JK Maxx Paints Names Akshay Kumar as Brand Ambassador
JK Maxx Paints has tapped Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as its brand ambassador to heighten visibility in the decorative paints segment. The partnership will be promoted through print, television, digital, outdoor and retail campaigns. Launched in 2023, JK Maxx sits alongside JK WallMaxx putty within the broader JK Group portfolio. Company leaders say the endorsement will deepen consumer trust and accelerate expansion across Indian markets.
OSN+ Launches Music-Led Campaign Built Around Its Biggest Genres
OSN+ has rolled out a music‑led campaign featuring a multi‑genre brand anthem that maps the platform’s core genres—drama, horror, thriller, action and comedy—into a single sonic identity. The anthem was created in‑house, leveraging AI to prototype over 160 lyric and...
CurrentClient Raises $1.25M in Seed Funding
CurrentClient, a Provo‑based communication platform for financial advisors, closed a $1.25 million seed round led by Thicket Ventures. The investment brings Justin Wisz, Thicket’s partner, onto the company’s board. The capital will fund operational expansion and accelerate product development. Founded in...
Why Synthetic Identity Fraud Is Harder to Detect in 2026
Synthetic identity fraud is exploding in 2026 as AI tools and data breaches enable criminals to blend real personal data with fabricated details, creating entirely new personas that pass traditional KYC checks. Because no real victim exists, these synthetic identities...
Climate Investment Raises $450 Million to Address the “Missing Middle” In Climate Tech Finance
Climate Investment has closed a $450 million Decarbonization Acceleration Fund to fund the "missing middle" of climate‑tech finance, bridging the gap between early‑stage venture capital and large‑scale private‑equity or infrastructure funding. The fund targets proven decarbonization solutions in energy, heavy industry,...
Goodwin Recruiting Is Named to Staffing Industry Analysts 2026 Best Staffing Firms to Work For
Goodwin Recruiting has been named a 2026 Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) Best Staffing Firm to Work For, an award derived from top scores on an anonymous employee survey. The recognition highlights the firm’s strong culture, leadership, and innovation, building on...
Official Translations of ESMA’s Guidelines on Stress Test Scenarios Under the MMF Regulation
On 26 March 2026 the European Securities and Markets Authority released official translations of its updated stress‑test guidelines under the Money Market Funds Regulation. The guidance seeks a common, uniform application of Article 28 across the EU. Sections highlighted in red become legally...
Scheer IMC Selected as Eminence Partner by Brandon Hall Group
Scheer IMC has been appointed an Eminence Partner by the Brandon Hall Group, a leading HCM research firm. The designation places Scheer in a select cohort that will co‑create original research, executive dialogues, and market‑shaping thought leadership. As part of...
Clasp Raises $20M Series B Funding
Clasp, a Boston‑based retention‑driven recruitment platform, secured $20 million in Series B financing led by Crosslink Capital and Digitalis Ventures, with participation from Juvo, Strada Education, Frank Britt and Jason Nazar. The capital will fund operational scaling and accelerated product development. The...
Interdependence Bites Back
The Iranian drone strike on March 11, 2026 ignited a massive fire at Oman’s Salalah oil storage facility, curtailing regional oil output. The disruption sent Brent crude above $90 per barrel, prompting immediate price spikes across global markets. Analysts now see the...
EU, UK and Swiss Launch Joint T+1 Testing Plan
The UK Accelerated Settlement Taskforce, EU T+1 Industry Committee and Swiss Securities Post‑Trade Council have released a unified Testing and Readiness Plan for the Europe‑wide shift to T+1 settlement, slated for 11 October 2027. The framework consolidates testing windows, de‑risking metrics and...
Infrastructure as Code (IaC): A Complete Guide for IT Leaders in 2026
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) has become the operational standard for enterprises, with the global market hitting $2.2 billion in 2025 and projected to surpass $12 billion by 2032. IaC replaces manual provisioning with version‑controlled code, delivering consistency, speed, security, and cost efficiency....
How Gamified Hiring Cut Unilever's Time-to-Hire by 90%
Unilever teamed up with Pymetrics and HireVue to replace traditional CV screening with 12 neuroscience‑based games and AI‑scored video interviews. The revamped workflow slashed the hiring cycle from four months to four weeks, a 90% reduction in time‑to‑hire. In the...
Why Kraft Heinz’s CEO Decided Not to Split the Company in Two
Kraft Heinz, a $25 billion food conglomerate, was poised to split into two entities under new CEO Steve Cahillane. Before executing the plan, Cahillane met Berkshire Hathaway’s new CEO Greg Abel, who publicly opposed the breakup. Berkshire argued that a division would...
Pernod Ricard Wants to Acquire Jack Daniel’s
French spirits giant Pernod Ricard and U.S. producer Brown‑Forman are in advanced talks to merge, which would combine Pernod’s €15 billion (≈$16.2 billion) valuation with Brown‑Forman’s $12 billion market cap. The combined entity would own a broad portfolio including Absolut Vodka, Havana Club rum,...
Goldman Sachs Warns Markets Are ‘Fragile’ Despite Resilience
Goldman Sachs warns that global markets, while appearing stable, sit on a fragile foundation of rising volatility, tighter financial conditions, and surging oil prices. Indicators show the S&P 500 down about 5%, volatility scores near 9.5/10, and short positions at...
Trump’s Iran War Pushes India to Rekindle Old Friendship with Russia
India is moving to revive its energy partnership with Russia, negotiating a direct LNG supply deal despite the risk of violating Western sanctions. The talks follow a recent surge in Russian crude purchases, which could rise to 40% of India’s...
Build Cost Awareness Into Your Kubernetes IDP
Developers often discover that a newly shipped Kubernetes service will cost $47,000 per month only weeks after it goes live, exposing a timing gap in traditional FinOps. The article argues that cost visibility must shift left, embedding financial feedback into...
6 Asia-Pacific Financial Centers Rank Among World's Top 10, with Singapore Leading Southeast Asia
The 39th Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) placed six Asia‑Pacific locations among the world’s top ten, with Hong Kong at third and Singapore at fourth, the only Southeast Asian city in the elite group. Shanghai and Shenzhen secured ninth and...
20 Marketing KPIs to Track & Improve in 2026
The article outlines a comprehensive guide to 20 essential marketing KPIs for 2026, spanning AI‑driven search metrics, traditional SEO, paid advertising, social media, email, and multi‑channel performance. It explains how AI visibility, brand mentions, and citations are becoming critical as...
Pernod Ricard and Brown-Forman in Merger Talks
Pernod Ricard and Brown‑Forman have entered exclusive talks about a merger‑of‑equals that would combine two of the world’s largest premium‑spirits producers. Both companies are similarly sized, with Brown‑Forman valued at $11.8 billion and Pernod Ricard at roughly $11.8 billion (≈€15.6 billion). The combined entity would...
Gig Worker Registration on E-Shram Portal Remains Low in Odisha
In Odisha, enrolment of gig and platform workers on India’s e‑Shram portal remains minimal, according to Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia. Despite rapid growth in ride‑hailing and food‑delivery apps, only a tiny fraction have signed up. Low awareness and the...
Wolfspeed Reduces Senior Secured Note Balance by 43% After Raising $475.9m in Private Placements
Wolfspeed Inc. raised $475.9 million through a $379 million 3.5% convertible senior secured note offering and $96.9 million of equity and pre‑funded warrants. The proceeds were used to redeem $475.9 million of its 2030 senior secured notes, slashing the outstanding balance by 43%. The...
GAM: Swiss Re ILS Partnership Enhanced Liquidity, Improved Dealing Terms. New Products Planned
GAM Investments announced that its catastrophe bond and insurance‑linked securities (ILS) partnership with Swiss Re’s SRILIAC subsidiary is now fully activated, bringing together multi‑billion‑dollar ILS assets. The co‑management arrangement grants GAM access to Swiss Re’s underwriting expertise, risk management and...
Iran War Shows China’s Urgent Need to Plug Maritime Insurance Gap: Expert
Recent conflicts, from the US‑Israel war on Iran to the Russia‑Ukraine crisis, have highlighted China's dependence on foreign maritime insurance providers. Expert Chen Jihong warned that while China excels in shipbuilding hardware, its "software"—legal and financial services like insurance—remains underdeveloped....
TechnoSport Taps IPL Buzz with ‘Real Movement’ Campaign
TechnoSport unveiled a brand film titled “Real Movement” during the Indian Premier League, shifting its narrative from gym‑centric performance to everyday activity. The campaign, part of a broader identity refresh, will run on connected TV, digital platforms and transit media...
HKEX, Bursa Malaysia Launch Co-Branded Index, Sign MOU to Enhance Market Connectivity
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) and Bursa Malaysia signed an MOU to deepen market connectivity, launching the co‑branded HKEX Bursa Malaysia Large Cap Index. The index tracks the 60 largest listed firms, allocating roughly 60% weight to Hong Kong companies and 40%...
ECB Consumer Expectations Survey Results – February 2026
Euro area consumers’ February 2026 Consumer Expectations Survey shows inflation expectations easing slightly, with the median 12‑month outlook falling to 2.5% from 2.6% and the three‑year horizon also at 2.5%. Perceived inflation over the past year stayed at 3.0%, while nominal...
HRDA Frankly Speaking: McKesson’s Sr. Director of Talent Succession: How to Make Engagement a Repeatable Outcome
Jenessa Disler, Senior Director of Talent Succession at McKesson, highlighted at SPARK HR 2026 that cohesive messaging across performance, feedback, development, and succession systems is essential for repeatable employee engagement. She explained that misaligned goals and feedback cause engagement to...
Ageism Claim | NHS Worker Wins Harassment Case After Colleague Called Her 'Auntie'
An NHS worker, Ilda Esteves, won a harassment claim after a colleague repeatedly called her “Auntie” and suggested she would be a good match for an older male staff member. The London Employment Tribunal upheld the harassment claim based on...
US Takes Stake in Graphite Miner Syrah Resources
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is converting a $31 million loan into roughly a 20 percent equity stake in Australian graphite miner Syrah Resources, making it the agency’s second‑largest shareholder. An additional $15 million will be disbursed to Syrah’s Balama mine in...
Pavestone Leads $3 Mn Seed Round in Lending Solutions Platform Uncia
Uncia, an AI‑native lending‑technology platform, closed a $3 million seed round led by Hyderabad‑based venture capital firm Pavestone. The capital will fuel accelerated growth in India and support expansion into the MENA region and North America. Founded in 2020, Uncia offers...
Russia Sells Gold Bars for First Time in 25 Years to Fund Budget Deficit Amid High Military Spending: Report
Russia’s central bank has begun selling physical gold for the first time in 25 years, offloading 300,000 ounces in January and 200,000 ounces in February 2026. The combined gold and foreign‑currency sales since 2022 total roughly $185 billion, pushing gold reserves...
Farewell but Not Goodbye to ‘GlenTinto’, Analysts Say
The $240 billion proposed merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore fell apart in February, with both sides unable to agree on valuation splits. While Australian shareholders celebrated the breakup, rising thermal coal prices—up roughly 25% to about $130‑$150 per tonne—have revived...
Novartis Agrees to Acquire Excellergy, Building on Allergy Leadership With Next-Generation Anti-Ige Innovation
Novartis announced a definitive agreement to acquire Excellergy, a private biotech developing next‑generation anti‑IgE therapies. The deal values Excellergy at up to $2 billion in upfront and milestone payments, with closing targeted for the second half of 2026. Exl‑111, Excellergy’s lead...
How Canadian Tax Policy Shapes Business Investment Decisions
Canadian tax policy shapes where and when companies invest by influencing after‑tax returns, compliance costs, and certainty. Businesses weigh federal and provincial rates, capital cost allowance rules, and the availability of investment credits to model cash flows. Unclear guidance or...
How to Turn Customer Conversations Into Operational Intelligence
Organizations are sitting on massive, untapped operational intelligence hidden in fragmented customer conversations across voice, messaging, social and digital channels. A three‑layer architecture—AI‑powered engagement, omnichannel operations, and a unified cloud platform—converts every interaction into structured, searchable data. Napster’s AI Omniagents,...
WTO Meeting in Cameroon Signals the Rise of a ‘World Minus One’ Order
The WTO’s 14th ministerial conference in Yaoundé produced only a skeletal draft, underscoring the organization’s limited immediate output. More significant was the symbolism of a multilateral forum convening in Africa as the United States steps back from WTO leadership. China...
How to Lead when Nobody Knows What’s Coming
CEOs are confronting a rapidly unraveling global trade system, with ships queuing in ports and supply chains destabilized. The core challenge is unprecedented uncertainty, making traditional long‑term planning unreliable. Leaders who cling to certainty often lock their firms into rigid...
Three-Quarters of Retail Managers Would Rather Not Manage People
A YouGov survey commissioned by SafetyCulture reveals that 76% of retail team leaders in the UK and Ireland would prefer not to manage people, even if pay and benefits remained unchanged. The primary deterrent is emotional fatigue, cited by 84%...
Aspect Software and Five9 Formalize Partnership to Expand Intelligent, Workforce-Optimized CX Solutions
Aspect Software and Five9 have formalized a partnership that links Five9’s cloud contact‑center platform with Aspect’s workforce management suite. The integration streams real‑time agent states and historical interaction data into Aspect Intelligence, sharpening demand forecasts and enabling automated intraday staffing...
Serica Completes TotalEnergies Asset Deal, Establishes West of Shetland Gas Hub
Serica Energy has completed the acquisition of a 40% operated interest in TotalEnergies' Greater Laggan Area assets, adding roughly 5,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) to its portfolio. The deal gives Serica operatorship of the Shetland Gas Plant,...
TCT DEEP DIVES | How Best to Address the Skills Gap in Manufacturing?
The manufacturing sector faces a widening skills gap, with the UK alone needing a million new engineers by 2030 and 20% of its current workforce set to retire within five years. A £15 million (≈ $19 million) High Value Engineering (HiVE) Centre opened...
Techstars Startup Weekend Women Dublin 2026: From Ideas to Action in 54 Hours
Techstars Startup Weekend Women Dublin gathered over 70 female entrepreneurs for a 54‑hour intensive from March 20‑22. Participants pitched ideas, formed teams, and received mentorship, producing solutions ranging from an electric‑vehicle mechanic toolkit to ADHD peer‑support and AI‑driven fitness platforms....
Governments Controlling Prices? It Has Long Been Unthinkable – but May Now Be Inevitable | Andy Beckett
Governments that once shunned price controls are reconsidering them as repeated inflation shocks strain households. Mexico and Spain have introduced caps on essential goods and rent freezes, helping ruling parties boost electoral support. In the UK, Labour, Greens and some...
Quantcast Sales Veteran Andrew Double Joins Adora as VP of Revenue
Adora, an AI‑native performance‑marketing platform, announced the appointment of Andrew Double as Vice President of Revenue. Double brings over 20 years of commercial leadership, most recently serving as Vice President of Commercial for North America at Quantcast, the programmatic advertising...
The L&D Content Factory: Generative AI for Training at Scale
Generative AI platforms can now produce complete corporate training courses in minutes, replacing weeks‑long instructional design cycles. The software automatically creates syllabi, quizzes, presenter scripts, visual assets and even multilingual dubbing, letting L&D teams scale content without expanding staff. It...
Risk, Resilience, Growth: Lessons From Three Founders Building High-Trust Businesses
At SheSparks 2026, founders Garima Sawhney (Pristyn Care), Gazal Kalra (Nuuk) and Kanika Tekriwal (JetSetGo) discussed building high‑trust businesses in healthcare, consumer hardware and private aviation. They argued that women are not risk‑averse but risk‑aware, using multidimensional thinking to manage safety‑critical...
Entertainment Industry Veterans Launch Unified Production Platform (UPP)
Entertainment veterans Mujeebur Rahmansaher, Greg Smith and An De Vooght have launched Unified Production Platform (UPP), a cloud‑native SaaS solution that consolidates casting, payroll, compliance, analytics and workflow management. The platform is AI‑powered and marketed as an open‑market alternative to...