Enterprise Risk Management and Cybersecurity: Closing the Gap in Risk Governance
APQC’s new research highlights the critical gap between cybersecurity and enterprise risk management, revealing that only 41 % of organizations have integrated cyber risk into their ERM processes. The study introduces the Cyber‑ERM Integration Index, which measures governance alignment, risk quantification, workflow embedding, and third‑party coverage. Findings show that weak integration hampers the ability to prioritize cyber threats alongside financial and operational risks, while mature integration drives resilience and faster decision‑making. Leaders are urged to embed cyber risk into board‑level discussions and core business workflows.
Why Chief AI Officers Need to Become Change Agents
Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) are evolving from technical overseers to enterprise change agents, tasked with accelerating AI experiments while managing risk. Companies are shifting focus from low failure rates to high‑velocity learning, recognizing that each experiment adds strategic insight. The...
Tax Treatment of the Pass-Through Business Sector: A Primer
The U.S. pass‑through business sector—partnerships, S corporations and sole proprietorships—now employs most private‑sector workers and accounts for roughly half of business income. Its growth stems from long‑standing tax advantages, especially the Section 199A deduction that lowers effective rates compared with C...
Kylie Cosmetics Crowned Best-Performing US Beauty Brand on Social in January Based on Creator Marketing
Kylie Cosmetics topped the U.S. beauty brand social performance rankings for January, propelled by the launch of its new perfume, Cosmic Intense. On Traackr’s influencer‑marketing platform, the brand surged 47 positions to rank fifth overall and captured 83 % of its...
What Awaits the New CEOs at Walmart and Target? – Placer.ai Blog
Walmart closed Q4 2025 with foot‑traffic up 2.3% YoY and a 4.5% comparable‑sales gain, bolstered by 28% e‑commerce growth, positioning new CEO John Furner for a strong start. Target’s Q4 2025 visits fell 2.0% YoY and comparable sales dropped 2.7%, with weekend...
Placer.ai January 2026 Office Index: Fern Puts RTO to the Test – Placer.ai Blog
Placer.ai’s January 2026 Office Index shows that winter storm Fern dented foot‑traffic but did not derail the broader return‑to‑office (RTO) recovery. Adjusted for working days, office visits reached the highest January level since the pandemic began, even as overall traffic stayed...
Malatsi Throws Weight Behind Dell’s EEIP Application
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has recommended approval of Dell Technologies' Equity Equivalent Investment Programme (EEIP) renewal, extending the commitment for another ten years and pledging over R230 million into South Africa. The EEIP framework allows multinationals to meet B‑BEE targets through...
ANALYSIS: Dunelm’s New App Marks a Strategic Shift Toward Deeper Omnichannel Engagement
Dunelm launched a new iOS and Android app to deepen its omnichannel strategy, linking physical stores, digital experiences, and customer data. The app extends the AI‑powered search and recommendation engine first introduced on Dunelm.com, creating a unified intelligence layer across...
NPTN by LMS Joins Bank of England Synchronisation Lab to Tackle Remortgage Friction
LMS, through its NPTN network, has entered the Bank of England’s Synchronisation Lab to pilot a synchronized settlement model for remortgages. The eight‑week test will run in a simulated Real‑Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) environment, splitting payments into earmark and settle...
A Blind Technologist’s Journey to Building Samora AI, with OpenAI in the Stack
Blind technologist Kartik Sawhney leveraged his personal accessibility challenges to create Samora AI, a voice‑first platform built on OpenAI models that tackles India’s noisy, multilingual call environment. The startup combines Whisper transcription, GPT‑4/5 reasoning, and expressive TTS with custom telephony...
CCEA Enhances Equity Investment Limit for Powergrid Subsidiaries to ₹7,500 Crore
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved raising Powergrid's equity investment ceiling from ₹5,000 crore to ₹7,500 crore per subsidiary, while keeping the 15 percent net‑worth cap. The change enables the Maharatna CPSE to fund larger transmission projects, including UHVAC and HVDC corridors,...
Fashion Players Issued Warning as Trump’s 10% Global Tariffs Go Live
The United States has activated a 10% tariff on all imported fashion goods, marking the first phase of former President Trump’s global levy program. Industry analysts warn that a further increase to 15% is possible, intensifying cost pressures across the...
Home Depot Sees Fiscal 2025 Sales Surpassing $164 Billion US
Home Depot reported fiscal 2025 sales of $164.7 billion, a 3.2% increase over the prior year, driven by modest comparable sales growth. Fourth‑quarter sales slipped 3.8% to $38.2 billion, reflecting a shorter reporting period and lingering consumer uncertainty. Net earnings fell slightly...
London City Appoints New CEO
London City Airport announced Andy Cliffe as its new chief executive, effective immediately. Cliffe, formerly Group CEO of AGS Airports and senior leader at Manchester Airports Group, joins after helping Macquarie Asset Management acquire a stake in the airport. He replaces long‑time...
Slovakia Halts Emergency Electricity Supplies to Ukraine over Russian Oil Dispute
Slovakia announced it will halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine until Kyiv restores Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. The move follows a dispute over the pipeline’s shutdown after a Russian drone strike and accusations that Ukraine is delaying...
GIVA’s Loss Widens 23% To ₹72 Cr In FY25, Revenue Jumps 90%
GIVA, the Bengaluru‑based D2C jewellery startup, posted FY25 revenue of ₹518 Cr, an 89% jump from the prior year, while its consolidated net loss widened 23% to ₹72.3 Cr. The surge was driven by rapid offline store expansion, higher material costs and...
We Tested M-PESA’s Latest Feature Shiriki Pay. Here’s How It Works.
Safaricom is piloting Shiriki Pay, a mini‑app inside the M‑PESA super app that lets a sponsor delegate up to two beneficiaries a monthly spending allowance drawn directly from the sponsor’s wallet. The feature caps usage, supports Buy Goods, Paybill, Pochi...
Windows 365 for Agents Brings Managed Cloud PCs to Autonomous Workflows
Microsoft introduced Windows 365 for Agents, a cloud platform that lets AI agents securely access managed cloud PCs without handling underlying infrastructure. Built on Azure virtual machines, the service leverages Microsoft Intune and Entra ID for device management and identity, offering shared PC...
Why Leaders Need to Stop Confusing Transparency with Clarity
Leaders often equate transparency with effective communication, but the two serve different purposes. Transparency builds trust by sharing information, while clarity provides the focus needed for action. A case study shows that a manager who combined honest updates with a...
Intel Inks ‘Multiyear’ AI Inference Deal With SambaNova After Acquisition Talks End
Intel has forged a multiyear strategic partnership with AI‑chip startup SambaNova after acquisition talks stalled, coupling Intel Capital’s $350 million Series E investment with access to Intel’s global enterprise, cloud and partner channels. The deal coincides with the launch of SambaNova’s SN50...
Hims Alums Launch Fiber-Boosted Sweetener Brand Poca
Hilary Coles and Emily Boschwitz, former Hims executives, have launched Poca, a zero‑calorie sweetener syrup enriched with three grams of fiber per serving. The product combines allulose, monk fruit, and inulin, avoiding sugar alcohols and stevia, and is offered in portable sachets...
Future Boosts Creator Content, Personal Buying Advice and Registrations
Future plc unveiled three new initiatives—Signal, Collab, and Future+—to revamp affiliate e‑commerce, creator content, and membership registration. Signal shifts buying advice to personal “collections” that drive up to three‑fold social and email traffic, while Collab lets vetted creators publish directly...
From ‘Prompt-and-Pray’ to Production: Straion Raises €1.1M to Govern AI Coding at Scale
Straion, a governance layer for AI‑generated code, closed a €1.1 million seed round led by Marathon VC. The startup aims to replace the “prompt‑and‑pray” development model by centralising organisational rules and validating AI‑generated plans before execution. Its platform integrates with tools...
Arctic15 Turns 15, Anniversary Edition Opens with Exclusive Early-Bird Pricing
Arctic15 is marking its 15th anniversary with a June 11‑12, 2026 conference in Helsinki, featuring a curated showcase of 100 breakthrough startups, dedicated experience zones, and new LP‑GP and Defence Tech summits. The event emphasizes high‑quality, one‑to‑one matchmaking between founders...
Buffers for Greater China, US Exposures ‘More than Adequate’ as Bad-Debt Formation Slows in Q4: UOB
UOB's CFO Leong Yung Chee said the bank's provisions for commercial‑real‑estate exposures in Greater China and the United States are more than adequate as bad‑debt formation slowed in Q4 2025. Problematic US CRE loans represent about 1% of the local...
How Amazon’s Creative Agent Turns Retail Media Into a ‘Commerce Engine’
Amazon Ads unveiled Creative Agent, an AI‑driven creative partner inside Creative Studio that lets advertisers generate video and display ads through a chat‑based workflow. Leveraging Amazon’s retail insights, the tool pulls product pages, shopper signals and brand guidelines to produce...
Honigman Adds Strategic PE Duo to Growing Chicago Office
Law firm Honigman has added Alexander Moss and Injune Park as partners to its Private Equity Practice in Chicago, marking the seventh and eighth partner hires this year, both coming from Benesch. The duo brings extensive middle‑market private‑equity experience, covering...
Advertisers Must Seize Initiative to Make Most of Once‑in‑a‑generation Change
The International Society of Brand Advertisers (ISBA) has announced that brands must act collectively to capitalize on a once‑in‑a‑generation market shift driven by digital transformation, AI, and evolving consumer expectations. In his first 100 days, the new ISBA chief highlighted...
Al Tamimi & Company Adopts Xapien to Further Enhance Compliance Efficiencies
Al Tamimi & Company, the leading full‑service law firm in the MENA region, has deployed Xapien’s AI‑powered due diligence platform to streamline its client onboarding and compliance workflows. The solution aggregates publicly available data, enabling faster assessment of sanctions exposure,...
The 5-Step Formula for Handling Price Objections Like a Pro
The article presents a five‑step formula for handling price objections: expect pushback, know the competition, protect margins, own differentiators, and be prepared to walk away. It stresses that anticipating objections prevents reactive discounting, while deep competitive intel lets sellers defend...
Microsoft Sovereign Cloud Adds Governance, Productivity, and Support for Large AI Models Securely Running Even when Completely Disconnected
Microsoft announced that its Sovereign Cloud now includes Azure Local disconnected operations, Microsoft 365 Local, and Foundry Local with large‑model support. The new services let enterprises run core infrastructure, productivity suites, and multimodal AI models entirely offline while preserving Azure‑consistent...
CISA on Life Support
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has seen its workforce shrink from roughly 3,400 to under 2,400, with fewer than 1,000 staff actively working amid the current DHS shutdown. Political turmoil—most notably the firing of director Chris Krebs and...
Fintechs May Finally Get Regulatory Clarity as Kenya’s Central Bank Reviews Laws
Kenya’s Central Bank announced a consultancy to review the Central Bank Act and the Banking Act. The overhaul targets ambiguous provisions affecting digital banking, fintech regulation, consumer protection and cybersecurity. The current legal grey zone has delayed operating licences for...
GWR’s Famous Five Jump Aboard for Myths and Legends
Great Western Railway has launched a new multi‑channel campaign that revives its 1920s myth‑based advertising, featuring the “Five and the Dragon Quest” film directed by Oscar‑winner Peter Baynton. The 60‑second spot stars voice talent such as Richard E. Grant and...
Can You Fire Employees Who Don’t Return FMLA Forms?
Employers can lawfully terminate an employee who fails to return required FMLA certification forms if the employee was reasonably able to comply and did not follow the employer’s notice procedures. The FMLA mandates 30‑day advance notice, or “as soon as...
Microsoft CEO Opens London AI Tour with Copilot Push
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella opened the London AI Tour by showcasing the company’s push into agentic AI across its productivity suite. He highlighted how Excel and PowerPoint now feature an Agent Mode that can generate code and insights from a single...
Enterprise Britain Urges Bold Economic Reset
Enterprise Britain, a new movement launched by leading founders and investors, aims to create a supportive ecosystem for UK innovators and prevent startups from fleeing abroad. The initiative is overseen by an advisory board that includes Stephen Fitzpatrick of OVO...
Student Mobility Startup ZeroMoblt Raises Pre-Seed Round
ZeroMoblt, a student‑mobility platform founded in April 2024, announced a pre‑seed round of ₹1.5 crore co‑led by JioMart CEO Sandeep Varaganti, Ashok Agrawal and high‑net‑worth investors. The capital will accelerate its AI‑native technology, expand operations across key Indian education hubs, and...
Water Infra in Vogue as Ambienta’s NDA Makes Add-On; Hg Seeks AI Adoption at Portcos via New Initiative
Water infrastructure is emerging as a hot‑spot for private‑equity investment, driven by stable cash flows and climate‑related demand. Ambienta has signed a non‑disclosure agreement to pursue an add‑on acquisition in the sector, signaling confidence in further consolidation. Meanwhile, Hg announced...
AtNorth Announces Plans for 300MW Data Center Campus
Nordic data‑center operator atNorth announced a 300 MW campus in Sollefteå, Sweden, to be built on a 50‑hectare plot at Hamre Industrial Park and targeted for H1 2028. The facility will feature direct liquid cooling and support rack densities up to 1 MW,...
Aspen Standard Names Former Beacon Pointe Exec As President
New York‑based Aspen Standard Wealth, a rapidly expanding registered investment adviser (RIA) aggregator, announced the appointment of industry veteran Kevin DiSano as its president. DiSano joins the firm after more than two decades leading wealth‑management and distribution operations at firms...
The Legal Implications of Hybrid Work Policies for Employers
UK employers are rapidly adopting hybrid work models to boost productivity and employee satisfaction, but the shift introduces complex legal obligations. Key areas of concern include data protection under GDPR, health and safety responsibilities for both remote and office settings,...
World Bank Enables $1.41 Billion in Funding for Middle Corridor and KTZ
The World Bank’s Board approved an $846 million IBRD guarantee, mobilising $1.41 billion in private financing for Kazakhstan’s Middle Corridor and rail operator KTZ. The funding will finance a 322.3 km Moyynty‑Kyzylzhar line, tariff reforms and institutional support, including IPO preparation. The project...
Building Secure SaaS Architecture: Why Identity Must Be Designed From Day One
SaaS founders must embed identity architecture from day one to avoid the most common breach vectors. A 2025 ReliaQuest study found 44% of cloud workload breaches stem from compromised credentials, underscoring the risk of retrofitting authentication later. Early design choices—separating...
Secondaries Investor Full-Year 2025 CV Deal Log
Secondaries Investor’s 2024 deal log shows 85 continuation vehicles closed, while an additional 40 vehicles are either launching or under review. Continuation vehicles, which allow private‑equity funds to extend ownership of select assets, remain a dominant tool for managing liquidity....
Democrats Counter Trump's Proposal to Limit Institutional Housing Investors
Democratic senators led by Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that strips tax deductions and mortgage‑interest benefits from corporations owning more than 50 single‑family rental homes, while the Trump administration issued a memo banning institutional investors with over 100 such homes...
Samsung Ads’ Smart TV Carousel Delivers for Non-Endemic Brands
Samsung Ads introduced an Immersive Carousel ad unit on its European Smart TV home screens, supporting up to five rotating tiles per placement. The format appears on more than 70 million Samsung TVs, auto‑rotating every five seconds and also navigable via...
Get Paid for What You Know: How Founders Can Monetise Their Expertise
Founders who have survived the 90% failure rate can monetize their hard‑won experience by offering paid consulting or advisory equity. The article outlines three consulting formats—hourly sessions, project work, and retainers—and stresses pricing based on impact rather than time. It...
‘Leaks’: How Much Shareholder Value Are We Losing Due to Inefficiencies in the Supply Chain?
Large importers typically budget ocean freight as a fixed line item, assuming rates will stay within a narrow range. However, Xeneta data shows that container rates can swing 500% during crises and still move 20‑30% within a single fiscal year,...
Gemini Shines as Container Line Punctuality Plummets in 2026
The Gemini alliance of Hapag‑Lloyd and Maersk has lifted its on‑time delivery rates well above industry averages, though it still falls short of its 90% target for most services. Xeneta data shows global carrier punctuality plunged to 30% in January,...