels mistrust and makes...
7 Tips for Rationalizing Your Application Portfolio
Application rationalization is a strategic process that trims software sprawl, reduces total cost of ownership, and strengthens security. The article outlines seven practical tips, from building a metadata‑rich catalog to embedding governance into budgeting cycles. Experts stress the need for...
Omniscient Raises $4.1M for AI-Driven Decision Intelligence Platform
Omniscient SASU announced a $4.1 million pre‑seed round to accelerate its AI‑driven decision intelligence platform. The solution consolidates fragmented data sources and replaces manual monitoring with specialist AI agents that deliver real‑time insights. Benchmarking claims the platform is up to 50...
Basis Wants To Help Marketers Bring Agentic AI Into Media Planning
Basis introduced Compass, an agentic campaign‑planning platform that integrates directly with its DSP and other buying systems. The solution synthesizes advertisers' first‑party data and broader market signals to auto‑generate omnichannel media strategies and audience personas. Early adopter SMZ found the...
Basis Wants To Help Marketers Bring Agentic AI Into Media Planning
Digital‑ad platform Basis unveiled Compass, an agentic campaign‑planning tool that integrates with its DSP and other buying platforms. The solution synthesizes advertisers’ first‑party data with broader market signals to generate omnichannel media strategies, while allowing a conversational back‑and‑forth with the...
Modern Wealth, Socium Announce $1B+ Deals with Entries Into New Markets
Modern Wealth Management acquired Legacy Wealth Management, adding roughly $1.2 billion in assets and establishing its first Florida office while expanding retirement‑plan capabilities with $300 million of plan assets. Socium Advisors merged with Amplify Wealth Partners, bringing $1.6 billion in assets and a...
The Women Most at Risk From AI Aren’t in the Rooms Designing It
Canada is a global AI leader, yet women face disproportionate risk from automation. ILO data shows 29 % of women’s jobs are AI‑exposed versus 16 % for men, and women are three times more likely to fall into the highest‑risk category. The...
Starbucks Revamps Partner Incentives: 3 Lessons for the Fast Casual Industry
Starbucks is rolling out a new partner incentive program that adds quarterly micro‑bonuses, expands digital tipping, and shifts hourly staff to weekly pay. Baristas can earn up to $1,200 a year by meeting sales and service targets, while digital tip...
The Invisible AI Adding Value to World2Meet
World2Meet, the travel arm of Iberostar Group, has turned its Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) initiative into an "invisible AI" that quietly drives efficiency. Launched in 2023, the system began delivering measurable results in 2025, automatically classifying 165,000 emails in January...
Experian Uncovers Fraud Paradox in Financial Services’ AI Adoption
Experian’s 2026 Future of Fraud Forecast warns that AI agents, once a defensive tool for banks, are being weaponised by fraudsters, creating a machine‑to‑machine mayhem where liability is unclear. FTC data shows consumers lost over $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024,...
Fuel Prices Are Soaring. Plastic Could Be Next.
The ongoing Iran‑related conflict has closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing crude oil above $100 per barrel and gasoline past $4 a gallon in the United States. The spike is reverberating through petrochemical feedstocks, especially naphtha, where Asian prices have...
Acuity Reports Fiscal 2026 Second-Quarter Results
Acuity Inc. reported fiscal 2026 Q2 net sales of $1.1 billion, a 5% year‑over‑year increase, while operating profit climbed 21% to $133 million. Diluted earnings per share rose 26% to $3.09, and adjusted EPS reached $4.14, up 11%. The Acuity Intelligent Spaces...
Brother UK Hires New Commercial Chief Amid Channel Strategy Shake-Up
Brother UK has appointed long‑time veteran Julie Harrison as its new chief commercial officer, bringing more than 30 years of internal experience to the role. The promotion is part of a broader channel‑strategy overhaul aimed at expanding the company’s print...
Early Adopter Care – Central, Unified View of HR Documents in Latest People Profile for All Roles
SAP has introduced an Early Adopter Care program to pilot a lightweight, role‑based attachments experience within its Latest People Profile. The new feature creates a central, unified repository where employees, managers, HR professionals and other stakeholders can easily locate and...
Who Really Wins From the Flash Price Surge?
Flash storage prices have surged, initially boosting vendor margins as they sold legacy NAND inventory at higher rates. However, that windfall is fading because new NAND fab capacity takes 18‑24 months and billions of dollars to build, keeping supply tight....
Sporticast: The Next Wave of Athlete Billionaires Is Coming
Sporticast’s latest episode breaks down the 50 highest‑paid athletes of all time, with Michael Jordan topping the list at $4.5 billion, followed by Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Lionel Messi. The methodology blends salaries, endorsements and business deals tied...
Oil Hikes 7% After Trump Says US-Israel Will Keep Striking Iran
Oil prices surged nearly 7% on Thursday after President Donald Trump warned that the United States and Israel would continue striking Iran, reigniting concerns over supply disruptions. Brent crude rose to $108.81 a barrel and U.S. WTI to $107.18, marking...
Deal Roundup: Hg Takes OneStream Private at Roughly $6.4bn Equity Valuation, Oak Hill Buys Into Guild Garage Group
Hg has completed an all‑cash take‑private acquisition of OneStream, valuing the enterprise finance management platform at roughly $6.4 bn in equity. The transaction adds a leading cloud‑based corporate performance management solution to Hg’s technology portfolio. By buying the company outright, Hg...
A Year On: Four Ways Trump's Tariffs Have Changed the Global Economy
One year after President Donald Trump launched his trade‑war, the average U.S. tariff rate climbed to roughly 10%, up from 2.5% in early 2024. The higher duties slashed U.S. imports from China by about 30% and cut shipments to China...
Vietnam Railways Restructuring Approved
Vietnam's deputy prime minister has approved a sweeping restructuring of Vietnam Railways slated for 2026‑2030. The plan creates Vietnam National Railways Group as a state‑owned parent company with subsidiary units, inheriting all existing rights and contracts. A decree outlining the...
Iran War Trade Roils Markets as Trump Narrates the Conflict
U.S. equity markets rallied this week, with the S&P 500 up about 2.1% and 10‑year Treasury yields falling 0.4%, as investors briefly hoped for a swift end to the U.S.–Iran war. President Donald Trump’s aggressive comments, however, reignited volatility, pushing crude...
Romanian Investment Platform Looks to Open up BESS Project Financing to Retail Investors
MetaWealth announced the launch of its first battery energy storage system (BESS) in Dumbrava, Neamț, Romania, financed in part through a corporate bond aimed at retail investors. The bond carries a minimum ticket size of €25,000 (about US$29,000), marking a...
McCormick Bets On Flavour In Unilever Tie-Up Amid Shifting Tastes
McCormick announced a merger with Unilever’s food division, forming a $65 billion sauce‑and‑spice powerhouse. The deal aims to capture growing global demand for flavorful, low‑calorie products as GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs reshape eating habits. It also gives McCormick access to Unilever’s extensive...
Right Bank Château Extends with Acquisition of Its Neighbour
Right Bank estate Château des Mille Anges has purchased neighboring Château Génisson, adding 25 ha to its holdings near Cadillac‑sur‑Garonne. The owner, Heather van Ekris, announced a plan to replant roughly 20 ha of vines over the next three years, defying the current wave...
UK Offers Madagascar Near Tariff-Free Access to £3tn Market to Boost Supply Chain
The United Kingdom has announced a new trade framework that gives Madagascar near‑total, 99% tariff‑free access to its market. The scheme combines the Developing Countries Trading Scheme with the UK‑Eastern and Southern Africa Economic Partnership Agreement, simplifying rules of origin...
PE-Backed Lawfront Buys Reading Firm Field Seymour Parkes
Lawfront, a private‑equity‑backed legal services platform, announced the acquisition of Reading‑based boutique Field Seymour Parkes. The deal adds roughly 30 lawyers and expands Lawfront’s presence in the South East, complementing its existing UK network. Field Seymour Parkes, known for corporate...
Hudson Structured (HSCM) Names Opoku as Partner Amid a Series of Promotions
Hudson Structured Capital Management (HSCM) promoted Bernard Opoku to Partner, confirming his role as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer since October 2023. Opoku, who joined HSCM in 2018 after six years at KPMG’s Bermuda ILS practice, now leads the...
From Chaos to Control: How Verx Is Helping African Businesses Run Smarter, Faster, and More Profitably
Verx, an all‑in‑one SaaS platform built by Omoniyi Owoeye’s team at Worldest Dinero Services, targets African SMEs plagued by fragmented tools and manual processes. It consolidates sales, finance, marketing, compliance and AI‑driven analytics into a single dashboard, offering automated tax,...
PE Exits Slow as AI Disruption and Geopolitical Tensions Weigh on Markets
Private equity firms saw exit activity plunge 36% in Q1 2026, with disposals dropping to roughly $103 billion. The slowdown is driven by AI‑related market volatility and heightened geopolitical risk, especially the Iran conflict, which have rattled both private and public‑market...
BSI to Launch Standard in Support of Keep Britain Working
British Standards Institution (BSI) has been commissioned to create a voluntary standard aimed at reducing sickness absence and boosting productivity, with a target launch by 2029. The standard follows the Keep Britain Working review’s recommendations and will be drafted for...
KDP Secures Controlling Stake in JDE Peet’s, Appoints Rafael Oliveira to Lead Coffee Spin-Off
Keurig Dr Pepper has acquired a 96.22% stake in JDE Peet’s, creating a controlling interest that merges KDP’s single‑serve system with JDE’s global coffee brands. Rafael Oliveira has been appointed CEO of the combined coffee unit and will later lead the...
Gupshup India’s Profit Falls 52% Amid Flat Scale in FY25
Conversational AI platform Gupshup saw India revenue dip 5.3% to about $234 million in FY25, down from $247 million the prior year. Net profit slumped 52% to roughly $3.1 million, compared with $6.5 million in FY24. Miscellaneous expenses, largely fees to solution providers, remained...
Huddled Group to Rebrand as Peeko in Cost-Cutting Platform Overhaul
Huddled Group plc will rebrand as Peeko, merging its Discount Dragon, Nutricircle and Boop Beauty sites into a single e‑commerce platform. The consolidation is projected to save more than £500,000 (approximately $630,000) annually while simplifying operations and enhancing the customer...
Apollo Funds Buy Rental Property Manager Gatehouse Living
Global alternative asset manager Apollo’s funds have acquired Gatehouse Living Group, a UK residential investment manager that operates about 10,000 homes. The purchase includes Gatehouse Investment Management and its Ascend property‑management arm, though the price was not disclosed. Existing CEO...
Fremman Capital Flies Past Fund II Target to Reach €808m Final Close
Fremman Capital announced that its second private‑equity fund closed at €808 million, roughly $880 million, exceeding the original €750 million ($818 million) target. The final close was achieved in under 18 months, indicating strong investor appetite. The fund will continue Fremman’s pan‑European buy‑out strategy across...
AVIXA Advertises for ‘Visionary, Strategic and Articulate’ CEO
AVIXA, the global audiovisual trade association, has posted a chief executive officer vacancy with a base salary ranging from $800,000 to $900,000. The role, advertised by Korn Ferry, calls for a visionary leader who can travel 50 % of the time to...
GWM Tank Asks: What Happens when the Map Disappears?
Great Wall Motors' Tank division launched the Najm Suhail navigation system in Saudi Arabia, a free, key‑chain‑mounted device that guides drivers when mobile signals drop. The digital‑first campaign, rolled out on March 15, 2026, targets Saudi males aged 18‑34 who rely heavily...
Bata to Step up India Growth, Double Turnover in 5 Yrs
Bata’s new CEO Panos Mytaros announced an aggressive plan to double the company’s Indian turnover within five years. The strategy hinges on expanding owned and franchise stores, boosting e‑commerce, and launching a dedicated sneaker line aimed at Gen Z shoppers. India...
BoE’s Bailey Warns Private Credit Risks Could Echo 2008 Crisis
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned that recent failures in the private‑credit sector could foreshadow broader systemic risks similar to the 2008 crisis. He cited the collapses of Market Financial Solutions, First Brands and Tricolor as signs of market...
Cameo Bets on TikTok Creators to Revamp Its Platform
Cameo is partnering with TikTok to let U.S. creators sell personalized video shoutouts directly within the TikTok app, moving transactions and discovery onto the platform. The integration aims to revive Cameo’s waning cultural relevance by leveraging TikTok’s massive audience and...
How A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8 Billion Company
Entrepreneur Matthew Gallagher launched Medvi, a telehealth provider of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, using only $20,000 and a suite of AI tools. Within two months the company attracted 1,300 customers and recorded $401 million in sales in its first full year. By...
Women Backing Women Fund Closes £130m
The government‑appointed Invest in Women taskforce has closed the first round of its Women Backing Women fund at £130 million (approximately $165 million), marking a milestone for gender‑focused capital in the UK. Backed by major institutions such as Barclays, the British Business...
Eurizon SLJ Capital Lists Its First Emerging Markets Equity ETF on the LSE: Three Share Classes in Euros, Pounds and...
Eurizon SLJ Capital launched its first emerging‑markets equity ETF on the London Stock Exchange, offering three share classes in euros, pounds and dollars. The CO Eurizon SLJ EM Equity Magnificent 30 UCITS ETF targets the 30 highest‑quality EM stocks and...
Meta Leading the Great Tech Shift: Chelsea MacMullan on SPARK HR
Meta’s Org Change Management lead Chelsea MacMullan shared how the tech giant is preparing its workforce for an AI‑driven future at SPARK HR 2026. She highlighted three core themes: closing the leadership‑employee expectation gap, demanding a deep, purpose‑first understanding of...
Pure Salmon Japan Secures USD 180 Million for Land-Based Farm
Pure Salmon Japan has secured an additional USD 180 million, raising total project funding to USD 640 million for its land‑based salmon farm in Tsu, Mie Prefecture. The facility, designed as a recirculating aquaculture system, will have a 10,000‑metric‑ton capacity, making it Japan’s largest...
Big Interview | 'I'm the Chief People Officer of a Remote-First Global Firm - I've Never Met My Boss!'
Gillian McKenna serves as Chief People Officer for Generation, a fully remote, nonprofit that places people into careers, yet she has never met the company’s CEO in almost five years. The organization operates with a 95‑person global workforce spread from...
BCUBE Deal Aims to Build Italy’s Largest Airport Cargo Handling Platform
BCUBE Group has signed a purchase agreement to acquire Italy’s Alha Group, a specialist in airport cargo handling and integrated airfreight solutions. The merger will create the country’s largest cargo handling platform, linking major hubs such as Rome Fiumicino, Milan...
If Your Cloud Won’t Let You Leave, It’s Not the Cloud for You
Many enterprises adopt a single public‑cloud provider for speed, only to discover later that exiting is costly and complex. The article highlights classic red flags—vendor lock‑in, single‑region dependence, opaque pricing, and limited portability—that erode flexibility. It argues that a healthy...