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Goodway Group Appoints Kandi Gongora as Chief Transformation & People Officer

Goodway Group

Goodway Group, the digital partner advertisers trust to deliver campaign performance and media efficiency, has appointed Kandi Gongora to the newly created position of Chief Transformation & People Officer. In this new role, Kandi is responsible for driving company growth as a leading full service Digital Agency by ensuring the business maintains relevant, innovative and industry-leading standards as the world of work and the landscape of business continues to shift and transform. As Chief Transformation & People Officer, Gongora will be responsible for overseeing the entire organization's brand messaging by considering people, data and infrastructure in a cross-functional way, thus ensuring a seamless transformation across the organization. Gongora will manage employee experience, Center of Excellence, sales operations, internal communications, and business & organizational strategy. She also maintains a global perspective while overseeing Goodway’s international arm, CvE. This role will enable collaboration, cohesion and communication across all functions and employees. “When exploring existing titles such as Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer, I realized these titles didn’t fit the gap I was looking to fill. When I really thought about what the next iteration of people experience and organizational excellence would be, I knew that a Transformation officer was really the way of the future,” said Gongora. “Moving forward, as we adapt and change to a post-pandemic world, we will have to look at things differently and transform in life and as organizations. With compassion as my guide, I’m excited to drive change as CTPO.” This CTPO role is fast-paced, high-impact, and requires both the flexibility and learning agility to pivot with changing business needs and industry trends. Gongora is one-part architect of change, one-part people coach, and one-part mobilizer who can inspire people to make change happen. With businesses looking ahead, there is a need for adaptability and agility within each organization. The future of work and the future of business is evolving, and new roles like the Chief Transformation & People Officer will help businesses to thrive. “We are thrilled to see Kandi take on the new Chief Transformation & People Officer position, an important role that we believe will emerge across industries,” said Jay Friedman, President of Goodway Group. “Kandi is well respected amongst her colleagues and the leadership team and has a passion for working with others to create new experiences that push Goodway Group forward. As a fully remote organization, we need leaders who can connect with our employees through any and all mediums, and Kandi is that person. With her at the helm of our people and organizational operations, I’m confident that Goodway Group will continue to rapidly grow with one of the best teams and company cultures in the business.” Goodway Group has consistently been recognized for its company culture by organizations such as Fortune’s Best Places to Work, Glassdoor, Ad Age’s Best Places to Work List and Digiday’s Work/Life Award. In 2021, Goodway Group was ranked third on Ad Age’s 2021 Best Places to Work list, an annual ranking of companies that lead the pack in benefits, culture and other key factors. Ad Age recognized Goodway Group for its unique remote workforce model and history of putting its employees first. Additionally, Goodway Group has launched key initiatives including Community Resource Groups to provide a safe space for employees to connect and express themselves, ongoing leadership education programs, a well-being program, and additional work/life integration with company-led virtual childcare and flexible work hours. Gongora previously served as VP of people and organizational development and has been at Goodway Group since 2016. Recently Gongora was a part of building a ‘Teams Leading Teams’ model, which focuses on more collaboration and networking and breaking down traditional siloes. Gongora is a member of the Global Goodway Leadership Team and answers directly to the company President, Jay Friedman. About Goodway Group: Goodway Group is the digital partner advertisers trust to drive campaign performance and media efficiency. Proud to be completely independently owned and operated, Goodway provides trustworthy expertise that meets its clients' needs – and no one else's. Using predictive intelligence, data science, and analytics, Goodway helps advertisers get the most value out of every impression across all performance media, including programmatic, social, search, CTV and more. Through the combination of employing the smartest technology and the most experienced people in the industry, Goodway delivers authentic results. Find Goodway Group online at goodwaygroup.com. Honestly, Smart, Digital. Contact Details Kite Hill PR for Goodway Group Rachel Wyncoop +1 631-338-7248 rwyncoop@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.goodwaygroup.com/

May 25, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Freightlancer acquires freight marketplace Loadshift, receives investment from Maas Group founders, appoints new CEO.

Freelancer.com

Freelancer Limited (ASX: FLN) (OTCQX: FLNCF), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and jobs posted, today announced that it’s partially owned subsidiary, Freightlancer, acquired Loadshift, Australia’s largest heavy haulage freight marketplace with 85.8 million kilometers of freight requested in 2020. At the same time, Freightlancer received $3.7 million investment from Wes Maas, CEO and founder of Maas Group Holdings (ASX: MGH, market capitalisation $1.2b), a diversified industrials group, Tom Cavanagh, CEO & founder of EMS Group (now a division of ASX:MGH), a specialist in machinery hire, sales, repairs and rebuilds to support underground mining and tunnelling and others. Startive Ventures, a venture fund focused on global technology and Internet startup opportunities also participated in the round. Tom Cavanagh, an experienced executive in the mining & equipment industries as founder and CEO of EMS group is also joining Freightlancer as Chief Executive. Founded in March 2007 by entrepreneur Phil Callaghan, Loadshift has grown to be Australia’s largest online heavy haulage freight marketplace with 68,837 freight requests (up 26.8%) for 85.8 million kilometres of freight requested in CY 2020 and over 73,000 loads posted in the last twelve months. Loadshift In FY20, Loadshift EBITDA was approximately $766k. The purchase price was $7.7 million. Freelancer Limited owns 53% of Freightlancer Holdings Pty Ltd after the transactions closed. Forward-looking statements This document contains certain "forward-looking statements". The words "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "project", "forecast", "estimate", “outlook”, “upside”, "likely", "intend", "should", "could", "may", "target", "plan" and other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Indications of, and guidance on, future earnings and financial position and performance, including Freelancer’s FY21 outlook, are also forward-looking statements, as are statements regarding Freelancer’s plans and strategies and the development of the market. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Freelancer, which may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Freelancer cannot give any assurance or guarantee that the assumptions upon which management based its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct or exhaustive beyond the date of its making, or that Freelancer's business and operations will not be affected by other factors not currently foreseeable by management or beyond its control. Such forward-looking statements only speak as at the date of this announcement and Freelancer assumes no obligation to update such information. The release, publication or distribution of this document in jurisdictions outside Australia may be restricted by law. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. About Freelancer Twelve-time Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 50 million registered users have posted over 19 million projects and contests to date in over 1,800 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer owns Escrow.com, the leading provider of secure online payments and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet with over US$5 billion in transactions secured. Freelancer also owns Freightlancer & Loadshift, enterprise freight marketplaces with over 88 million kilometres of freight posted in 2020. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details Freelancer.com Phil Sylvester +61 400 538 309 psylvester@freelancer.com Freelancer.com Sebastian Siseles +14158012271 sebastian@freelancer.com Freelancer.com Helma Kusuma +19179202356 helma@freelancer.com Company Website https://www.freelancer.com

May 25, 2021 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Water Safety Tips for Kids and Families

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/Jtr26YxL4E8 When summer starts to heat up, there's nothing better than heading to the pool or beach with your family and friends to cool off. However, as outings near bodies of water begin to take place, it’s crucial to keep water safety top of mind. Sadly, in 2021, drowning remains a leading cause of death for children, taking thousands of young lives every year in the United States. In fact, every day, two children fall victim to the lethal dangers that are associated with water-related accidents, leaving millions of families questioning what they could have done to prevent the unthinkable. However, if you remain vigilant and put the right steps in place, these tragedies can be prevented. To support bridging the knowledge gap around swim safety, Leslie’s is also announcing a three-year partnership with the YMCA focused on swim education. Through an annual donation of $100,000, the YMCA will extend their water-safety programming to reach children at the highest risk of drowning and provide them with water-safety skills, education, and training. Leslie’s will also be collecting donations to support the YMCA’s water safety programs in their stores through the summer. The partnership includes expanding access to swim lessons, lifeguard training and increased water safety program instruction at local YMCAs Founded in 1963, Leslie’s is the largest and most trusted pool and spa retailer in the U.S. and has everything you need to take care of your pool and spa so you can spend more time enjoying the water. Leslie’s has over 930 stores across the country, with local experts ready to help with all your pool and spa care needs. The company employs more than 5,000 associates, pool and spa care experts, and certified technicians Leslie’s is dedicated to empowering consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas. For more information, please visit LesliesPools.com About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 24, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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The Swarthmore Group Adds Jocelin Reed as Senior Equity Portfolio Manager

The Swarthmore Group

Investment advisory firm The Swarthmore Group announced that Jocelin Reed, CFA, is joining the firm as a Senior Equity Portfolio Manager. The firm successfully represents institutional clients, pension funds, endowments, high net worth individuals, insurance companies, and retirement plans. Reed was most recently a Principal and Portfolio Manager for AJO Partners in Philadelphia where she oversaw U.S. Equity Strategies totaling more than $10 billion in assets. She has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services sector, including 19 years with Bank of New York Mellon and its investment subsidiaries. “Jocelin will be a wonderful addition to The Swarthmore Group,” said James Nevels, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Swarthmore. “She will be assuming the Senior Equity Portfolio Manager position from our colleague, Kurt Brunner, who has served our clients ably and well for nearly three decades. Jocelin and the recently hired fixed income team position the firm to serve our clients for decades to come.” Reed has experience in equity research and portfolio management across all segments of the equity markets. Over her tenures at Mellon Capital Management and AJO Partners, she developed a keen eye for the types of investments that are rewarded as well as the know-how to build portfolios that exceed client expectations. She has been a client-facing advisor during most of her career and specializes in developing and researching materials for clients and externals stakeholders. “I look forward to working with The Swarthmore Group Team in the continuing evolution of an exceptional firm,” said Reed. “Most importantly, I’m fortunate to be working with a like-minded team in its commitment to long-term client relationships.” Reed earned a bachelor's degree in finance from Penn State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh. Jocelin is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a member of the CFA Society Philadelphia. The Swarthmore Group is one of the oldest, active, minority-owned registered investment advisors headquartered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It offers wealth management, institutional investing, and institutional consulting services to a diverse group of individuals and institutions. More information is available at www.swarthmoregroup.com. Contact Details David PR Group John P. David +1 305-724-3903 john@davidpr.com Company Website http://www.swarthmoregroup.com

May 21, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Phase 4 Services Taps MCR Labs Operations Director for CFO Role

MCR Labs

Adding to their roster of cannabis industry and laboratory operations experts, Phase 4 Services, a laboratory management and consulting firm, has hired Ross Gutman to serve as vice president & chief financial officer. Gutman has served as director of business operations at MCR Labs, one of the oldest and most well-known cannabis testing labs on the East Coast, for nearly six years. He will draw on the knowledge and experience he’s gained while growing MCR Labs into a multimillion-dollar operation to assist Phase 4 clients with establishing effective finance, accounting, and administrative processes. Gutman will continue to guide business operations at MCR Labs while he takes on additional duties of strategic planning and process improvement for Phase 4 and their clients. “This is an important opportunity for Ross,” said Michael Kahn, president and founder of MCR Labs. “His work for us was the turning point in going from being a great local testing lab to becoming an organization capable of scaling operations and expanding at the same pace as the rest of the cannabis industry.” Phase 4 Services works with cannabis testing labs in both the marijuana and hemp industries to streamline administrative processes, advance testing capabilities, and scale operations to meet the ever-growing demand for reliable compliance testing. About Phase 4 Services: Phase 4 Services is a scientific consulting and laboratory management firm dedicated to growing, supporting, and enhancing hemp and cannabis testing laboratories. Founded by experts in analytical testing, pharmaceutical chemistry, business administration, and development strategy, our team is equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to ensure partner laboratories are successful in their pursuit of advancing public health and safety for cannabis patients and consumers. For more information visit http://phase4services.com. Contact Details Phase 4 Services Joe Crinkley +1 857-230-0839 pr@phase4services.com Company Website https://phase4services.com/

May 20, 2021 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cyvatar Wins Two Coveted Global InfoSec Awards at RSA 2021

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced two more prestigious industry award wins, this time as 2021 Global InfoSec award winners for the Cutting-Edge in Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS) and the Most Innovative SecOps-as-a-Service, by Cyber Defense Magazine--the industry’s leading electronic information security magazine. This year marks Cyber Defense Magazine’s ninth year of honoring global InfoSec innovators. Its submission requirements are for any startup, early-stage, later stage, or public companies in the information security space who have a unique and compelling value proposition for their product or service. “We’re thrilled to receive one of the most prestigious and coveted cybersecurity awards in the world from Cyber Defense Magazine,” said Cyvatar Co-Founder and Chief Executive Corey White. “We knew the competition would be tough, and with top judges who are leading infosec experts from around the globe, we couldn’t be more pleased.”. Award judges are CISSP, FMDHS, CEH, certified security professionals who voted based on their independent review of the company submitted materials on the website of each submission including but not limited to data sheets, white papers, product literature, and other market variables. “We scoured the globe looking for cybersecurity innovators that could make a huge difference and potentially help turn the tide against the exponential growth in cybercrime, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine. “Cyvatar is absolutely worthy of these coveted awards and consideration for deployment in your environment.” CDM has a flexible philosophy to find more innovative players with new and unique technologies, than the one with the most customers or money in the bank. CDM is always asking “What’s Next?” so we are looking for Next Generation InfoSec Solutions. Whether you’re a small business starting from scratch or need to amplify your existing security investments, Cyvatar is here for you. Get started for free or reach out to Cyvatar at CYVATAR.AI. About Cyber Defense Magazine With over 5 Million monthly readers and growing, and thousands of pages of searchable online infosec content, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information for B2B and B2G with our sister magazine Cyber Security Magazine for B2C. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and special editions exclusively for the RSA Conferences. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group. Learn more about us at https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com and visit https://www.cyberdefensetv.com and https://www.cyberdefenseradio.com to see and hear some of the most informative interviews of many of these winning company executives. Join a webinar at https://www.cyberdefensewebinars.com and realize that infosec knowledge is power. About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to cybersecurity for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California with locations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at CYVATAR.AI and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

May 19, 2021 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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America Leads The Charge As 6.3M Estimated to Use CoWorking Spaces By 2025

Ezra

Research from Ezra, the leading provider of digital coaching, has estimated that by 2025, 6.3m of us will be working from a shared office space, with America already leading the workplace revolution. Coworking has grown in popularity with providers such as WeWork providing greater flexibility and affordability on a global scale, to companies who might otherwise have been priced out of a city office space. In the last year alone, the estimated number of worldwide coworking spaces has climbed by 21%, up 42% since 2018 alone. At the same time, demand has also remained robust, with the estimated number of people using a coworking space up by 27% since 2020 and 49% since 2018. It’s predicted that despite the problems caused by Covid, the prominence of coworking spaces is due to climb at an annual rate of 21.3% a year. Ezra’s research shows that this would push the number of global coworking spaces to over 50,000 by 2025, a 207% increase in just 8 years. It would also mean a 284% increase in the number of us working in a shared workplace, with 6.3m predicted to be doing so by 2025. America currently ranks as the world’s coworking hotspot, with an estimated 3,762 shared office spaces. Based on the average capacity of 83 people to an office, Ezra estimates that 312,246 Americans currently work within a shared office. With the average coworking covering 7,308 square foot, that’s 27,492,696 sq ft of shared working space across the United States, again by far the most of any global nation. Of course, America’s labour force is one of the largest in the world at 146m people, with just China and India home to a larger overall workforce. As a result, America’s current coworking setup could accommodate just 0.21% of its total labour force. In this respect, Hong Kong is home to the highest level of coworking spaces with enough to currently accommodate 0.58% of the nation’s total workforce, with Portugal (0.49%), Spain (0.41%), Australia (0.39%), Canada (0.28%) and the UK (0.24%) also ranking ahead of the United States. Founder of Ezra, Nick Goldberg, commented: “Coworking spaces have become incredibly popular in recent years as they not only provide flexibility and affordability, but also a fresh business culture focussed on accessibility and collaboration. Of course, the pandemic will have caused many to swap their shared workspace for a home office for the short term, but this popularity is expected to keep growing as the world reopens and the way we work continues to evolve. America is very much the nation leading this workplace revolution with by far the most coworking spaces and the number of those opting to use them. However, this is a trend we’re seeing emerge on a global scale and one that we expect will continue to gain momentum.” Contact Details Properganda James Lockett +44 20 7856 0185 james@properganda.pr Company Website https://www.helloezra.com

May 19, 2021 08:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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COVID-19 crisis will lead to a new period of rapid, transformative growth and prosperity: Studio 44 reveal 10 key insights for business leaders

Stockwood Strategy

As we recover from the COVID pandemic, environmental, social and technological trends are converging, leading to rapid, disruptive and transformative change, the likes of which we have not experienced for more than a generation, argues Simon Sear, CEO and founder of Studio 44. Leaders need to ensure that they and their organisation are ready to innovate and transform. Sear said: “The COVID crisis will lead to a new period of rapid, transformative growth and prosperity just like the First World War led to the roaring twenties, the Second World War to the golden age of capitalism and the recession of the late 1970s to the expansive growth of the 1980s. Spring always follows winter.” Combining with this natural economic cycle are major tailwinds, such as society’s demand for more progress on racial and gender equality, social mobility and mental wellbeing, Studio 44 argues. Governments and wider society have reached a tipping point on progress with environmental sustainability, while technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), hyper-automation and the Internet of Things (IoT) are supercharging change. These converging trends will result in rapid, disruptive and transformative change, the likes of which we have not experienced for more than a generation. Sear added: “Economists are predicting record growth and leaders need to ensure that their organisations are bold, more agile and quicker to change than at any time in history in order to deliver competitive performance in terms of cost efficiency, revenues and return on capital” Studio 44 has identified ten key insights by working with leaders during the challenging times of COVID, ranging from experimentation to mindset, technology to organisational culture. Sear concluded: “The crisis has highlighted many insights into how leaders can prepare for this next phase of growth and the journey ahead. They are at a once in a generation inflection point, opportunity is coming, and they need to ensure that they and their organisation are ready to innovate and transform.” Here is a summary of Studio 44’s top ten insights: Create a common mission: Often, in non-crisis times, organisations pay lip service to their mission. It’s written down, but no one really buys it. If the crisis did one thing very well, it was to provide a focus. The need for speed: The pace of change had been increasing, but the crisis supercharged this. Leaders need to focus their organisation on being able to respond quicker and with more agility than ever before. Change the corporate mindset: Many companies have long-held beliefs that limited their ability to respond and transform assumptions that need to be put in the bin. Make bold investments: The successful businesses of the last 12 months were the ones that had historically invested in new ways of working and bold new propositions. Experiment: In a decade that will be defined by rapid change and transformation, inexpensive, fast experimentation needs to be in the DNA of an organisation. Allocate your best people to your best opportunities: The pace of change is becoming ever faster and the war for talent continues to heat up. Leaders need to balance the need for transparency and fairness with quickly getting the right people in the right roles to optimise the chances of an organisation’s success. Teach more than new digital skills: In building on the successes of working from home and a period of change and disruption, it's crucial to teach employees new cognitive strategies and behaviours to enable them to adapt. Break the silos: During the COVID crisis innovative leaders gathered a multi-skilled team, incentivised them all for success in the same way and gave them the space to make it happen. Many leaders are now thinking about how they can maintain this kind of operating model and not return to older ways of working and the inefficiencies they create. Keep communicating: The pace of disruption and uncertainty in the next decade means that people will often feel unsettled and will seek reassurance. These are the same needs team members faced during the COVID crisis. Practice stakeholder capitalism: Leaders need to take a cooperative model into the next period of transformation. They need to take a long-term view, to have a strategy that not only ensures financial performance in the short term, but invests, and is seen to invest, in longer-term positive outcomes for all stakeholders. About Studio 44 Studio 44 is creating the future. It is a next generation consultancy that helps senior business leaders create step-out growth, disrupt markets and transform their culture and ways of working. It brings together smart people from tech, the arts, business and science with a common mission to create growth for clients with a focus on people and the planet. By bringing diverse thinking and the spirit and energy of a start-up to corporate clients Studio 44 radically shifts the operating model of a traditional consultancy. Contact Details Studio 44 Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://studio44.io/

May 19, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Digital transformation evades businesses that mismanage data

Stockwood Strategy

Data is poorly understood, inadequately valued and badly managed by global businesses costing them and their investors billions of dollars every year, according to a report published today by Anmut, the data valuation specialists. This is a big problem because it means most businesses are running on data that isn’t fit for purpose. The Anmut Data Leadership Report compiled data and anecdotal evidence from almost 100 Chief Data Officers from organisations headquartered on five continents whose collective annual revenues total over $1 trillion. The report finds that 91% of business leaders believe data is critical to the success of their businesses. However, only one in three (34%) of their companies manage their businesses’ data assets with the same disciplines as other business assets. These companies spend their allocated data management budget on creating value from their data that in turn helps them scale their businesses and develop their strategies. The remaining two thirds (66%) are using half of their data budgets to fix problems and errors identified within the data itself. According to the report, the average global business spends between 4% and 7% of annual operating expenses on managing its data. For a global financial services brand, that amounts to as much as $1.5-3 billion annually. “Time and again we’re seeing international businesses and household name brands coming under fire for reasons that seem preventable with hindsight,” says Herman Heyns, CEO of Anmut. "Those that succeed do so because they really understand the value of their data, and therefore prioritise and manage it well." Three quarters of respondents (76%) say their businesses are investing in large-scale data and digital transformation strategies. And, 63% say data is more critical than technology to achieve business transformation. Yet, Anmut's report also finds that technology investment regularly overshadows data investment. Technology gets three times the attention (73%) and five and a half times (88%) the budget as data. This is in spite of the fact that technology is dependent on reliable data to run well. Heyns adds: “The preference to invest in technology over data throws up a fascinating question about what digital transformation really means for businesses all over the world. Digital transformation is a term that’s used everywhere, in every annual report and corporate strategy document. Digital transformation is what companies do to become data-driven. The advances many companies make might be digital in name, but to create the transformation they're aiming for, they cannot lose sight of the data.” Chief Data Officers (CDOs) interviewed for the report regularly cite the challenge to make data something that everyone in their businesses understands, values and knows how to manage. The report finds that one third of company boards (33%) don’t consider data a ‘material asset’. 9 in 10 CDOs (87%) say putting a monetary value on data would enable people within the business to manage that data better. Heyns adds: “A critical issue for businesses’ data leaders is winning senior buy-in. When the board doesn’t appreciate the value of data to a company’s future performance, it’ll lack investment further down the business. That’s where data valuation comes into play. When the value of data assets are set out in pounds and pence, data can be thought of as a business asset. Then it climbs up the food chain, gets taken more seriously, impacts C-suite decision-making more readily, and receives greater investment. When data is treated like any other asset by assigning a monetary value to it, businesses can make better strategic decisions.” Anmut, whose clients include Smith & Nephew and Highways England, advises international companies across all sectors on how to manage, measure and value the data within their businesses. Intangible assets make up 90% of the total market value of the world’s largest companies. Anmut’s most conservative estimates put data at 20% to 30% of that. With only a third of companies managing that value well, it’s not a surprise that companies who do manage data well - the FANGS - have become the most valuable companies in history in the shortest time. In March, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) published its report: Increasing Data Access across the UK Economy in which they commit to creating a framework within which the government may have the ability to make interventions into private and third sector organisations to unlock the full value of their data. DCMS follows governments in several leading economies including the US and Germany that are taking the lead to enforce better data management in business. About Anmut Consulting Anmut is the only data asset management company that makes the value of data unignorable, comparable and manageable for businesses investing in digital transformation. Anmut believes in the power of data-driven decisions to make people’s lives better, be they customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, local communities or future generations. Contact Details Anmut Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.anmut.co.uk/

May 19, 2021 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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