Kelly Estrella Promoted to Chief Operating Officer as Clint Kendall Transitions to Allied’s Board of Directors

LONDON, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Allied Global Marketing (Allied) today announced that Adam Cunningham, previously Chief Strategy Officer, has been appointed Global Chief Executive Officer. Kelly Estrella, previously Chief of Marketing Operations, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. The appointments position Allied for its next phase of growth as an integrated marketing partner to brands across entertainment, gaming, sports, hospitality, tourism and location-based experiences, combining deep category expertise with proprietary tools, data and applied AI. Cunningham succeeds Clint Kendall, who will become a member of Allied’s Board of Directors. 

Adam Cunningham

“Adam has helped shape Allied’s strategy at a pivotal moment for our industry,” said Kendall. “As marketing becomes more integrated, more data-led and more operationally complex, he brings the strategic clarity, commercial focus and modern operating discipline needed to lead Allied forward.” 

As CEO, Cunningham will oversee Allied’s global business and lead the agency’s focus on integrated growth, operational discipline and the continued development of proprietary tools, data and applied AI that help teams work with greater speed, precision and insight. He will work across strategy, creative, paid, earned, owned and analytics to strengthen cross-market collaboration, deepen client partnerships and advance workflow capabilities that improve delivery while keeping human judgement at the centre. 

“Clients need partners who can connect creative ambition with operational rigour, audience insight and faster, more measurable execution,” said Cunningham. “Allied is uniquely built for that moment. We have deep category expertise, a strong global team and the opportunity to turn our integrated model, proprietary tools, data and applied AI into an even stronger advantage for the brands and experiences we help grow.” 

As Chief Operating Officer, Estrella will lead global operations, with responsibility for aligning teams, strengthening delivery discipline and scaling Allied’s capabilities across markets and clients to support the agency’s continued growth. 

“Kelly is one of the most trusted and effective leaders in our business,” Cunningham added. “She brings the operational discipline, cross-market credibility and clarity of execution this next chapter requires. Her leadership will be critical as we scale the business with greater consistency, speed and accountability.” 

Kendall joined Allied Global Marketing in 2001 and has served as CEO since 2009, leading the company through more than two decades of growth and evolution. In his new role on Allied’s Board, he will support continuity during the leadership transition and work closely with Allied’s ownership group, Belmont Capital.

Together, these appointments strengthen Allied’s leadership and position the agency to expand its integrated offer, deepen strategic partnerships and deliver more measurable growth for clients in the moments that shape culture.

ABOUT ALLIED GLOBAL MARKETING
Allied Global Marketing (Allied) helps brands in entertainment, gaming, sports, hospitality, tourism and location-based experiences turn cultural attention into measurable growth. For nearly 40 years, Allied has combined deep domain expertise with integrated capabilities across strategy, creative, paid, earned, owned and analytics to plan, launch and scale campaigns, experiences and audience growth across markets. Backed by proprietary tools, data and applied AI that help teams plan, create and deliver with greater speed, precision and insight, Allied partners with leading studios, platforms and brands to deliver measurable impact in the moments that shape culture. 

Headquartered in the U.S. with 24 offices worldwide, Allied brings together global scale and local market expertise to help clients grow with greater speed, precision and relevance.
To learn more, visit www.alliedglobalmarketing.com. 

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Kelly Estrella

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STOCKHOLM, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Autoliv, Inc. (NYSE: ALV and SSE: ALIVsdb), has developed its first complete wearable protection for motorcycle riders: a vest with an integrated airbag system designed to reduce critical injury risks in the event of a crash. This system is being launched in collaboration with RS Taichi, a leading manufacturer of motorcycle riding gear, who will bring it to market. This initiative complements Autoliv’s motorcycle and bike offer and supports its strategy to explore opportunities beyond its core business of airbags, seatbelts and steering wheels for light vehicles.

RS Taichi Airbag Vest T-SABE – Protection for motorcycle riders

By expanding into new areas such as motorcycle rider protection, Autoliv demonstrates its commitment to innovation and market diversification. The collaboration between Autoliv and RS Taichi represents an important step in introducing advanced motorcycle rider protection to the market. Along with the recently announced launch of the airbag for the Yamaha Tricity 300 commuter scooter, both initiatives reinforce Autoliv’s strategic agenda and support our vision of Saving More Lives.

While Autoliv has previously supplied individual components for airbag vests, this new airbag system, featured in the new RS Taichi Airbag Vest T-SABE, represents Autoliv’s first fully developed wearable protection that has been engineered from initial concept through complete system validation. Building on this foundation, RS Taichi applied its expertise to enhancing its performance in real-world riding conditions.

“The collaboration with RS Taichi serves as another milestone in delivering on our commitment to expand mobility safety and develop cutting-edge protective systems for motorcycle riders. By working closely with partners like RS Taichi, who design and manufacture motorcycle rider gear, we can bring proven protection and raising the bar for rider safety,” said Fabien Dumont, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Autoliv.

“Our passion for creating high quality riding gear has now come together with Autoliv, a company that leads the global standard in safety. The new vest T-SABE is designed not only to protect riders, but also to provide a comfortable and safe riding experience helping create a long lasting and enjoyable motorcycle lifestyle,” said Hirohiko Yoshimura President & CEO of RS Taichi.

Motorcycle crash scenarios are highly dynamic and unpredictable, requiring advanced protective systems that respond with absolute precision. Autoliv’s new wearable airbag system applies the company’s real-life safety research, biomechanical expertise, and rigorous validation directly to motorcycle use.

The airbag system has been engineered as a scalable platform that can be integrated into multiple garment designs and tailored to different motorcycle riding styles and market segments. This approach aligns with Autoliv’s long‑term ambition to enable modular, high‑performance safety solutions across a wide range of applications and global markets.

The RS Taichi Airbag Vest T-SABE will be launched at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show on March 27-29, 2026.

More information: Airbags for Motorcycle Riders

Images: Autoliv Media Gallery

RS Taichi Airbag Vest T-SABE – Protection motorbike rider

High-performing Asia Pacific CFOs are turning working capital into a growth lever, with digital payment tools reducing late-payment losses by around 10%

SINGAPORE, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Findings from the recently released 2025–2026 Visa Growth Corporates Working Capital Index (WCI) reveal a significant gap between Asia Pacific companies’ working capital needs and the financial tools available to them.

Amid rising inflation, interest rates, and liquidity pressures, Asia Pacific Growth Corporates (mid-sized firms with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion) increasingly view efficient cash flow management as essential, with working capital becoming a more strategic tool for driving growth and resilience. Yet, nearly half of the region’s Growth Corporates are not utilising any working capital solutions, even as companies need more flexible access to cash.

Visa has identified three key themes from the WCI report that are relevant to businesses in Asia Pacific:

Misalignment Between Financial Products and Operational Needs

Mid-sized businesses across Asia Pacific face shifting working capital realities, including longer cash cycles, more structural payment delays and growing pressure to free up cross-border liquidity faster. However, most financial solutions have not kept up, with many remaining too rigid or generic for Asia Pacific’s diverse industries and fast-moving markets.

This growing disconnect between traditional financial product design and the real-world needs of businesses is driving CFOs to call for faster, more flexible and fully digital tools that align with real cash cycles and deliver capital at the speed of business.

Key insights include:

• 47% of Growth Corporates do not utilise working capital tools, often because existing solutions do not align with their operational models.
• 41% of firms want simplified digital tools for credit and account management, while 38% seek on-demand financing aligned with cash flow cycles, signalling demand for more flexible financial solutions.

Financial institutions that create offerings around real business cycles, while rethinking underwriting, approval speed and flexibility, will be better positioned to support the evolving needs of Growth Corporates.

Working Capital as a Strategic Growth Lever

While many firms lack suitable tools, leading finance teams in Asia Pacific are treating working capital as a strategic lever rather than a last resort, using early supplier payments, virtual cards and flexible funding to strengthen liquidity and respond more quickly to market opportunities. As a result, cards are evolving from transactional tools into working capital levers.

Key insights include:

• Late customer payments can cost companies an average of $15.7 million annually, but those using card payments to speed up collections have reduced late-payment losses by around 10%.
• Firms using working capital solutions can realise an average of $17.7 million in annual bottom-line benefits, equivalent to a 4.3% revenue boost.
• 9% of firms used working capital solutions to fund unplanned growth, up from 5.6% in 2024-25.

By improving cash flow visibility and accelerating receivables, these finance leaders can unlock additional capital within their operating cycles, turning liquidity management into a competitive advantage with direct improvements to the bottom line.

Shifting Demands on Banks

Across regions, CFOs rank fast, on-demand access to capital and simplified digital credit management among their top priorities, but these needs are especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where companies operate in fast-moving and often volatile markets.

Key insights include:

• 61% of Asia Pacific Growth Corporates now use AI or machine learning for working capital optimisation, including forecasting, risk scoring and automated approvals, as demand grows for embedded analytics and simpler digital credit management within banking platforms.
• CFOs expect fast, on-demand access to liquidity through digital rails, including tools such as virtual cards, automated approvals and digital platforms that enable businesses to respond quickly to time-sensitive opportunities.
• Finance leaders prioritise industry-specific expertise from banking partners, seeking relationship managers who understand sector-specific business cycles, supplier relationships and capital expenditure needs.

These trends signal a shift in how CFOs expect to access and manage liquidity. As demand grows for faster, more flexible financing and digitally enabled finance management, banks and financial institutions will need to move beyond generic products by integrating AI-driven insights, streamlining approval processes and pairing digital capabilities with deeper industry expertise to better support the evolving expectations of Asia Pacific CFOs.

“CFOs across Asia Pacific want flexible, sector-specific tools that match their operational realities,” said Chavi Jafa, Head of Commercial and Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. “Our data shows that agile, digital-first strategies and smarter forecasting are helping companies stay resilient and reinvest freed-up capital into growth. The Working Capital Index continues to spotlight how Growth Corporates are turning volatility into opportunity. At Visa, we are partnering across the ecosystem to deliver tailored, digital-first commercial solutions, like virtual cards integrated in ERP and digital enabler platforms, that help unlock working capital, accelerate approvals, and turn liquidity into a strategic growth lever.”

For more information on the Growth Corporates Working Capital Index, visit: https://workingcapitalindex.visa.com

About the Index

Visa’s Working Capital Index tracks financial behaviour among mid-sized firms, defined as companies with annual revenues between $50 million and $1 billion. The 2025-2026 edition is based on survey responses from over 1,300 CFOs and Treasurers across 23 countries and territories and 8 industry segments, with 298 respondents surveyed across Asia Pacific. The Index provides fresh insights into strategy trends, efficiency gains and the evolving behavioural profiles shaping corporate finance, including the emergence of strategic and adaptable working capital users.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com. 

SINGAPORE, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LionsBot International, a Singapore-founded robotics company specializing in autonomous cleaning solutions, today announced the strengthening of its strategic partnership with Orbbec, a leading provider of robotics and AI vision, to further enhance perception capabilities across LionsBot’s autonomous robots.

Under the partnership, Orbbec will serve as a preferred vision technology partner, providing 3D cameras, RGB cameras and LiDAR solutions to strengthen navigation, obstacle detection and robot reliability. The companies will also collaborate across engineering, supply chain coordination and joint market initiatives.

The collaboration also strengthens LionsBot’s R5 autonomous cleaning robot, designed to deliver professional cleaning power in a nimble robot that excels in tight corners, complex layouts and high-traffic environments where mobility and manoeuvrability are critical.

“Reliable robots need world-class perception. We’ve built a trusted partnership with Orbbec over the years, and we’re proud to make them the main 3D depth camera partner across our next generation lineup — strengthening R5 and delivering the kind of consistency customers can count on,” said Dylan Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of LionsBot International.

“This partnership goes beyond technology integration. LionsBot’s engineering discipline and global commercial reach are exceptional, and by combining their platform with Orbbec’s full-stack perception portfolio — from stereo vision to our new Pulsar ME450 LiDAR — we aim to raise the standard for what autonomous cleaning robots can perceive and navigate in real-world environments.” said Howard Huang, CEO of Orbbec.

Founded in Singapore, LionsBot designs and engineers its robots locally, with software developed by its Singapore R&D team. The company focuses on practical innovation, strong data security and responsible AI deployment, supporting enterprise customers that require reliable and trusted automation.

The partnership reflects both companies’ commitment to advancing robotics adoption through closer technology collaboration.

About LionsBot International

Established in 2018, LionsBot is one of the leading providers of AI-powered smart cleaning solutions to the commercial cleaning sector. Headquartered in Singapore, LionsBot has revolutionized the industry with a series of autonomous floor cleaning robots.

The company has won prestigious awards including the Interclean Innovation Award 2020, iF Design Award 2023, Red Dot Award 2024, Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch 2023, the Financial Times’ High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2024, and Singapore’s Fastest Growing Companies 2026.

With over 5,000 robots deployed across 30 countries, LionsBot continues its global expansion with subsidiaries in the United States (Dallas), the Netherlands (Amsterdam), and India (Chennai).

About Orbbec

Founded in 2013, Orbbec is a leading provider of robotics and AI Vision. The company delivers full-stack 3D vision solutions spanning structured light, stereo vision, ToF, and LiDAR technologies, serving over 3,000 customers across nearly 100 countries and regions. Orbbec is a publicly listed company. The company continues to sharpen its focus on robotic “eye” core technology in the AI era, advancing “hand-eye-brain” integration and multi-sensor fusion perception to empower the robotics industry toward more intelligent, versatile horizons.

CONTACT:
Jaime Li
jaime.li@lionsbot.com
6595 4565