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NCMA Welcomes New Board Members to Advance the Contract Management Profession

National Contract Management Association

The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), a professional association and standards setter for contract management professionals, announced the addition of six new members to its Board of Directors. Karla Smith Jackson, Wes Bennett, Timothy Applegate, Steve Woo, David Cade, and Iris Cooper have joined the board to provide their unique expertise and insights in NCMA's strategic efforts. "We are pleased to welcome Karla, Wes, Timothy, Steve, and David to the NCMA Board of Directors," said NCMA Program Year 2024 President, Denyce Carter. “I’m also happy to report that Iris is serving a second term on the Board. As we continue to advance the contract management profession and its connection with other acquisition related communities through advocacy, standards, and professional development, each of these individuals brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and leadership to the organization. We are excited to have them on board to help us further our mission." With over 30 years of experience in federal contracting, Karla Smith Jackson, the Senior Procurement Executive, Deputy Chief Acquisition Officer and Assistant Administrator for Procurement at NASA, brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the board. Her impressive background in program management, acquisition, and contract planning, as well as her senior leadership roles in various government agencies, make her a valuable asset to the board. Wes Bennett is the Senior Director - Strategic Azure Gov't Cloud Contracts at Microsoft, where he provides executive-level advice on business strategy for Department of Defense and intelligence community specific opportunities for Azure Government Cloud products and solutions. With his expertise in both the defense industry and federal government, including his former role as DARPA’s Senior Procurement Executive, Mr. Bennett will be a valuable addition to the board. As a Senior Executive Service member and Director of the Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Timothy Applegate, CPCM, has experience in cradle-to-grave acquisition, program management, and operations of weapon systems in support of various multi-functional programs. With over 35 years of acquisition and contracting expertise and a Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Level III certification in Contracting, Mr. Applegate brings a wealth of knowledge to the board, particularly in the areas of strategic planning and program management. Steve Woo, CPCM, CFCM Fellow, currently leads a buying group at Jet Propulsion Laboratory managing $1.2B in subcontracts supporting NASA’s Deep Space Network facilities worldwide. Prior to his current position, he managed the Non-Flight Research & Develop group whose team established contracts with Sandia National Laboratories and other Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC). Mr. Woo’s leadership in the NCMA and his expertise in managing large-scale contracts make him a valuable addition to the board. David Cade is currently Vice President of U.S. Government Services Business Transformation for The Boeing Company. He is responsible for creating a framework for engagement and future contracts with government customers while meeting current business commitments. Mr. Cade brings experience in contracts, compliance, and business transformation to the board. He has a background in law and has served in various leadership roles at The Boeing Company. He is also dedicated to serving a broad spectrum of organizations, including the Boeing focal for Howard University, where he is responsible for development and implementation of a multi-year university strategy aligned with Boeing’s enterprise objectives. Iris Cooper, CPCM, Fellow, former Assistant Secretary for Procurement, Contracts, and Grants at the NC Department of Health and Human Services has been reappointed to the board. With experience in procurement and contracting, she brings a wealth of knowledge in managing contracts and grants across the NCDHHS mission. Her commitment to integrity, transparency, and efficient procurement strategies will be valuable to the board. Ms. Cooper's passion for acquisition transformation and leadership skills will help drive the success of the organization. "NCMA is honored to welcome these new and returning Directors," said NCMA CEO, Kraig Conrad. "Their invaluable experience and perspectives will play a crucial role in our collaboration to explore new avenues for growth.” The NCMA Board of Directors is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization, ensuring its financial stability, and overseeing the development and delivery of member services and educational programs. Beginning July 2023, the newly appointed Board will officially assume their duties and convene at NCMA's World Congress event in Nashville, TN. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1959 and is the world’s leading association in the field of contract management. With nearly 20,000 members, NCMA is dedicated to promoting excellence in the contract management profession through education, certification, and professional networking opportunities. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession and industry it represents and to offer opportunities for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. To find out more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details NCMA Holly DeHesa +1 281-865-3296 holly.dehesa@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

April 18, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Executive VP & Director of Training Michael Jutt Talks Minuteman As We Celebrate 50 Years of Minuteman Press

Minuteman Press International Inc

As Minuteman Press International celebrates 50 years in business, we are continuing the celebration of our history. Michael Jutt first started with Minuteman Press as a press operator in the original Farmingdale shop in October of 1974, which was the second location that opened after Plainview. At just 19 years-old, Mike was hired by Roy Titus, and the rest is history. When Minuteman Press decided to become a franchise, Mike was promoted to Director of Training; he created the first Minuteman Press training program and became an integral part of the company’s expansion into franchising. Mike remains a huge part of our success today as Minuteman Press International’s Executive VP & Director of Training. How did you first get started with Minuteman Press and the Titus family? Mike Jutt: “I was hired in October of 1974 by Roy Titus. George Holzmacher worked for Roy already and he said I should meet with Roy about a job in Farmingdale. At the time, I was working two jobs, one being in printing, and I wanted to be an attorney. I wasn’t sure I wanted to commute to Farmingdale since I lived and worked in Merrick and was attending Nassau Community College. I went to the Farmingdale shop to meet with Roy. When he arrived, we went outside of the shop, behind the building. Roy and I spoke about what he wanted for the Farmingdale shop, as he was looking to make some changes. He asked me how much I was making. At the time, I was making $110/week at the printing job. Roy offered to match, but I explained the extra gas money and time I’d be spending on the commute. He smiled and then offered me $120/week to get started, and I accepted the offer. That’s how my time with Minuteman Press started, working in the Farmingdale shop that Bob Titus was managing. We worked very hard to get the business up and running, it was fun.” What was it like working in the Farmingdale shop when you first started? Mike Jutt: “I had worked in one other neighborhood quick print shop before Minuteman Press, and I was very impressed my first day of employment when I saw Bob Titus come back to the shop with a marketing assistant. The fact that they were out knocking on doors and direct marketing our printing service was to me very different and unheard of at the time for printers. I asked the other press operator who that was that just walked in, and he said that was Roy’s son Bob. The differences between Minuteman Press and other print shops were a few things. First, I saw that they were actively marketing to build the business. We had a ton of work. Second, the type of equipment that we had – Multi-Graphics equipment – had better capabilities than what other quick printers were using. Third, we also had a huge focus on customer service, shop appearance, and quality work. Another game-changer is when Roy came in one day and handed me a brochure for a new piece of equipment made by 3M, which was a superior plate system to enable multicolor printing. This was the missing piece of what we needed to bring Minuteman Press to the next level. We had the press, we just needed a better plate system that could handle color inks as well as it did black ink. We thoroughly tested the plate system with the press and evaluated the cost. The result was that we now had the perfect package to achieve multicolor printing when other quick printers did mostly single-color or just black. The 3M plate was the ticket.” When Minuteman Press started franchising, what was it like for you creating the first training program? Mike Jutt: “The next major thing that happened was Roy discussing expanding the business and moving into franchising. He promoted the business opportunity and brought interested parties into the Farmingdale location to see what we were doing. The interest was really high from the people that Roy brought in, and years later, Roy told me it was during this time where he really noticed and recognized my abilities as a hardworking young man. At age 20, Roy made me Director of Training, and it was my responsibility to teach the new franchise owners everything about our business.” What do you think are the key reasons for the success of Minuteman Press as the franchise kept growing? Mike Jutt: “I credit the success of Minuteman Press as a franchise to leadership, hard work (long days and long weeks), treating the owners as true partners, caring and supporting our owners, and helping them achieve their success. Roy Titus said you need to treat people like you want to be treated. Roy not only preached it, but he also practiced it, and that was one of the biggest keys of our success as we grew and expanded the company.” What are some of the key aspects of the original training program that remain as core principles today? Mike Jutt: “From the launch of the training department, we have focused and communicated the importance of owners becoming experts in 5 major areas: Customer service Marketing their business Delivering quality products Keeping an incredible top appearance of their business and anything that represents their business Management with an emphasis on financial management Within each of these areas, there is extensive training today covering every detail of what these items actually encompass.” What are some of the key ways that the training program and Minuteman Press have evolved over the years? Mike Jutt: “The biggest areas that we’ve always been at the forefront of are research, development, and technology. Printing technology and enhancements with 3M products in the early days got better and better. With that said, one of the big first big efficiencies was added when our first pricing program was developed. In 1977, a new franchise owner from Dallas, Texas named Cal Baker came to the training program. Cal previously worked for EDS (Electronic Data Systems). He noticed that all of our formulas were mathematically logical and that they could be automated to save hours and hours when pricing jobs. I was intrigued by Mr. Baker’s knowledge and what he was going to do, and after he wrote the software, I told Roy I had to go to Dallas to look at what he created. Roy told me, “Whatever you have to spend to research anything that helps our owners and our company, spend it. If it’s going to help our owners, it’s going to help all of us. So, I went to Dallas and saw that the computer was made by Radio Shack. The original model was called a TRS 80 and it had 16K of memory. The program was stored on a regular cassette and at the time, this was a real game changer. After the trip to Dallas, myself and Dave Scadin enrolled in a programming course offered by Radio Shack and we learned basic programming to enhance and modify what we had. We would never ask our owners to buy equipment such as a computer until we tested it. I contacted the Tandy Corporation in Fort Worth, Texas and convinced them to give us 10 computers as a trial, which we distributed to owners to test at 10 locations. We let the owners test it for 60 days and then they had to either give it back or buy the computer. 100% of the owners purchased the computer and none of us have ever looked back. From that point forward, we continued to invest in software development uniquely written to our policies and production. This protected us from software companies going out of business and gave us long-term advantages that we still benefit from to this day.” Mike continues: “Another key milestone for us was the advent of digital printing. The first Apple Mac computer that came with a printer was released in 1984. Digital printing technology emerged with desktop publishing thanks to companies like Apple, IBM, and HP. For our industry, this was great because we could create various different styles and designs on very economical equipment. It also replaced photo typesetting, which took a lot longer and was a very big investment. We quickly recognized that digital printing would evolve. In the beginning, we also recognized that the two technologies could coexist. Today, approximately 40 years later, that is absolutely what happened. The ability, production, and ease of use of the digital equipment has only made Minuteman Press an even better company. And partnering with our key suppliers Xerox, Konica-Minolta, and Hewlett-Packard has brought us improved productivity and profits.” Is there anything else you’d like to share? Mike Jutt: “Minuteman Press today has evolved to be so much more than what it was when we first started. We have developed and refined systems, policies, procedures, and a company that has a long-standing culture of caring for our owners in 5 countries. And from a personal perspective, with the diversity of products and the need for those products, the opportunity for entrepreneurs is incredible. I personally feel honored to be able to experience the emergence of such a fantastic company, Minuteman Press International.” For more information on Minuteman Press products and services, visit https://minuteman.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

April 18, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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DISTRICT HIRES DOUG BENNETT AS NEW WATER CONSERVATION MANAGER

Washington County Water Conservancy District

The Washington County Water Conservancy District (district) has hired Doug Bennett to serve as Water Conservation Manager. Bennett will oversee the development and implementation of the district's conservation policies and programs. Bennett has more than 28 years' experience in successful water conservation at two western water agencies and broad experience in landscape management in desert climates. Prior to joining the district, he served as the water conservation manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas, NV. During his tenure, the Las Vegas region achieved a 48% reduction in per capita water demand. Bennett developed and managed the nation’s largest landscape conversion program, transforming more than 215 million square feet of grass, and the world’s largest professional conference for urban water efficiency, Water Smart Innovations. “Doug is a proven, nationally recognized leader in water conservation,” said Zach Renstrom, district general manager. “His extensive experience and vision will elevate our water conservation efforts to the next level. We’re thrilled he’s joined our team.” Bennett has received more than a dozen conservation awards, including the Water Star Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alliance for Water Efficiency. He has worked on projects for the Water Reuse Foundation, the Water Research Foundation, the US EPA WaterSense Program, the US Green Building Council and the American Water Works Association. He has a bachelor's degree in agriculture and a master’s degree in business management from New Mexico State University. About Washington County Water Conservancy District The Washington County Water Conservancy District is a not-for-profit public agency that oversees water resources in Washington County, UT. The county has already reduced its per capita water use more than 30% since 2000 – the greatest reduction in water use in Utah – and has passed Utah’s most restrictive water ordinances for new development to achieve additional savings. Visit wcwcd.org for more information. Contact Details Washington County Water Conservancy District Karry Rathje, Communications & Govt Affairs Manager +1 435-673-3617 karry@wcwcd.org Company Website https://www.wcwcd.org/

April 18, 2023 07:55 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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Shareholders Asked to Vote for Reduced Power for Chairman/CEO of ‘Woke-A-Cola’

National Legal & Policy Center

The annual meeting for The Coca-Cola Company is next Tuesday, April 25, and shareholders will be asked to vote on a proposal that would increase accountability for the company’s Chairman and CEO, James Quincey. National Legal and Policy Center is sponsoring Proposal No. 8 on the company’s proxy statement, which requests the Board of Directors to require the two powerful roles now occupied by Quincey to be split between two individuals. NLPC argues that Quincey has inappropriately engaged the company in multiple divisive political issues that are not in the fiduciary interest of Coca-Cola or its shareholders. As an investor in the company, NLPC has filed a report to the Securities and Exchange Commission that explains its rationale for appointing an equally authoritative counterpart to keep Quincey’s left-leaning political excursions in check. “James Quincey, invoking the name of ‘Coca-Cola,’ has repeatedly weighed in on issues like opposing the Georgia election integrity law and in support of Black Lives Matter, pointing out the alleged racial sins of America,” said Paul Chesser, director of the Corporate Integrity Project for NLPC. “His careless rhetoric only harmed the company’s reputation, since 2022 voter turnout in the Peach State elections was extremely high. Meanwhile, Quincey has highlighted Coca-Cola’s hypocrisy by doing extensive business in China, while saying nothing about the communist government’s genocide and enslavement practices.” In its report to the SEC, NLPC points out several examples of Quincey’s leadership failures, including: entering Coca-Cola in a multi-company effort as co-signer of a letter that opposed plans by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2018 to restore definitions of “sex” to remove the term “identity,” for the purposes of Title IX enforcement of gender discrimination in civil rights law; signing the Company’s name to a 2019 letter in support of the so-called “Equality Act,” which would have added “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin” discrimination protections in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – which would have squashed almost all other rights and freedoms Americans possess, including speech, association, privacy, and property rights; held mandatory “anti-racist” training in 2021 that instructed employees to try to “be less white,” which included recommendations to “be less oppressive, be less arrogant, be less certain, be less defensive, be less ignorant, be more humble, listen, believe, break with apathy, (and) break with white solidarity;” providing $2.5 million in grants for left-leaning organizations that included $500,000 to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a deeply racist, anti-law enforcement organization that spent millions of dollars in corporate donations to enrich its leaders and their family members, and purchased several multi-million dollar mansions for personal use; engaged Coca-Cola in a multi-company letter-writing campaign to urge a “permanent legislative solution to enable (illegal immigration) ‘Dreamers’ who are currently living, working, and contributing to our communities to continue doing so” – a policy many Americans characterize as “amnesty;” opposed the “Heartbeat Bill” when it passed the Georgia Senate in 2019, signing a letter of objection with other businesses. The bill prohibited abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, with exceptions for cases that involve rape, incest, and saving the life of the mother. NLPC’s report to the SEC also notes that since Quincey immersed Coca-Cola in controversial political issues, the company’s stock performance has lagged behind its chief competitors (like PepsiCo), when he should have been focused on his fiduciary priorities. “Coca-Cola, like almost every company that combines the power of chairman and CEO in one person, claims they do so to maximize returns for shareholders,” Chesser said. “But the opposite is usually the case. The board needs a stronger counterpart to put the kibosh on Mr. Quincey’s political activities.” Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 18, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New Alvarez & Marsal Spring 2023 Consumer Sentiment Report Highlights Impacts of Inflation, Recession Expectations, Newfound Optimism

Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group

· Category spend up from fall 2022 for basic needs, experiences, gifts & indulgences · Half of consumers are taking a vacation this spring/summer, up 14% from last year · Consumers believe inflation has yet to peak and majority are preparing for a potential recession Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group (A&M CRG) today released its newest consumer report, Consumer Sentiment Survey Spring 2023, which looks at the impacts of inflation and resultant changes in consumer spending over the last year, as well as spending expectations for the coming six-month period. This is the fourth installment of its bi-annual Consumer Sentiment Report, based on a survey of 1,500+ consumers matching the U.S. adult population according to gender, age, ethnicity, region and income. The report covers various changing behaviors in response to personal finances and the state of the economy, including consumers’ shopping priorities by category, concerns over rising prices, vacation plans, and other factors that will affect purchase decisions this spring/summer, and more. “Our objective was to understand how the financial headlines American consumers have been hearing is affecting them in terms of their optimism or lack thereof, their buying patterns and expectations, and their preferred shopping channels,” noted Jonathan Sharp, Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group, and lead author of the study. “What we found is that the ‘recession is coming’ drumbeat has got through to US consumers and they expect a slowdown in the coming months. That’s all theoretical for now and the reality is that the US consumer is still punching – spending plans are up, inflation-fatigue is being overcome and optimism is back in fashion.” The study found that: · Consumer expectations on things getting better, saving more, having more money, and plans to spend the same or more on basic needs were all up from fall 2022 · Among shopping priorities by category, all non-essential categories were up this season compared to fall 2022 · Vacation spend is up year over year – half of respondents are taking a vacation this spring/summer, and 31% of those taking a vacation plan to travel internationally (+12% y-o-y) · 65% of consumers believe that prices will continue to rise, and two thirds believe the U.S. will be in a recession within the next year “Retailers should capitalize on this optimistic mindset by balancing consumer preferences, managing inventory, and driving traffic in-stores & online” added Jonathan Sharp. “But smart retailers will remain agile should consumer mindsets revert.” To download a pdf of Consumer Sentiment Survey Spring 2023, please visit: https://alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/insight/consumer-sentiment-survey-spring-23/ The Alvarez and Marsal Consumer and Retail Group (CRG) is a management consulting firm that tackles the most complex challenges and advances its clients, people, and communities toward their maximum potential. CRG combines the best of A&M’s broader firm's bias toward action and practicality with deep consumer and retail industry experience. CRG partners with businesses across a wide range of categories including Food & Beverage, Beauty & Personal Care, Grocery, Mass Merchandise, and Apparel & Footwear to drive significant performance improvement. Contact Details David Schneidman dschneidman@alvarezandmarsal.com Company Website https://www.alvarezandmarsal.com/industries/retail/retail

April 18, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Risk Ledger survey of 2500+ suppliers reveals key supply chain cyber security weaknesses

Risk Ledger

Attackers are targeting under-resourced suppliers with weaker defences as a way of disrupting or compromising larger organisations. The notable ransomware attack on a supplier to semiconductor giant Applied Materials is expected to lead to $250m in lost sales. With well over 60% of organisations having suffered a data breach through a third party, this regularly results in regulatory fines, huge data recovery costs and loss of consumer trust. Spotlighting the key security weaknesses in the supply chain ecosystem, cyber security business Risk Ledger is publishing its ‘ State of Cyber Security in the Supply Chain 2023 ’ report on Tuesday, 18th April. The report is based on proprietary data from over 2,500 suppliers that have shared information on their risk posture against over 200 cyber security controls with their customers on the Risk Ledger platform. Based on its findings, it draws attention to the 12 most common weaknesses among suppliers and offers practical recommendations by cyber security experts for improving organisations’ third-party risk management strategies. Some of the major findings revealed in this report include: 17% do not enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all remotely accessible services. MFA is the simplest, most effective way to keep hackers out of your online accounts. However, whilst MFA is simple to implement, it does increase friction for the user and is therefore often provided as an optional setting which needs to be intentionally configured. This often leaves MFA disabled and the accounts vulnerable to unauthorised access through password theft. 23% do not use Privileged Access Management controls to securely manage the use of privileged accounts. Highly privileged accounts are the ultimate target for attackers. With high privileges, an attacker will be able to access more sensitive (and more valuable) data, and modify security detection tools to cover their own tracks. 20% do not use a password manager. People are terrible at remembering passwords, which means employees create insecure passwords like qwerty123. This is not their fault! Businesses need to provide a practical alternative. All three of these weaknesses are common causes of cyber security incidents and a high proportion of third, fourth and fifth party suppliers are not using controls to protect themselves or their customers in these areas. The perhaps biggest problem associated with supply chain cyber attacks is the almost total lack of visibility into the prevailing weaknesses among suppliers. There is a wealth of existing data on the tools hackers use to target companies, and on the effects of such attacks, allowing cyber security professionals to put specific defences in place. There has been a total lack of visibility, however, into the main weaknesses in security postures of suppliers that allow these attacks to be successful in the first place. Risk Ledger’s new report gives this unique insight. Risk Ledger’s CEO, Haydn Brooks commented: “Companies rarely run security assurance against more than 10% of their immediate third-party suppliers, while visibility into the risks existing further down the chain remains almost non-existent. To improve this situation, better data and insights into the most prevalent weaknesses in the wider supplier ecosystem are needed, so that remedial efforts can become more focussed. This is the purpose of our report. We want to share the insights we have obtained from suppliers on the Risk Ledger platform with the wider security community, allowing them to use our findings to benchmark their own suppliers against their peers.” Risk Ledger’s “ The State of Cyber Security in the Supply Chain: Data Insights Report 2023 ” will be available for download on Risk Ledger’s website from Tuesday, 18th April. About Risk Ledger Risk Ledger is an award-winning cyber security start-up that was founded in 2018 by Haydn Brooks and Daniel Saul with a mission to shift the way organisations approach cyber security in the supply chain. Built on the idea of a social network, organisations using Risk Ledger can connect with and continuously monitor their suppliers' risk controls, including security, financial and ESG, and work together through the Risk Ledger platform to remediate any risks. Risk Ledger's client base includes organisations like BAE AI, City of London Police, Telenor, Scottish Rail, the UK Health Security Agency, among many others. Contact Details Risk Ledger Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://riskledger.com/

April 18, 2023 08:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Intellia, the financial analyst cloud unlocking emerging market talent globally, launches AI-powered vetting and project delivery platform

Intellia

Helping agile companies find the best strategy and finance consultants around the world to explore growth opportunities and unblock hurdles, the world’s first managed talent marketplace for finance and strategy analysts, Intellia is today launching an AI-powered vetting and project delivery platform for finance, strategy and public policy powered by talent from frontier markets. Intellia offers on-demand, remote analysts that can be deployed within 24 hours, saving companies 80% on recruiting and advisory budget through its proprietary AI-driven analyst vetting, training and quality control platform. Businesses can hire remote analysts, teams or explore deeper consulting services. Launched in 2020, Intellia has already established operations globally, sourcing thousands of analysts from countries as diverse as Colombia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates. Having a presence in different continents allows customers to engage analysts 24 hours a day. Only the top 1% of these analysts are engaged to work with clients. Intellia analysts have gone on to be hired by leading corporates and advisory firms globally. Intellia boasts a 95% client retention rate volunteering to refund its fee pending client satisfaction. Intellia is now set to launch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Lagos, Nigeria next month. Intellia founder and CEO, Saad Raja commented: “Currently, consulting firms take weeks to negotiate exorbitantly high fixed project fees with limited flexibility for businesses. On the other hand, freelancer portals provide relatively low quality, unsupervised services not fit for corporates and the public sector. Intellia is addressing this gap by engaging remote talent from emerging markets which can now participate in higher value roles in finance, strategy and public policy. By sourcing and training analysts from these markets, Intellia is on a mission to transform these countries into knowledge economies.” Intellia has over 150 vetted analysts that are already advising multinational companies with their product launches, analysing new investments for sovereign funds and private equity firms, supporting expansion projects for Michelin star restaurants in Europe, and advising African and Middle Eastern governments on increasing foreign trade inflows. Additionally, over half of Intellia’s analyst workforce is female. Other use cases include value creation plans and portfolio monitoring; investment due diligence and memorandums; economic development policies; pricing strategies; trade, economic policies and strategies; merger and acquisition screening; deal pipeline development; financial modelling; and valuation and analysis. Last year Intellia raised $1.5m from Fatima Gobi Ventures and high-profile technology and finance leaders including global CFOs and former Managing Partners of tier one consulting firms. Saad Raja added: “Intellia is bridging the gap between finance education and what the industry demands. Our platform vets and trains analysts on exactly what clients need”. About Intellia Intellia is the world’s first managed talent marketplace for finance and strategy. Its AI-driven analyst vetting, project delivery and quality control platform helps customers engage analysts within 24 hours and save up to 80% cost. For more information please visit https://www.intellia.io/ Contact Details intellia Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.intellia.io/

April 18, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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As He Pretends Anheuser-Busch is an American Company, CEO Brendan Whitworth Fails Leadership Test

National Legal & Policy Center

Anheuser-Busch has finally addressed the controversy that has embroiled the company since April 1 when it centered a Bud Light promotion around transgender “influencer” Dylan Mulvaney. Only problem is, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement Friday addressing the issue by not addressing it, accomplishing nothing but to underscore his own helplessness and guaranteeing that the conflagration will continue. Whitworth’s statement asserted that “we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.” But nowhere could he even say what the “discussion” is about, as if the topic was too hot to even mention. He doesn’t say it was a mistake for a beer company to promote transgenderism, nor does he defend the ad campaign. It is as if he had to say something if only to quiet his coterie of underlings and PR consultants who were no doubt urging him to say something. He took the faintest stab possible to assuage consumers who might most object to the promotion by saluting “military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.” But he could not state the obvious about why all these great people might object to Dylan Mulvaney, namely that men cannot become women, and that it is a folly for anyone, much less a beer company, to advance this lie. Unfortunate for Whitworth, he is handcuffed by the company’s long association with activists who would turn on him as quickly and eagerly as they have accepted his company’s support and money over the years. Anheuser-Busch gets a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign so-called Corporate Equality Index, and the company promotes gender ideology in its internal training programs. Whitworth fails the leadership test. It’s easy to lay claim to effective institutional management when all the choices are good. Real leadership becomes evident, however, when the choices are bad. But maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on poor Whitworth because his authority as CEO is not what is seems. Whitworth, whose actual title is “CEO North American Zone,” proudly reports that Anheuser-Busch was “founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago,” but he does not mention that the company was sold to the multinational InBev in 2008. The company is now known as Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA/NV, and is incorporated and headquartered in Belgium. In addition, CEO Michael Doukeris is a Brazilian citizen. According the company’s website, nine of its 12 directors are appointed by something called “Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev,” which it describes as “a foundation organised under the laws of the Netherlands, which represents an important part of the interests of the Belgian founding families of the Company and the interests of the Brazilian families previously shareholders of AmBev.” So, Whitworth’s real bosses are a group of ultrarich Europeans and South Americans, who will ultimately act in what they perceive to be their own interests, not those of American beer drinkers. These plutocrats attempt to keep the attention off their wealth by buying off the activists who might challenge it. That is why the company panders to, and bankrolls, a host of woke causes worldwide. Like Unilever, another Europe-based multinational whose American subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s plunged it into controversy (when it ended ice cream sales in the disputed territories of Israel), Anheuser-Busch InBev abets social and political causes that undermine the cultural values and economic interests of the consumers they purport to serve. National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) sponsors the Corporate Integrity Project. When Anheuser-Busch was still an independent company, NLPC filed a series of shareholder proposals seeking disclosure of its financial support for political and social activist groups. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 17, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

News Release

5 Best Crypto Bull Run Coins to Invest in April 2023

Finance News

The cryptocurrency market is showing strength as prices continue to surge, with many experts believing that the market is primed for its next bull market. As the global economic situation improves, several crypto projects with strong fundamentals and exciting use cases are ready to show explosive price growth. This article analyses the growth prospects of several exciting projects and reveals the 5 best cryptocurrencies to invest in this month. The Top 5 Cryptocurrencies To Buy Right Now in April 2023 Improving macroeconomic outlook in April 2023 will result in a strong price movement for the crypto market. Here are the 5 best coins to buy for the next bull run: Love Hate Inu (LHINU): Exciting new vote-to-earn meme coin with excellent potential. DeeLance (DLANCE): Brand new platform set to revolutionize the freelancing and recruitment industry. Ecoterra: Best climate-friendly crypto token with recycle-to-earn rewards Bitcoin: Largest cryptocurrency in the world, set for an explosive price surge after breaching $30K. Ethereum: Leading cryptocurrency and smart contract platform in the world. A Closer Look at the Best Crypto Bull Run Coins to Invest in this Month Let’s dive into the fundamentals and use cases that make these tokens the best cryptocurrencies to buy today. 1. Love Hate Inu (LHINU) - New Meme Coin That’s Raised Over $3.5m in Presale Love Hate Inu is an Ethereum-based vote-to-earn meme coin with a strong performance during its pre-sale and our pick for the best cryptocurrency to buy now. LHINU is quickly emerging as an alternative meme coin, with a stronger growth potential than Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. LHINU is the native crypto token of the Love Hate Inu platform. Love Hate Inu allows users to vote on a wide variety of topics, from trendy celebrities to politics to sports events, etc. Some of the exciting celebrities that Love Hate Inu users can vote for include Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Kim Jong Un, Andrew Tate, etc. Moreover, Love Hate Inu incentivizes users to vote on its platform through its vote-to-earn mechanism. Users can earn $LHINU tokens and NFTs along with other exciting rewards for participating in Love Hate Inu surveys. Love Hate Inu’s use of blockchain technology offers it numerous advantages over other Web2 voting platforms. Twitter and Reddit polls are increasingly susceptible to bots, spam, and trolls. However, Love Hate Inu solves these problems through its stake-to-vote mechanism. Users will have to own a small amount of $LHINU to vote on the platform. Furthermore, the voting power of individuals will be determined by the amount and duration of their stake. This allows the creators of surveys to be confident about the authenticity of the voters. Businesses can use the Love Hate Inu platform to gauge public sentiment regarding potential ideas and products. $LHINU meme coin is catching the eye of investors due to its strong pre-sale price movement. It has already raised close to $4 million and is priced at $0.000105. However, the price is set to surge to $0.000115 in a day. The token will launch soon at the price of $0.000145. Users can buy LHINU by connecting their wallets and purchasing the token using ETH, BNB or USDT. LHINU’s bullish price surge and its exciting use case make it one of the best crypto bull run coins. Visit Love Hate Inu 2. DeeLance - New Crypto Freelancing Platform Looking to Rival Upwork DeeLance is a blockchain-based freelancing and hiring platform. Using smart contract technology and a blockchain ecosystem, DeeLance is reimagining the hiring and recruitment industry. $DLANCE is the native crypto token for DeeLance. It is showing excellent growth during its ongoing pre-sale. The DeeLance ecosystem will consist of four main components: a metaverse and NFT marketplace for all users, a freelancing platform and a job and hiring platform. The $DLANCE token will be utilized for all the platforms. The use of smart contract technology gives DeeLance a significant edge over other Web2 competitors such as Freelancer or Upwork. For example, DeeLance charges a minimal client fee of 2% and a freelancer fee of 10%. Platforms such as Freelancer, Upwork and Fiverr can charge fees as high as 20%. DeeLance’s other significant attraction is its instant payment withdrawal. Using the crypto payment mechanism, freelancers can get an instant withdrawal of their funds. On the other hand, platforms such as Freelancer require a minimum payout of $100. Furthermore, such platforms also charge a withdrawal fee that can range anywhere from 2.75% to 5%. DeeLance also uses escrow accounts to ensure the reliability of payment for its users. It also has a scalable dispute system that can help resolve any issues between freelancers and recruiters. $DLANCE is showing strong bullish sentiments during its pre-sale. The token has already raised $117,000 and is currently priced at $0.025. However, the price will surge to $0.029 within the next 4 days and will continue surging till the launch price of $0.053. Interested users can purchase $DLANCE from deelance.com using ETH or USDT. Users can also purchase the token via credit card on DeeLance’s partner platforms. DeeLance’s revolutionary use case makes it the best cryptocurrency to invest in now. Visit Deelance 3. Ecoterra - Eco-Friendly Token with Recycle-to-earn Rewards Ecoterra is one of the most futuristic crypto tokens in the world. It uses blockchain technology to incentivize individuals and companies to tackle climate change. Ecoterra is also playing a crucial role in changing the mainstream narrative around cryptocurrencies. One of the most damaging criticisms pertaining to the crypto industry is its energy-intensive and environmentally dangerous nature. Ecoterra’s environmentally friendly narrative is serving to improve the industry’s image among the general population. Ecoterra’s Recycle2earn application rewards users for engaging in eco-friendly activities. Users can scan the bar code of any recyclable item, upload an RVM receipt after recycling the product and earn Ecoterra as a reward. Each recyclable item equals a certain amount of the token. Ecoterra also provides a carbon offsets marketplace. The marketplace allows businesses to offset their carbon footprint and reduce carbon emissions. Its Recycled Materials marketplace allows businesses to purchase recycled products. The use of blockchain technology allows users and businesses to accurately measure their positive impact in a transparent manner. Ecoterra aims to expand its user base to not only include individuals and small businesses but also large corporations, NGOs, and even entire industries and governments. Ecoterra can be used by a wide variety of companies such as H&M, Coca Cola and The North Face. The Ecoterra token is showing a strong positive outlook during its pre-sale and is set for a bull run. The token has already raised over $600,000 and is very close to reaching its target of $800,000. It is currently priced at $0.004, which is expected to surge to $0.00475 within the next 6 days. The token has a listing price of $0.01. Users can purchase Ecoterra from its website using ETH, USDT or credit card. They can connect using either Metamask or the Trust Wallet App. Ecoterra’s ecological impact and strong price surge make it one of the best crypto bull run coins. Visit Ecoterra 4. Bitcoin The largest cryptocurrency in the world is set to explode as prices continue to surge. BTC has rallied over 80% in 2023 to breach the $30,000 mark for the first time after June 2022. The cryptocurrency has surged 9% in the last 7 days. Bitcoin prices are expected to continue their domination as the global economy is turning favorable for the crypto market. The recent banking crisis has raised concerns regarding the viability of the global banking system. Furthermore, the latest inflation data suggests that the US Federal Reserve can soon halt its interest rate hike. Bitcoin surged to its all-time high during the period of low interest rates and economic prosperity. With the next Bitcoin halving quickly approaching, Bitcoin is the best cryptocurrency to invest in this month. BTC prices explode near and after halving events as demand increases and supply gets reduced by half. Bitcoin also has a favorable image amongst regulators. The US Securities and Exchanges Commission believes Bitcoin is the only cryptocurrency that can be regarded as a commodity. This will result in favorable regulation for Bitcoin and a certain price surge. 5. Ethereum Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency and leading smart contract platform, is showing extremely bullish sentiments. Ethereum is also receiving a strong boost from the improving macro environment. Ethereum has breached the $2k mark as prices surged by 5% in the last 24 hours and 7% in the last 7 days. ETH’s strong performance is surprising considering the Shanghai update on Wednesday. The Shanghai update allows validators to remove their staked ETH for the first time after the Ethereum Merge. Despite the sudden increase in supply, Ethereum continues to dominate the crypto market. ETH is also set to expand its utility as upcoming updates will increase its network capacity and allow Ethereum to have a faster network speed than Visa and Mastercard. Ethereum’s surge and upcoming upgrades make it the best cryptocurrency to invest in now. DISCLAIMER: This is not to be taken as investment advice. Crypto is a volatile asset, do your own research before investing and only invest money you can afford to lose. We may receive commission for clicking links in this article. Contact Details Finance News Alex Brown alex@financenews.com

April 14, 2023 02:33 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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